I will permit myself a few words on this occasion of the passing of a brother Speaker who did indeed preside in this chair. I would like to put a human face on Alan Macnaughton. I am sure that parliamentarians and all Canadians who are watching today might appreciate this.
About a year and half ago there were eight living Speakers who had occupied this chair and presided over the debates of the House of Commons, but it seems in rapid succession we have lost two of them. In July 1998, Mr. Speaker Lamoureux died very quickly.
I had an idea for some time to convene the Speakers from wherever they were across Canada just to bring us together to share an evening. This is where the human face of Mr. Macnaughton comes into it. Of the seven of us who were still alive, one of them was not able to make it. That was Mr. Speaker Lambert from Edmonton. However six of us did come to the dinner.
When I called the former Speakers, one could not come in the month of October and another could not come in the month of November. Although I knew of Mr. Macnaughton, I had not been that close to him before and I did not know how old he was. When I called Mr. Macnaughton I said “Speaker Macnaughton, I am having a dinner for the former Speakers. Would you care to join us?” He said “Oh, yes, I would like to do that'.' I said “You have two choices, sir. Would you like to have the dinner on September 30 or December 5?” He said to me “At my age I would rather go sooner than later”.
I did not know exactly what he meant so I looked him up in the parliamentary guide. Mr. Speaker Macnaughton on July 30 of this year was to have been 96 years old. He lived through a great deal, virtually all of this century.
I was at a hockey game with him in Montreal. When I was a boy growing up I said that Rocket Richard was my hero. I asked him if he remembered Rocket Richard. He said “Rocket Richard? Heck, I remember Howie Morenz”. That goes back into the early part of this century.
All that is to tell you that none of us here except the Deputy Prime Minister had the honour to serve with him. I am not sure if the Prime Minister did. I take great pride in saying that I am one of the great admirers of Speaker Alan Macnaughton.
As the hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle mentioned, in a time of turbulence he remained calm and he brought us as a House and us as a nation through the very déchirant flag debate that we went through. He served the House well. He served the members of parliament well by giving them the best that he had.
I can only reiterate what all speakers today who have taken the floor to remember Mr. Macnaughton have said. In my view he was one of our outstanding Speakers. He was a wonderful member of parliament and ever so human.
In your name and in my own name, my colleagues, I extend our very deep condolences to members of his family in their time of sorrow. I am always reminded that they did have him and he was with us for almost a century, and that of course is to our benefit.