Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure To speak about S-10 I thought it only fitting To put my thoughts to pen.
Terms such as poet laureate Don't impress me as a rule, But I understand the meaning I took Latin while in school.
The duties of this office Would be onerous indeed The person who's selected Steroids would likely need.
To write poems for state occasions A “welcome” or “adieu” As directed by the Senate And the House of Commons too.
It will cost a lot of money But perhaps things could be worse Than to have the things we say and do Immortalized in verse.
But if we knew our children Would read the things we said We just might be more cautious So they wouldn't hang their head.
The topics of our questions Could be recorded here The fence at Quebec City Or the golf course at Grand-Mère.
I see the members opposite As they ponder on their fate “Like clay-born lilies of the world” They think of Shawinigate.
If ministers were eligible To win would be the rage, The leadership contenders Would all want centre stage.
Poor paltry politicians Write words with wondrous wit But a parliament poet laureate! The title doesn't fit.
We haven't time to write in rhyme Our duties are too great And the people of our districts Would surely seal our fate.
After the next elections If we had poetic notion We'd be “idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean”.
Whether Liberal or Alliance Tory, NDP or Bloc If we wasted time, composing rhyme They'd surely clean our clock.
But really, Mr. Speaker, What is it that we need? Perhaps we'll look to history To bring us up to speed.
If the Americans can have one And the British have one too Our country just can't be left out No, that will never do.
Throughout this historic homeland From sea to shining sea We have poets of great distinction Who a “Laureate” could be.
Are we looking for a Chaucer? A Bacon or a Frost? A Tennyson or Whitman? Or will Paradise be lost?
Will he have to write in lyrics? Will simple poetry do? Does it have to be a sonnet With rhyming couplet too?
Does he have to have works published For the better or the worse? The Minister of Industry Would be great to write blank verse.
I think of Edward Rowland Sill “Opportunity” he wrote And with apologies to him Some lines I'd like to quote.
“The king's young son he grabbed the sword When the coward ran away” But unlike the Alliance Party He saved THAT heroic day.
But really, Mr. Speaker, Costs must be borne in mind And support for such expenditure Will be likely hard to find.
Does price outweigh the benefit? So I ask if you agree That we shouldn't have to pay for verse When we can have it penned for free.
However, Mr. Speaker, We won't stand in the way To get in-depth analysis Committee should have its say.
The Tory jury is still out But we'll have our day in court Until that time, I'll end my rhyme And S-10 we will support.