Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Honourable senators, one aspect of my duties as leader of the Progressive Senate Group that I enjoy the most is welcoming new members to this Chamber. Today is a good day, a day when four new colleagues with vastly different life experiences have come to join us, each of them eager to contribute to our work.
As the fifth person to rise today, I hope I won’t repeat too much of what’s already been said. If I do, please forgive me.
The Honourable Victor Boudreau is a proud Acadian who has spent no less than 30 years serving the people of New Brunswick. His time as an MP’s assistant, provincial MLA, minister and now, an active member of many community organizations and associations, makes him an authority on Acadian and New Brunswick realities as well as the needs of citizens living in this beautiful region of the country. I have no doubt that he will happily share his knowledge with us.
You don’t have to fear the bumps along the road as you said when you left the cabinet in 2017.
The Honourable Charles Adler from Winnipeg was born in Hungary, the son of a Holocaust survivor. His family immigrated to Montreal where he started his broadcasting career, which found him living in various cities across the country. Over time, he became an influential commentator on many issues. We’re all interested to see how he’ll approach his new role. I wonder if in his case we should expect some bumps on the road. But to be more serious, if in the past you have been rather critical of this place, now you will have a chance to contribute to its ongoing improvement for the benefit of all Canadians.
The Honourable Daryl Fridhandler is a Canadian with roots across the whole country. Born in Montreal, he grew up in Nova Scotia. He attended three Canadian universities — McGill, Université de Moncton and Dalhousie Law School. In 1983, he moved to Calgary to practise law, and the law firm he joined at the time is still the law firm he’s practising with today. Aside from a busy law practice, he’s been a founder, director and investor in numerous start-up enterprises. On top of that, he’s managed to find time to be active in business, cultural and political organizations provincially and federally. With such a background, it is fair to say that there will be plenty of Senate committees where he will feel rapidly at ease.
Finally, the Honourable Kristopher Wells is another Albertan but from the other city, Edmonton, home of the Oilers, who were the pride of all Canadians last June. Dr. Wells is a renowned scholar and researcher in Canada and around the world on sexual and gender diversity. His advocacy for diversity, equality and human rights in his own province and across Canada will provide him a very relevant background for his work on these issues here in the Senate. Speaking of hockey, I commend him for his participation in the Pride Tape initiative which has been adopted by all the National Hockey League’s teams.
In conclusion, new colleagues, welcome to the Senate, and rest assured that the independent senators in the Progressive Senate Group look forward to working with you. Thank you, and welcome.
Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.