Hon. Raymonde Saint-Germain: Interim Clerk, my colleagues, the Government Representative and the Leader of the Opposition, spoke eloquently about your expertise and professionalism. I wholeheartedly agree with them, and I want to thank you for your wise and thoughtful advice, your unstinting generosity with your time, and your strong sense of duty.

I want to pay tribute to you as a manager, one who was very attentive to senators, our teams and his employees. I know that you were and still are very proud of the team that you managed, and with good reason. Every member of that team, at all levels, thinks very highly of you. By way of evidence, I want to tell you about an interaction I had with Ms. Francine, who is a maintenance worker on the fourth floor of this building. One morning, not too long ago, she came into my office and said, “Mr. Lafrenière’s frames aren’t there anymore. What’s happening?”

I said, “He’s changing jobs, so he’s moving out of his office.”

Then she said to me:

He’s such a great guy. He gave me a gift card to thank me for dusting his frames. I’m really going to miss him.

I wanted to share that story because I think it’s a wonderful example of what a considerate manager you are and how you care about recognizing all employees and expressing gratitude to them.

These frames she was telling me about also include the ones that hold photos of your family, the five women in your life. I know that you are very proud of them. It’s another one of your great accomplishments.

As a professional, as a manager, as the person who was at the helm of this institution during the pandemic and who successfully ensured that the Senate could continue to operate, as well as from a family perspective, you are the pride of the five women in your life: your four daughters, Mélanie, Katrina, Gabrielle and Annika, and your wife, Danièle.

Today you are leaving this chair, but you are not leaving the Senate. On behalf of all the members of the Independent Senators Group, I congratulate you, I thank you and I want to tell you how happy we are to continue working with you under a different title. Thank you very much.

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