It's a rather lame joke to call Harder an independent Senator. 

He was a water boy throughout his adult life for Liberal governments who promoted him again and again for his fidelity, not his competence. 

As well, most of the other newly appointed independent senators have been feeding off the public teat [read Liberal governments] for decades. 

They represent neither the ideal of a Canada most of us would recognize , do they seem to have a clue of what value, diversity, per se,  can bring to  Canada.  

Harder and his ilk are time servers, fart catchers, pork troughers,  and brown nose herders.  They are members  of the sanctimonious  paleo-liberal oligarchy.

The respect Canadians give them is well earned.