Ontario Senator Frances Lankin is stepping down as Government Liaison in the Senate after a successful campaign to update the institution’s rules.

Senator Lankin was instrumental in the adoption of a comprehensive package of rule changes to reflect the reality of a more independent and less partisan institution, said Senator Marc Gold, the Government Representative in the Senate

“It would not have been possible to move forward with these long-awaited changes to the Rules of the Senate this spring without Senator Lankin’s dedicated work. Her motivation, gravitas and deep understanding of the Senate were an asset to the Government team these past few months, and will continue to benefit the Senate as a whole moving forward.”

Senator Lankin thanked the Government team in the Senate for prioritizing the modernization agenda, and for collaborating with senators of all stripes to achieve formal changes in the rules that have been nearly a decade in the making.

“It has been an honour to join the Government team on a time-limited basis to contribute to the common goal of modernizing the Senate’s rules. Let’s keep the momentum going, and continue down the road of making this a more reflective institution that brings added value to Canadians.”

Legislative Deputy Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Alberta) will take on the role of acting Government Liaison.

• Find out more about the Senate rule changes here.