Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join other members of parliament in paying tribute to Bill Scott.
I had the pleasure of sitting here with him from 1984 to 1993. When I arrived here in 1984 as a Conservative member, I noticed on the list of elected members that Bill Scott had been here since 1965. I wanted to know how he had managed to survive for so long in politics. Indeed, in 1984 it was said that the average political life of a member of parliament was four and a half years, taking into account the fact that a number of byelections had been held. What had Bill Scott done to survive all these changes?
I went to meet him in his office, and he spoke about his riding with love and passion. He told me all that he was doing in his riding and said that debates in the House were not necessarily his priority. Even though he was a man of culture and a good speaker, and even though he knew the issues very well, he preferred to work in his riding.
I remember that the year we both got elected he was once reprimanded by his whip, because he had not shown up here when he was supposed to be on duty. Instead, he had attended what he felt was an important meeting in his riding.
He had a passion for his people. Some say that he could name almost everyone who lived in that beautiful riding of Ontario.
He could name every vote getter—important members of the Optimist Club or of any other association—and would see them often, consult them and ensure re-election with a strong majority.
Another of his passions was agriculture. He spoke of it often. He often attended meetings of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, of which I was also a member.
I would like to mention that he was an effective member, with high regard for colleagues in his party and in the entire House. He was flexible, but he was very firm about his deep convictions when debating in the House or in committee.
When we wanted him to do something in the House and he had something to do in his riding he would smile and say “I take orders only from the people in my riding”. He set an example and I thank him for it, because it is no doubt partly due to his good advice to me in 1984 on the need to work in one's riding and to care for one's fellow citizens that I have managed to keep my seat in this House for the past 14 years.
I would like to offer my condolences and those of the Bloc Quebecois to his family, his wife, his children and to his friends and party colleagues.