Senator Downe: Thank you very much, and as always, Senator Cormier, that was a very informative and interesting speech. We have come to expect nothing less from you over the years.

I’m interested, though, in your analysis of the power transfer. My understanding is that transferring the power doesn’t compel the federal government to spend the money; it gives them the option if they so choose. And the reason — and I hate to raise this late on a Thursday afternoon — is this is part of the Confederation Bridge and Champlain Bridge problem over the years that I’ve been involved in. My research indicates that this goes back to 1886 when there was a dike in Montreal that the federal government used, but they declined to fund the actual construction afterwards. Then, of course, we have the Confederation Bridge, and the Champlain Bridge, in particular, falls under this category, as well.

My understanding is that the government can fund, but is not required to fund. Is that your understanding?

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. I’m not in the Prime Minister’s head and I have no comments to make about the suggestions that everyone is free to make in a free and democratic society. Canada, the Prime Minister and this government are managing their relationship with the United States well and will continue to do so.

Senator Plett: Well, you’re right, and we are doing a job. You’re doing your job, leader; you’re here. You show up and attend Question Period. Your boss was in West Block yesterday, and couldn’t be bothered to go downstairs to answer questions in the House.

You may have noticed, leader, that it has been lightly snowing on and off in Ottawa over the last few days, and that hasn’t escaped Senator Downe’s notice. Senator Downe thinks the Prime Minister could be gone by February. Senator Gold, why wait? Why doesn’t he just go now?

Senator Gold: I’m sure that the Prime Minister is waiting with bated breath for suggestions from others as to what he should do. I don’t mean to be sarcastic, and it’s no disrespect to the right of all of us to express ourselves. But, snow or no snow, my understanding is that this government remains focused on the work that they are required to do — which they are continuing to do for Canadians.

Senator Cormier: Yes.

Senator Gignac: Thank you, Senator Gold. Given that the Minister of Finance will be meeting with her provincial and territorial counterparts tomorrow, wouldn’t it be a good opportunity to discuss the possibility of a dual mandate approach to these Canada Pension Plan investment funds, as is the case in Quebec with the Caisse de dépôt et placement? That is one of the recommendations in the most recent report of the Committee on Banking, Commerce and the Economy. Could we look into the possibility of a dual mandate to simulate economic development, as is the case in Quebec?

Senator Martin: The fact is that millions of taxpayers’ dollars are spent each year on the access to information system that this government routinely violates. They are just not worth the cost. In any government, the tone is set from the top. If the Prime Minister’s Office wouldn’t provide all relevant documents to the RCMP regarding the SNC-Lavalin scandal, why should public servants worry about breaking Canada’s transparency laws every day?

Hon. Scott Tannas: Good afternoon, honourable senators. My colleagues in the Canadian Senators Group and I were deeply saddened by the passing of Senator Shugart. I had the privilege to speak with him on several occasions, including over this summer. We discussed governments’ use of omnibus bills. He provided wise counsel and keen insight into the relationship between the executive and the legislative branches. This conversation, and others, were always rich, thoughtful and with action-oriented alternatives to consider.

His final words to me were ones of encouragement, and came at a time when he was in his final days. How extraordinary he was to bravely and relentlessly continue to pursue his service to Canada as long as he possibly could. When I think of public service and duty, I will always think of Ian.

His contribution to the Senate, while only for a brief time, was the tip of a great iceberg of what Senator Shugart could and would have given us if he’d had the chance.

We will greatly miss Ian. Our deepest condolences to his family, his staff and his friends.

After he took his oath as senator on that first day, I said in my welcome remarks that Senator Shugart was telling new Parliaments the following during his tenure as the Clerk of the Privy Council, and I think it’s worth repeating here as a message from him to us. He said:

Never ever lose that sense of expectancy that brought you here. That sense of purpose that brought you here. That flame should never go out. . . . We are here for a time and a purpose, and that purpose is the institutions and the public welfare. We’re holders of an amazing privilege — to be responsible, to be representative of the public interest.

For our dear friend and colleague Ian, his flame may have gone out, but we continue to serve as the holders of this amazing privilege, and we shall do so in his honour. Thank you.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, with great sadness, I also rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend and a colleague, the Honourable Ian Shugart.

Ian liked to remind me that he was the only deputy minister whom our leader, Pierre Poilievre, ever had when he was a minister. Our time goes back to the days of my good friends Jake Epp, Brian Mulroney and Joe Clark.

I know we say this often when someone passes, but with regard to our friend Ian, the words were never truer: He left us too soon. Too soon because he was loved as a husband, a father, a family member and a friend. Too soon because he was a man of integrity with a depth of experience and knowledge, and yet a man of great humility. Too soon because he was a man with immense wisdom and significant experience that would have enriched our discussions and deliberations in this chamber.

When Ian Shugart gave his maiden speech in this chamber last June, we did not know that it would also be his farewell speech. His words were not addressed to the nation, nor to the Prime Minister, nor to any political party. They were addressed to us. He challenged us, each and every one of us, to be at our best and to exercise restraint. Allow me to read just a few lines from his speech when he said:

Canada is facing great challenges on many fronts: social justice, environmental crises and major economic and international security threats. To survive these realities, let alone thrive, we have to be at our best. The alternative is mediocrity. . . .

Canada is a big, diverse country — geographically, socially, culturally, economically and philosophically. For each of us, for parties and for institutions, restraint may begin with acknowledging that our point of view — legitimate as it is — is not the only point of view.

We have benefited from restraint in this country, and, in these times, we need it again. May we all find it within ourselves to practise restraint.

May Senator Shugart’s remarks be an inspiration to me, for all of us, to be at our best so that Canada not only survives but thrives. May we, too, live our lives with humility and integrity, as Ian did. May we, too, run our race well and finish strong, as he did.

Ian shared with me personally that he had hoped to have more time with us in this chamber, but as a man with deep faith in his God and his Saviour, he only wanted God’s will for his life, and he would accept that with no complaint.

Today, Ian is home in the arms of Jesus, but his loss is felt among all of us. I extend my heartfelt condolences on behalf of not only myself but our Conservative caucus to his wife Linda, his children Robin, James and Heather and to his entire family. May God strengthen all who are grieving his departure.

Thank you, colleagues.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group to join other senators in paying tribute to the late Honourable Ian Shugart. It was only just over a year ago that we rose to welcome him to this place, and it still feels both surreal and unfair that we are now speaking of him in memoriam.

Upon his appointment as Clerk of the Privy Council, it was noted that he “. . . has rarely made headlines during his long tenure in government, and is a careful, thoughtful speaker.” Though he did indeed work admirably and quietly behind the scenes for most of his career, it was certainly headline news when we learned of his passing.

As a man who truly embodied what it means to be a public servant, the outpouring of tributes to him in the past week have had a definite theme, highlighting his devotion to service, his wit and wisdom and certainly his kindness and grace.

I would like to quote from one such tribute:

The fact that few knew that Ian Shugart was a regular gospel preacher in many Ottawa churches leads to a fitting way to describe the man. Ian rose to be the head of Canada’s public service, some 300-thousand people strong. He was a quick mind with steady judgement and an observer of character. He was cautious, wise, and thorough—a model public servant. . . . In the most straightforward way, he got to the heart of things. He had an eye for things that matter to the heart without losing sight of the job at hand.

Honourable colleagues, as we’ve already heard, back in June, we were treated to what seems like a fairly characteristic speech from Senator Shugart — his first and only intervention in this chamber. He chose his words and opportunity wisely, and I dare say he caught our attention and left a lasting impression.

He said:

Honourable senators, whether it is what we say to or about each other, or how we learn again to listen and dialogue with others who don’t share our outlook, or how we guard the health of our institutions — we need to relearn the virtue of restraint.

What a legacy Ian Shugart will have left in his short tenure here if we can all heed those words.

It is a tremendous shame that he did not get the chance to participate more fully in the Senate’s work — a loss we will certainly all feel deeply. Still, I am grateful for the short time that he spent in this chamber.

On behalf of the Progressive senators, I offer my sincere condolences to his wife, Linda; his children, Robin, James and Heather; and all the family and friends who feel this loss so deeply. May he rest in peace.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

The Hon. the Speaker: On behalf of all senators, I express my sincere condolences and share my deepest sympathies with you during this difficult time.

Honourable senators, I would ask that you all rise and join me in a minute of silence.

(Honourable senators then stood in silent tribute.)

[Translation]

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

The Hon. the Speaker: Thank you, colleagues.

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Linda Shugart, wife of the late Honourable Ian Shugart, and their three children, Robin, James and Heather.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Myla Plett, Alyssa Nedohin, Chloe Fediuk and Allie Iskiw, who are national curling champions, and others supporting the Canadian team, which will represent the country at the World Junior Curling Championships in Finland. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Plett.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Hon. Peter M. Boehm: Honourable senators, I am deeply saddened to rise today on behalf of the Independent Senators Group to pay tribute to our late colleague the Honourable Ian Shugart, who left us far too soon.

Ian was many things: an excellent colleague, a scholar, a teacher, a leader, an intellectual and a patriot. To me, he was also a mentor, a role model and a friend.

I first met Ian about 20 years ago, when he was an assistant deputy minister at Health Canada and I was transitioning from my assignment at our embassy in Washington to an assistant deputy minister job here at what was then the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

At the time, Ian had successfully managed policies regarding severe acute respiratory syndrome, a.k.a. SARS, and I attended a few interdepartmental meetings on the subject. I was struck by the calm, highly intelligent interventions he made on ways forward once others had expressed their views. I remember him saying that Canada had to develop standard operating procedures to prepare for the next mass health scare or even a pandemic — how very prescient.

I left for my assignment in Germany a few years later, and, unsurprisingly, Ian moved upward to associate deputy minister and then deputy minister at Environment Canada. By the time I returned to Ottawa in 2012, Ian was Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada, and I was what in bureaucratic slang was referred to as a “baby DM.” I felt I needed a mentor who could help me find my way through Ottawa officialdom. He took me on and always had time to discuss policy issues and approaches. To my delight, a few years later, we also ended up working together in the same portfolio.

He hosted my retirement event at Global Affairs Canada, presenting a slide show full of wry cartoons from the acerbic comic strip The Far Side. The highlight was the two bears seen through the hunter’s scope with one smiling and pointing at the other as the preferred target. “You are the one smiling, Peter,” Ian said.

Colleagues, I was not the only one mentored and shaped by Ian Shugart. Since his passing last Wednesday, in addition to the grief felt by his beloved family — his wife, Linda, and their children, Robin, James and Heather, who are here with us today — there has been a tremendous outpouring of gratitude from many, not just in the public service but across the country, whose lives and careers he touched in his gentle, helpful way. It is this quality, coupled with his deep spiritual faith and love for his country and its institutions, that took him to the pinnacle of the public service as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet.

Ian Shugart was a leader without peer. This rings true in the remarkable speech he gave in this chamber on June 20 on the value of restraint in political discourse and action. As with SARS all those years ago, he was telling us to be prepared, to exercise our best judgment and to be mindful of the consequences of our actions. He said this diplomatically, of course, because after all, the art of diplomacy is letting someone else have your way.

Rest in peace, my friend, you great Canadian.

Hon. Brent Cotter: Honourable senators, on a sad day, as we honour the passing of our colleague Ian Shugart, I want to turn, though, to a moment of celebration.

I rise to speak about curling in the presence of curling royalty. You would not know it to look at me today, but I was once a competitive curler and curled once in the Brier in 1981. I can hear you asking, “How did you do?” Well, a partial answer is this: After eight games in the competition, we had zero wins and eight losses.

Over the decades since, people like me were driven out of curling when true athletes were let in. So let’s jump ahead a generation to an era when native Nova Scotian Beth Iskiw, Allie Iskiw’s mother, was one of the outstanding skips and then thirds in women’s curling. She represented both Nova Scotia and Alberta in numerous national championships and, upon joining a team in Alberta as third, was part of the 2012 Scotties Canadian women’s champions and bronze medallists at the world championships.

The team Ms. Iskiw joined was skipped by Heather Nedohin, Alyssa Nedohin’s mother. During that era, Heather Nedohin was one of the top skips in our country, representing Alberta on a number of occasions in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and she was national champion twice. And, if I may say so, she had one of the most beautiful curling deliveries ever — far more beautiful than her husband’s.

This brings me to Alyssa Nedohin’s father, David Nedohin. David Nedohin will, perhaps, be known to you, but not as well as he should be. He threw the fourth — or skip’s — rocks for the Ferbey Four, a team named after Randy Ferbey. This team won four Canadian men’s championships in the early 2000s and three world championships. Last month, the team was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

If you know anything about curling, you will know that the fourth — or skip’s — rocks, are by far the most important shots that a team executes during a game; as a former lead, it pains me to admit this. Dave Nedohin’s skip’s rocks led that team to those four Brier and three world championships. During those six or so years, Dave Nedohin was, indisputably, the best curler in the world.

Today, we have before us the future of women’s curling in Ms. Plett, Ms. Nedohin, Ms. Fediuk and Ms. Iskiw. These four young women of incredible talent, intellect, commitment and determination have rocketed to the forefront of women’s curling. My daughter and I follow their exploits, and earlier this week she reported to me that Team Plett, although still at a tender age for a curling team, has broken into the top 100 women’s teams in the world.

Let me end on this point: It is said that talent is passed down through the generations. That seems to be the case here. If so, we can only be grateful, Ms. Plett, that your inheritance of curling talent skipped right over your grandfather and landed in you.

Thank you.

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Now I know why he insisted on speaking before I did.

Honourable senators, I present Chapter 6 in the legacy of Team Plett. I am thrilled to be standing here in this chamber welcoming not only my granddaughter Myla but also her curling teammates Alyssa, Chloe and Allie, along with their coach Blair Lenton. David Nedohin, the other coach, has promised he will be at our reception tonight.

To say that I am proud of the quest for excellence that these girls have undertaken would be an understatement. They have done what no other junior curling team has ever accomplished: winning back-to-back Under-18 national championships, winning the silver medal at the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island, then winning the Under-21 junior championship in Quebec, which allowed them to represent Canada in Finland at the World Junior Curling Championships 2024 and become the first women’s junior team in Canadian history to ever win the Under-18 and Under-21 championships in the same year.

Because of their curling accomplishments and past record, Team Plett was invited to curl in the PointsBet Invitational tournament in Oakville, Ontario, where they curled against professional curlers.

On September 27, they were given the unenviable task of curling in their first game against none other than the world champion Jennifer Jones. They took Jennifer all the way through 10 ends before losing in a very close game. In this game, Myla almost mirrored Jennifer Jones’s curling record of 82% with her own, which was 81%.

In the words of Canadian champion, Curling Canada Hall of Fame inductee and TSN commentator Cathy Gauthier, “Every so often there is somebody that comes along that you call the next best thing.” That is how she described my granddaughter Myla — as the best next thing in curling.

Colleagues, Team Plett then went on to curl in the Saville U25 Challenge, where they curled against women 25 years of age and under from around the world. Again, they went all the way to the final before losing a very close game.

This weekend, colleagues, they are here in Ottawa curling at the Ottawa Valley Curling Association U21 Junior SuperSpiel. I know we want to wish them all well, and although you may not be able to cheer for an Alberta team while they are here in Ottawa, I know you will want to encourage them and cheer them on when they represent Canada at the world championships.

Colleagues, I want to invite everyone to the third-floor boardroom this evening at 6 p.m. for a little get-together and reception to meet the girls. For many of you, supporting Team Plett might be much easier when it’s regarding curling rather than politics, and I hope you will all join us. I know the girls would love to meet each and every one of you.

Thank you very much.