Hon. Andrew Cardozo: Honourable senators, it turns out that Senator Moodie is not the only one who is delaying your bedtime. I have a short speech to make as well.
I want to take a moment to thank my friend Senator Woo for quoting me at length on my speech on C-282, even though some of it was accurate and some was inaccurate. I never advocated repealing that bill.
Senators, I rise today to pay tribute to a consequential parliamentarian, Senator Jane Cordy, marking her retirement from the Senate. After joining the upper chamber two years ago, I have been very fortunate to have received much invaluable guidance and support from her. She was the leader who recruited me to join the Progressive Senate Group, or PSG. She never did a hard sell or tried to negotiate a deal; she presented the PSG and herself just as it and she is: straightforward, progressive, cooperative and a big fan of this country. I have always appreciated her warm and welcoming style, her vast experience in Parliament, her dedication and love for Nova Scotia and the East Coast and her depth of knowledge on a broad range of issues.
Senator Cordy has been a constant and dependable presence to whom many of us have always been able to turn to seek help or advice.
She was the inaugural leader of the PSG. She led our group with grace, skill and generosity for five years. As the longest-sitting senator in the current phase, she has seen a lot. She was appointed by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson on the advice of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien amidst the debates of the Clarity Act, an event now being taught in history classes. Senator Cordy gave her maiden speech, a reply to the Throne Speech of January 31, 2001. That speech was concerned with the community of Glace Bay — “the first town in the British Commonwealth to be incorporated under the reign of King Edward VII,” as she put it — and also with amendments to the Canada Health Act, which she rightly described as “more than simply a piece of legislation” but something that “defines who Canadian are and who they stand for.”
Senator Cordy worked on all the reforms that brought us to this more efficient and independent Senate. Her experience will be sorely missed, not only by those of us in the PSG but I’m sure by senators across all groups. For 8,929 days, Senator Cordy has served this country reliably and with distinction, and after 24 years of dedicated service, I wish her the best as she steps into the next chapter of her career. Thank you.