Debates of the Senate 1st SESSION . 41st PARLIAMENT . VOLUME 148 . NUMBER 13 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, September 27, 2011 The Honourable NOËL A. KINSELLA Speaker This issue contains the latest listing of Senators, Officers of the Senate and the Ministry. CONTENTS (Daily index of proceedings appears at back of this issue). Debates Services: D'Arcy McPherson, National Press Building, Room 906, Tel. 613-995-5756 Publications Centre: David Reeves, National Press Building, Room 926, Tel. 613-947-0609 Published by the Senate Available from PWGSC ± Publishing and Depository Services, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0S5. Also available on the Internet: http://www.parl.gc.ca 236 THE SENATE Tuesday, September 27, 2011 The Senate met at 2 p.m., the Speaker in the chair. Parliament Hill is a small community in many ways, and over the years I had many opportunities to exchange pleasantries with Prayers. Jack Layton. We would often talk about his father, the Honourable Robert Layton, a fine parliamentarian whom I knew as a minister in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Brian AFGHANISTAN—FALLEN SOLDIER Mulroney and long-time chair of the Conservative caucus. Jack was rightly proud of his father. It is a cruel irony that both father SILENT TRIBUTE and son would fight prostate cancer, a disease which affects over 25,000 men each year in Canada. The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, before we proceed, I would ask honourable senators to rise and observe one minute of silence in memory of Master Corporal Francis Roy, whose I would often ask him about his mother, Doris. A few years tragic death occurred while serving his country in Afghanistan. ago, I made a comment in the media — I think it was on Mike Duffy Live — about an issue that I do not recall at the moment, and I commented that Jack's father, Bob, would not approve. His Honourable senators then stood in silent tribute. mother was listening and, needless to say, was understandably upset with me and let me and the media know. I would often ask Jack if his mom had forgiven me, and he would laugh and assure DISTINGUISHED VISITORS IN THE GALLERY me that she had. I feel particularly sad for Doris. Mothers should not have to bury their children, and she should know that the The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I draw your thoughts of all honourable senators are with her at this difficult attention to the presence in the gallery of our former colleague, time. the Honourable Nick Taylor, and his wife. Also in the gallery we have the Honourable Vim Kochhar. Honourable senators, the outpouring of emotion across On behalf of all honourable senators to our former colleagues, Canada in the days following his death is a testament to the we welcome you to the gallery of the Senate. connection that people of all backgrounds felt with Jack Layton, not only as a newly re-elected leader of the official opposition, but as a man waging a fierce personal battle against cancer. Election campaigns are gruelling, and his determination to carry on with vigour and optimism drew the admiration of people of all political stripes. The Prime Minister has characterized this as gallant, a SENATORS' STATEMENTS very appropriate description, in my view. TRIBUTES I know that all honourable senators wish to extend their sincere condolences to his beloved partner, Olivia Chow, and their THE LATE HONOURABLE JACK LAYTON family, his mother and the members of the NDP caucus on their great loss. Hon. Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government): Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to a fellow Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable parliamentarian, the late Jack Layton, Leader of the Official senators, on August 22, Canadians awoke to learn of the death Opposition in the other place, who passed away last month at the early that morning of Jack Layton. The outpouring of grief and age of 61. His untimely death shocked and saddened Canadians, emotion spoke volumes about the kind of person Jack Layton and his life of public service has since been honoured and was, and it spoke eloquently about the kind of country that remembered. Canada is. Less than five months ago, on May 2, we all witnessed a new era in Canadian politics as the results of the federal election rolled There have been many wonderful tributes from his friends, in. Not only did our Conservative government win a majority of family and colleagues, people from across the political spectrum, seats in the House of Commons, but Jack Layton led the New who spoke movingly about personal recollections, friendships and Democratic Party to a place they had never been before, the profound convictions. I was honoured to attend the service at Official Opposition in the House of Commons. The NDP Roy Thomson Hall, together with colleagues from both sides of experienced unprecedented success in the province of Quebec, this chamber, and to listen to the heartfelt, often impassioned where voters embraced Mr. Layton's campaign of hope and eulogies delivered by his family and close friends. turned their backs on 20 years of the Bloc Québécois. Watching the new leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition that night, I am sure most people never suspected that his personal triumph would The thousands of grieving Canadians across the country had be snatched away so suddenly and so sadly. Once again, we are never met Jack Layton. However they were moved, I believe, by reminded how truly fragile life is. the loss of someone who was profoundly dedicated to public September 27, 2011 SENATE DEBATES 237 service, who believed in the power of the many to come together If it is agreed that we continue our tribute to Senator Kochhar to build a better world and the power of each of us to make a under Senators' Statements, we will have 30 minutes and any time difference as individuals. remaining after tributes will be used for other statements. A word that has often been used to describe him is ``optimistic.'' Is that agreed, honourable senators? Fundamentally, I believe that this optimism was a belief in Canadians and a conviction that the Canadian democratic system can allow us — all of us, not just a privileged few — to rise to be Hon. Senators: Agreed. the best that we can be. Hon. Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government): . (1410) Honourable senators, today we bid farewell to our colleague Senator Vim Kochhar. He has represented the great province of Jack Layton knew that one cannot bring people together by Ontario in this place for over a year and a half, an all too brief dividing them, by pitting one group against the other, or by period in my view and, I am sure, that of many others. However, marginalizing or excluding people. Bob Rae spoke in the other he has done so with great enthusiasm and I know that all place of Mr. Layton's love of making a deal and his honourable senators will agree that Senator Kochhar has made a determination to work together with others to find a significant impact on the Senate of Canada during this time. compromise, even when, as Mr. Rae wryly noted, others had discovered there was no deal to be done. Vim Kochhar is well known and respected all across our country for his tireless work advancing the cause of persons with I did not agree with many of Mr. Layton's policy ideas and disabilities. This noble cause has been at the heart of most positions, but I did agree unreservedly with his conviction that everything he has done for almost 30 years. He is the creator of politics — true public service — demands serious, honest, the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons, which respectful debate, listening, exchanging ideas, and an openness spearheaded the Terry Fox Hall of Fame and the Canadian Helen to be persuaded, perhaps especially, by those representing Keller Centre — the only residential training centre in Canada for contrary views. people who are deaf-blind. He is the chair of the Canadian Paralympic Foundation, assisting and encouraging countless numbers of our athletes to compete in Paralympic sports. The Senate, of course, is not an elected body, at least not yet. As Senator Kochhar is also a very successful businessman as the a result, we are not bound by the electoral cycle to the same extent president and founder of the Vimal Group of Companies in as the other place. We have an opportunity to take a less partisan Toronto. approach as we debate the important issues of the day. Historically and traditionally, some of our best work has been done when members of different parties came together to work in In addition to his business and charitable background, Senator the best interests of Canadians. Does this involve compromise? Of Kochhar also came to this chamber with considerable political course it does. Everyone has to put a little water in their wine at experience, mainly with the Progressive Conservative Party certain times and at certain points. Have Canadians benefited of Canada. He ran for the party's nomination in the riding of from that effort? Without question, the answer is yes. St. Paul's in Toronto in 1984 and, although he was not successful, he did contribute to the success of the person who ultimately won I suspect that if Jack Layton could select only one legacy, it the nomination, the Honourable Barbara McDougall, and, of would be that we temper our partisan politics — not cast it out, course, served in her campaign as her fundraising chair.