I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for this opportunity to pay tribute to the late hon. Jean-Luc Pepin.
Jean-Luc Pepin passed away a few days ago. This great Canadian, always gracious and charming, gave a good name to political life.
I first met Mr. Pepin as a student at Ottawa University where he taught political science.
Jean-Luc Pepin was first elected to the House of Commons in 1963 as member for Drummond-Arthabaska where he served until 1972.
A man of ideas which he expressed with the greatest of ease, he loved to serve his country. He was a firm believer in Canadian unity. He will probably be remembered for his significant contributions to Canadian life, especially his contributions to the Task Force on Canadian Unity know as the Pepin-Robarts Commission.
In 1979, he was reelected, but this time as member for Ottawa-Carleton which he represented until 1984. For the most part, this riding later became the new riding of Carleton-Gloucester, as a result of the 1988 readjustment of electoral boundaries.
It is for me a great honour to have been elected in the same riding as the hon. Jean-Luc Pepin who served it so well in the House of Commons as a minister and where he lived until his death.
I salute a man who defended both our official languages and promoted bilingualism across Canada. I salute a man who promoted Canadian unity with integrity, compassion, elegance and charm.