Mr. Speaker, it is now my turn to rise today to salute the 50 years of service of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Major-General Gaston Cloutier.
We regularly have the opportunity, here in the House of Commons, to pay tribute to exceptional men and women. I am pleased, along with my Bloc Quebecois colleagues, to mention the exceptional qualities of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons.
To be at the service of the state for half a century is evidence of the great desire to serve the public that Major-General Cloutier has always demonstrated. All parliamentarians can attest to his dedication, his respect and his sense of duty.
All those who have had the opportunity to work with Major-General Cloutier could, as we are doing in this House, attest to his great human qualities. After talking with some of my associates this morning, I can truly say that several people would have loved to have the privilege that is mine today of expressing our gratitude.
Major-General Cloutier is responsible for various services in the House of Commons. He fulfills his duties with an affability and an integrity that make him an essential member of this institution. I know that a number of colleagues in the House consider him a friend.
Mr. Speaker, you know better than anyone else all the tasks required to ensure that parliamentarians can fulfill their responsibilities under the best possible conditions. Hundreds of men and women are contributing, more often than not behind the scenes, to the life of this essential democratic institution. Major-General Cloutier is a person whose priority has always been the respect of the institution and of its members.
He is a person who, because of his keen sense of public duty, understands how what we are doing here helps our society make progress in a democratic and peaceful way.
My Bloc Quebecois colleagues join with me in paying tribute to the 50 years of service of Major-General Cloutier. We thank him for his dedication and for the quality of his work, and we hope that we can keep our close ties with him for a long time to come. Congratulations, dear friend.