Mr. Speaker, the death of King Hussein of Jordan was a great and unexpected sorrow to the world, and a crushing blow to his people. An unexpected sorrow to the world because, although he was known to be ill, this pilot-king had been at the controls of the plane when he recently returned to Jordan, so there was no indication that his death would come so soon.
During his reign, the friendly relationship between Canada and Jordan grew stronger and stronger. A number of Quebec businesses contributed to the development of trade links with Jordan. Many Quebeckers have been involved, in a spirit of generosity and openness, in international development projects funded by Canada. We can only hope that these ties will be continued under his successor.
I will take advantage of this opportunity to express my best wishes, and those of my party, to his son, the new King Abdullah. May his reign allow Jordan to continue to progress along the road to modernization and peace.
The death of King Hussein was also a crushing blow to his people. One need only watch the scenes on television to realize that the relationship between the king and his people was more than one of ruler and ruled.
King Hussein was obviously a great monarch, with the affection and trust of his people. In every way, his long reign was a totally remarkable one. With leadership skills that were the envy of many, he guided his people for nearly half a century.
This king, a member of his country's Hashemite minority, did not have the benefit of the oil wealth of most Arab countries in advancing his country economically and socially. He was able to strike a wise balance between the internal demands of his country, which was not exempt from the tensions relating to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the regional realities which dictated, after a number of conflicts, the normalization of relations with his neighbours, Israel in particular.
Despite the vicissitudes of international politics and of regional conflicts, King Hussein will be remembered as a peacemaker for his moderation in word and deed.