Mr. Speaker, I had the honour and the pleasure of sitting with Mr. Rossi from 1984 to 1988. When I arrived here as a Conservative member in 1984 there were many of us, and I found myself sitting on this side of the House with the opposition.
When Mr. Rossi would rise to speak with his powerful voice, I must admit that he did not look like an easy person to approach. I saw him for a few weeks, without getting to know him any better. Then one day I met him in an elevator and discovered a totally different person. Here was a charming and very polite, distinguished and friendly man, interested in getting to know his fellow members of parliament.
Following that encounter I shared many meals in the cafeteria with him and also with his colleague, Mr. Malépart, who has unfortunately left us too. Mr. Rossi had been in the military and he also had a distinguished career as a police officer. He was feared and respected as a criminal investigator, and he was instrumental in capturing some very well known and astute criminals.
I also discovered that he was a man of culture. He sat on the culture and communications committee. His comments were very much to the point and all members, regardless of their political stripes, would listen carefully.
He was also very involved at the social level, perhaps as a result of the influence of his colleague, Mr. Malépart. I remember the fight that he led, along with his friend, Mr. Malépart, following the first Conservative budget regarding, among other issues, the indexation of old age pensions. When these two took the floor the House shook not because there were shouts, but because of the heartfelt arguments that were put forward, arguments that had been conveyed to them by the public in the numerous meetings and functions that they attended in their ridings.
War veterans chose Mr. Rossi as their spokesperson. At the time veterans had many demands about health care and other issues and they would always go to him because he was a former police officer. They recognized him as an honest and just man, as a man capable of standing up for them.
Mr. Rossi was also very comfortable with new Canadians. He was well known among Montreal's allophone population. He could speak several languages fluently, which is not the case of many of us here. He was very comfortable with all minorities from the Montreal region, and he had warm and frequent contacts with them.
On my behalf, and on behalf of my party and my colleagues, I wish to offer to his wife and two children my most sincere condolences. I also offer my sympathies to the constituents of Bourassa whom he served so well and to his party which he served so well.