OTTAWA September 20th, 2018 – ISG Facilitator Senator Yuen Pau Woo and Deputy Facilitator Senator Raymonde Saint-Germain officially welcomed Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne (Inkerman) into the ISG. She is the 46th member of the ISG and the 14th Senator of the group to represent Quebec.
During her career, Senator Miville-Dechêne has objectively informed the Canadian population while upholding high journalistic standards. She spent more than 25 years as an award-winning public affairs and news correspondent for Radio-Canada where she became the first woman to hold the position of ombudsman. In 2011, she was named chair of the Quebec government's Conseil du statut de la femme, acting as an adviser to the government on the subject of gender equality. Before being named in the Senate as an independent senator, she was the Quebec representative in the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO, and the Quebec government representative for human rights and freedoms.
“I wished to join the Independent Senators Group because it is essential for me to work within a team and to benefit from my colleagues’ experience,” said Senator Miville-Dechêne. “I believe that a person who has an independent spirit and who votes according to their conscience does not need to work alone. We are more efficient together.”
Senator Miville-Dechêne is taking the oath at a pivotal time for the Senate and its future. “Each and every one of us has a responsibility to restore public confidence in this important democratic institution. We must uphold the highest standards in the Senate in the interests of Canadians,” said Senator Saint-Germain in her welcome speech to her new colleague. Senator Miville-Dechêne’s “record will undoubtedly be a valuable asset to the Senate. On behalf of all members of the Independent Senators Group, welcome.”
Established in 2016, The Independent Senators Group (ISG) is committed to a non-partisan Senate and the modernization of the Upper House of Canada’s Parliament. With 46 members, the ISG is the largest parliamentary group in the Senate. Composed of independents not affiliated with any political caucus, ISG Senators work cooperatively but act independently. https://www.isgsenate.ca/ #ISGsenate @ISGsenate
For more information, please contact:
Aline Lafrenière
Director of Communications
Independent Senators Group (ISG) Secretariat
aline.lafreniere@sen.parl.gc.ca
819-664-1564