Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the opportunity to speak very briefly about Senator Sinclair.
I first got to work with him in earnest when I was a young staffer at Canadian Heritage, and we were trying to pass legislation that would help to protect indigenous languages in Canada. Murray was the person who we always turned to for advice and guidance. It was remarkable to watch how measured he was and how wise he was. I was truly in awe of him and, to this day, have not seen a public figure as universally revered as Senator Sinclair was.
When I returned home after working here in Ottawa, I got back into education, and I had the fortunate opportunity to work with him in a variety of other capacities. He was always very active in helping educators in Manitoba and across the country make sense of where we were going and building upon the foundation that he had laid through the tremendously important work in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
What I am thinking about today, in addition to, of course, Senator Sinclair and his family, including his son Niigaan, who was a teacher of mine in high school, is that he was famous for saying that education got us into this mess and that education will get us out of this mess.
Mr. Chair, it's truly a privilege to be at this table with colleagues as we discuss the important work ahead and as a representative for Manitoba to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Senator Sinclair. Thank you for the opportunity.