Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of Her Majesty's Official Opposition to pay tribute to a former Speaker, Alan A. Macnaughton. He presided over the Chamber from 1963 to 1966.
Mr. Macnaughton is remembered as a man and a Speaker who displayed a fairness in his deliberations and rulings, a deep love for democracy and a diligence to his task. Mr. Macnaughton was Speaker of the Chamber during some very turbulent and bitter times. More than once his quiet but compelling nature pulled proceedings from the brink of catastrophe.
I had some pages talking about his background, but the Deputy Prime Minister has done that and I will not repeat that because, as a Speaker, he would not want me to be longer than I should be, even in a tribute to him.
He was a great Canadian and the scope and breadth of Mr. Macnaughton's professional activities were impressive. He was a former president of the Canada-U.S. Parliamentary Association, the Canada-France Parliamentary Association and he served more than 30 years as a director-adviser to European and American banks. He was chairman of the World Wildlife Fund, chairman of the Roosevelt Compobello International Park Commission and deputy chairman of the historic 1973 United Nations Conference on the Environment.
Mr. Macnaughton also served on many corporate boards after he left Ottawa. Alan Macnaughton was a gifted gentlemen. His unassuming and distinguished manner was respected by all who knew him. As a lawyer, politician, Speaker, businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Macnaughton brought a dignity and a competence to whatever he pursued.
In 1995, his contribution to this institution and to his country was acknowledged when he was awarded the Order of Canada. There was nothing mediocre about this man. The words brilliant, refined, dignified and accomplished will mark his contribution. We will all miss him, but appreciate the great job he did for Canada.
We offer all our sympathies to his family and his friends, and he had many of those.