CANADA 1st SESSION • 37th PARLIAMENT • VOLUME 139 • NUMBER 96 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, March 13, 2002 THE HONOURABLE DAN HAYS SPEAKER CONTENTS (Daily index of proceedings appears at back of this issue.) Debates and Publications: Chambers Building, Room 943, Tel. 996-0193 Published by the Senate Available from Canada Communication Group — Publishing, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Ottawa K1A 0S9, Also available on the Internet: http://www.parl.gc.ca 2390 THE SENATE Wednesday, March 13, 2002 The Senate met at 1:30 p.m., the Speaker pro tempore in the As Herb moves on to his new career as Chairman of the Chair. International Joint Commission, we salute his incredible service to Canada. We wish him good health and every success in his Prayers. future interesting and very challenging responsibilities. SENATORS’ STATEMENTS HERITAGE MEN WITH BROOMS AND THE RIGHT HONOURABLE TAGGED: THE JONATHAN WAMBACK STORY—CULTURAL ISSUES HERBERT ESER GRAY, P.C. Hon. Laurier L. LaPierre: Honourable senators, I always TRIBUTE have good news. I have good news today because a movie made by Canadians is a success at the box office. It made over Hon. B. Alasdair Graham: Honourable senators, all of us $1 million in its first week and that figure will climb more and have probably, at one time or another, run across examples of more. This movie, Men with Brooms is about the sport which, I famous people who have turned negatives into positives through am told, is called curling, which appears idiotic on the face of it. their self-discipline and personal determination, through their It is a movie that calms spirits and encourages love with girls and undying perseverance and just plain courage; of famous people the making of it. By all accounts, it is a marvellous film starring who have turned negatives into positives through belief, fortitude the most magnificent Paul Gross. and determination. As I reflect upon the remarkable career of the Right Honourable Herb Gray, these are some of the phrases that I encourage all honourable senators to see this movie. Pay the come to mind: Never say never; the master of the political money and eat the popcorn — enjoy! Above all, tell your moment; and, always the noble gentleman with the backbone of friends, people on the streets and in the corridors, how good this steel. Herb Gray is a man who, in the middle of difficult movie is. Honourable senators, I encourage you to enjoy this treatments for cancer, gave press releases, never stopped Canadian film. It will change your personalities considerably. working, came to cabinet meetings, was regularly scrummed, and Most of our personalities need much changing. gave hope and encouragement to everyone around him. Honourable senators, Herb Gray’s four decades in the public My second piece of good news is about a young man by the service in this country showed that negativity and adversity only name of Jonathan Wamback who was severely wounded by exist to be defeated. Like all those in the legions of the great, his bullies in school. He lost most of his brain, had immense life has been filled with undying purpose in the face of difficulty speaking, and could not walk. On Monday night of this overwhelming obstacles and with a sharp mental focus in week, CTV — out of the shop of the great Bill Mustos — aired maintaining a clear picture of what he wanted, then applying his a magnificent movie called TAGGED: The Jonathan Wamback enormous personal energies towards the attainment of his goals. Story. It is a magnificent statement to human resilience, courage, determination and love. The life of the Right Honourable Herb Gray has always been a wonderful illustration of the kind of spirit it takes to see every Honourable senators, there is a seven-minute scene in this day as a new challenge — and never, never quit. I am talking movie of astonishing magnificence by Tyler Hynes who plays the about 14,397 straight days of service, honourable senators, with part of Mr. Wamback. The scene depicts the first time Jonathan each day taken as a gift, as a fresh start, to be approached with goes to school after years of being absent. He gets out of his car, optimism and discipline. I am talking about his passion for rock he hangs on to the door and he walks from his car to the entrance and roll music, his one-of-a-kind deadpan humour, the power of of the school — a walk that must be 18,000 kilometres long — a superb intellect and always with an enormous grasp of complex with the most astonishing courage and beauty and, as I said national issues which I was privileged to witness on many before, resilience. occasions, first hand. This movie is a fine example of a Canadian story. It reflects To me, Herb was the ultimate public servant and a friend to the value of all the work and effort that the Canadian every region of this country. Herb Gray’s career has always been government, under the Minister of Heritage and the Prime a reflection of the intellectual foundations on which this country Minister, puts into the making of films and television programs was built, of reform and social justice, of compassion and to tell our stories to Canadians. I beg of you, honourable intellectual commitment to people. With sincerity and personal senators, enjoy Canadian television. I hope that one day we will rectitude, Herb — always a gentleman — has spent a lifetime in establish a committee for culture and heritage so that, in this holy the service of the continuing adventure, the continuing hall, people will be able to speak about the soul of our country at development of the ideal, which is Canada. any time they desire. March 13, 2002 SENATE DEBATES 2391 •(1340) This living legend is a man whose impact on our country will be felt for a long time to come. He has even added some class to rock and roll in Canada! HEALTH Last year, I had the pleasure of hosting an evening benefit COST OF MEDICATION event in Sudbury, at which Herb Gray was the showcase speaker. In other words, honourable senators, a Liberal event. To my great Hon. Catherine S. Callbeck: Honourable senators, as I rise surprise, there were as many Conservatives as Liberals in today, a woman in my home province is worrying about how she attendance. At the end of the evening, in thanking people for and her family will come up with the money they need to buy the attending, I do not know how many times I heard: “Senator, we medication required for her to survive. could not miss the opportunity to hear one of Canada’s most respected statesmen, even if it meant contributing to your fund to do so!” Wilna Toombs struggles with pulmonary hypertension which, if left untreated, will kill her. However, as with many other serious diseases, there is a treatment. As with many other I join my colleagues in paying tribute to an extraordinary treatments, it is extremely expensive. The medication that Wilna Canadian and wish him much happiness and all possible good receives is called Flolane. It costs more than $100,000 a year. fortune in his new duties with the International Joint While some of this cost is covered by private insurance, Wilna Commission. I am told that its Ottawa offices have never seen as and her husband absorb a great deal of it. Wilna and her husband many VIP visitors as they have since Herb’s appointment. Is this must use all the money that they have saved, including their not more proof of the esteem in which so many people hold this RRSPs, before they can receive any assistance from the distinguished Canadian? provincial government. This threatens their present livelihood and, equally important, it threatens their retirement. I am deeply saddened to learn that Wilna has been failed by THE LATE JEAN-PAUL RIOPELLE our health care system. The reason that I am telling you of Wilna’s case, honourable senators, is because I believe that it illustrates a fundamental gap in our health care safety net. TRIBUTE Indeed, while our nation’s health care system is something that Canadians have always been proud of, it is important to note that, Hon. Lucie Pépin: Honourable senators, yesterday we were contrary to what most people believe, what we now have is really greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Jean-Paul Riopelle at a hospital and doctor system, not a health care system. What we the age of 79. Today, I wish to pay tribute to this great artist, an need is a system with some form of public insurance that will important figure in the annals of modern art, a master of his craft, help people, such as Wilna, to deal with the catastrophic cost of considered by some to have been one of the greatest painters of drugs. the 20th century. Recognizing this problem, I am pleased that the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, of The reputation of this great Canadian went far beyond his which I am a member, will, as part of its health care study, native Quebec. His works are exhibited in all the major capitals include a study on how to ensure that situations like Wilna’s do of the world and hang in some of the great private collections in not arise in the future. The Senate committee report will include Canada and elsewhere. recommendations on how to ensure that Canadians do not suffer undue financial hardship as a result of increasing catastrophic Jean-Paul Riopelle was born in Montreal on October 7, 1923.