Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I rise to pay tribute to my friend, Senator Terry Mercer.

Senator Mercer was appointed, as has already been said, by the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien to represent the great people of Nova Scotia. Prior to being appointed to this chamber, as Senator Cordy already mentioned, Senator Mercer was well known within the Liberal Party of Canada for having been the director of fundraising and the national director.

His loyalty to Jean Chrétien and his party has been undeniable. During his maiden speech, Terry said:

My support for Mr. Chrétien’s legacy will be in the Senate not only for the opposition’s benefit but also for honourable senators in the caucus. I will remind them not to forget the legacy of Jean Chrétien over the years and those of us who have been sent here by him.

Senator Mercer could not have foreseen the kind of strange predicament our institution would be forced into by Justin Trudeau’s desire to cut ties in the name of Senate reform. Yet, it remains a testament to Senator Mercer’s loyalty to his political party that even after the Prime Minister decided to break his allegiance with the Liberals in the chamber, Senator Mercer’s allegiance never wavered. He was a team player from beginning to end.

For many years, Senator Mercer and I worked together on the Agriculture and Forestry Committee. Even though we were both very partisan senators, when it comes to farming, there is no such thing as a Conservative farming problem or a Liberal farming problem. Farming is farming, and the issues at stake were always the priority.

Senator Mercer and I also served together on the Transport and Communications Committee. Travelling together gave us an opportunity to become good friends. I recall the great times we had in Belgium during a study on wireless technology.

Colleagues, I will share a private conversation I had with Terry Thomas, our research analyst for the study. Mr. Thomas and I were walking down to get some chocolates for my wife, and I asked him to give me his opinion on who he thought were the two most partisan senators in the chamber. Keep in mind that these were the good old days when there were Liberals and Conservatives in the Senate. Our analyst, of course, hesitated in providing me with the answer, but I insisted. He eventually confessed that, in his opinion, Senator Mercer was the most partisan Liberal and I would take that position for the Conservatives.

I told him I had been hoping for this answer because I wanted to tell Mr. Thomas that Terry Mercer was probably my best friend in the chamber.

Colleagues, may this be a reminder that being partisan isn’t a bad thing, and partisan or non-partisan isn’t the issue at stake in this chamber; it is the well-being of Canadians. If Terry and I can be friends and work toward a common goal, it is possible for everybody.

Senator Mercer, I want to join the many Canadians in thanking you for the work you have done. But, colleagues, I could not speak today without mentioning that Terry Mercer will forever be known by Conservatives for denying leave, especially when the Liberals held the role of the opposition in the Senate. Many on this side of the aisle will forever hear the soft echo of your voice saying “no” to keep the government in check and ensure it doesn’t always get its way.

Terry, you leave big shoes to fill on that front, but I will do my utmost to fill the gap left by your absence and step up my game.

Humour aside, Terry, your retirement is well deserved, and our caucus and I wish you and Ellen the very best.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, I’ll turn back to you again today. I have a question for you.

Senator Gold, even before the NDP-Liberal government began congratulating itself for calling a public inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act, a public inquiry it was bound by law to establish, there were signs this government had no intention of providing transparency regarding its decision to invoke this act.

Last month, the NDP-Liberal government refused to provide all relevant information surrounding the use of the Emergencies Act in relation to a case launched in the Federal Court by several groups, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Leader, how does hiding cabinet documents from both the court and the public inquiry demonstrate openness and transparency on the part of your NDP-Liberal government?