I was appointed to the Senate of Canada in the spring of 2005 by former Prime Minister Paul Martin. In my naiveté, I decided to become a New Democratic Party (NDP) senator, but was immediately rejected by the leader of the NDP, Jack Layton. The federal NDP did not know me as I had not been politically and publicly active and they had not bothered to contact me to enquire about my senate appointment. In fact, they did not do their homework to find out that I was a First Nations, First Generation Chinese, Feminist, Scientist and Senior University Administrator. The NDP would not allow me to join their caucus, but the NDP women did invite me to their meetings. After a year or so, I changed my designation to Independent NDP and then in 2009, I joined the Liberal caucus.

As a Liberal Senator, I have had a greater opportunity to advocate for First Nations interests, Chinese-Canadian issues, mental health issues and promoting the role of women and Aboriginals in science.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as a Liberal member of the Canadian Senate. I hope that the information provided on my home page about my activities in the Canadian Senate and the services I can provide will be of benefit to the people of the Province of Saskatchewan and all Canadians.