Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness that we learned of the death, yesterday, of Michel Bélanger, a great Canadian, who was noted during several decades for his contribution at the social, cultural, political and economic levels.
We all knew Michel Bélanger to be a man of conviction, who cared deeply for human values while bearing in mind that our society had to set out on the road to social and economic prosperity. He believed that every human being had something to contribute to the efforts to improve our quality of life.
The achievements of such an active man are too numerous to list here. Let us nevertheless mention that he was one of Canada's leading bankers. We will recall his role as co-chair of the parliamentary commission on the political and constitutional future of Quebec. I had the pleasure of working with him when he was chairman of the no committee during the 1995 referendum.
You shall not be forgotten, Mr. Bélanger. Thanks a million for your outstanding contribution to the development of Canada. You remain the model of a hard-working, conscientious person striving for perfection.