Visit to Canada of the Right Honourable the Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

From September 24 to 28, 2007, at the invitation of the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Speaker of the Senate, the Right Honourable the Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, visited Ottawa, Victoria and Vancouver. The Lord Speaker was accompanied by Mr. Martin Hayman, Sir Paul Hayter, Clerk of the Parliaments, as well as Mr. Nicolas Besly, Private Secretary to the Lord Speaker.

While in Canada, the Lord Speaker had the opportunity to participate in several meetings in Ottawa, Victoria and Vancouver. They met with the following officials:

In Ottawa:

• The Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, Senator, Speaker of the Senate;
• The Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons;
• The Honourable Lowell Murray, P.C., Senator, Member of the Special Committee on Senate Reform;
• The Honourable Pierre-Claude Nolin, Senator, Member of the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs;
• The Honourable Serge Joyal, P.C., Senator, Member of the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs;
• The Honourable Joan Fraser, Senator, Member of the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs;
• The Honourable Hugh Segal, Senator, Member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
• Ms. Dianne Brydon, Director, Parliamentary Public Programs of the Library of Parliament;
• Ms. Diane Boucher, Director of Communications of the Senate; and
• Ms. Christine MacIntyre, Director, Events and Visitor Services of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General.

In Victoria:

• The Honourable Judge Steven Point, Lieutenant Governor-designate of British Columbia.

In Vancouver:

• The Honourable John van Dongen, Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations of British Columbia; and
• Mr. Ken Melamed, Mayor of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.

The visit to Canada was a first for the Baroness Hayman who was elected to serve in the new role of Lord Speaker in July 2006. This was an opportunity to further relations with federal, provincial and municipal government officials. It was also an opportunity for the Lord Speaker to learn more on the discussions taking place in Canada on Senate reform, as well as the Canadian Parliament’s work with outreach programs.