Mr. Chairman, allow me to state at the outset that I consider myself to be one of the most fortunate men in this world--I am a Canadian. I say that because my mother and father came to this land--I am the son of immigrants--so I could have a better life.
They taught me two things. First, the most precious thing, prize, or gift they ever gave me was Canadian citizenship, and with citizenship comes responsibility. Canada is a land of opportunities, but not a land of guarantees. In other words, it was up to me to make what I could of what they gave me.
In my teens, I applied to two police forces: the RCMP and the Montreal police force. I was accepted to both. I went to Montreal for one specific reason: I could go to school. In those days there was no such thing as long-distance education, computers, satellites, or what have you, but there were universities.
My police functions at the beginning were the same as anyone's--squad car, beat, morality--but my last seven years helped prepare me for this job. I became the voice of the force. I did recruiting. I protected or defended the force, if you wish, on television and radio. And I met every possible group, be it social, cultural, religious, colour, or what have you.
I also went to school. In my eleven years in the Montreal Police Service I earned three university degrees: a bachelor of arts from Sir George Williams with a major in psychology, and two law degrees from McGill. In other words, sir, I was a police officer full-time and a student full-time. I also played football for McGill in my only leisure hours, and I was captain of the club.
I left the Montreal police force to become a member of the National Assembly. I served as an MNA for 11 years. Four months after being elected, I started playing football for the Montreal Alouettes. We won the Grey Cup that year.
I was still an MNA was I stopped playing for the Alouettes. I went on to be one of the co-creators of a police technology course at John-Abbott College. This three-year course leads to a degree in police technology and to a job as a police officer in the province of Quebec.
I was first elected to office in 1970 and re-elected in 1973 and in 1976. I didn't have an easy time of it in 1976, but I did manage to get re-elected.
When I left the National Assembly, I continued teaching, but I began doing television work. I was a television talk show host for six years with a half-hour show each day on CBC. I also did the nightly sports on CBC television.
At John Abbott College I continued on as I had as a police officer and as I had as a member of the National Assembly, dealing with the various groups in the community.
I organized a most successful symposium every year at John Abbott dealing with violence in schools, which allowed us to bring the best speakers we could find on that topic to the school. We brought in 400 high school students from the greater region of Montreal, be it Laval, Hudson, or wherever. What it allowed us to do was teach respect, appreciation of another's culture, and appreciation of another point of view--audi alteram partem; in other words, before you make your decision, be sure you hear the other side--and it allowed us to grow.
I was named a member of the Order of Canada in 1989, specifically because of my community work. I began, at the request of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, to do citizenship ceremonies as a member of the Order of Canada, especially on July 1, and on other days.
I was named a citizenship judge for the first time in 1999. On November 6 of last year, I was nominated and named for my sixth mandate as a citizenship judge.
All of that, Mr. Chair, is because my mom and dad came to Canada.
Thank you.