Madam Speaker, I am extremely honoured to speak to this Senate bill. I want to commend the member who sponsored the bill, as well as the originator of the bill in the other place, Senator John Lynch-Staunton.
It is important to keep in mind that the bill is really about capitalizing on an opportunity to educate Canadians about some of our founders, to engage school children in particular in reveling in our history.
Ours is a great story. We have much to be proud of. Much was accomplished. A great deal of that is signified in the opportunity to recognize two great prime ministers of our country, Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Wilfrid Laurier. The bill would draw attention to that important founding history, that important principle that has always played a great deal in weaving its way through the country's history.
We have many tools at our fingertips for communicating ideas. But what greater opportunity would there be than to have a day on which the focus and recognition would be on these two great men.
Sadly we find that history is sometimes lacking in the education system today. More than at any other time we have the ability to communicate through technology and the Internet. We must always reach out. We must always make the effort to recognize the means to communicate a very positive message. This is a very positive story, the one of these two great men.
We want all Canadians to clearly understand that the bill is not about creating another statutory holiday. The bill designates January 11 and November 20 as the days which would carry the respective names of Macdonald and Laurier. Those two days would give the Government of Canada and particularly the Department of Canadian Heritage, as well as schools, institutions and the media opportunities to speak of these great men. In so doing it would make better known some of the history of the nation.
Earlier this month the Globe and Mail did a wonderful and innovative thing. It invited former prime ministers to submit articles about past prime ministers.
The right hon. member for Calgary Centre wrote a compelling piece about a man he knew, respected and drew great inspiration from during their time together in the House of Commons. I am speaking about the Right Hon. John Diefenbaker. This insight was very novel, given the fact that there was a personal relationship.
Other former prime ministers have written articles as well. The Right Hon. Brian Mulroney wrote about Robert Borden who was a native of Nova Scotia. John Thompson came from Nova Scotia as well.
Former Prime Minister John Turner wrote an article about Sir John A. Macdonald. In that January 12 article the central theme was that we should do more to commemorate this great man, this founding father, who against all odds and through his sheer force of will and ability to seek compromise was able to bring the country together.
In writing his article, the Right Hon. John Turner made many references to support this cause, to support making January 11 as a day to celebrate and commemorate Sir John A. Macdonald as a national hero. In support of his thesis he quoted the many speeches that were given about Sir John A. upon his death. He referenced one in particular by Sir Wilfrid Laurier. I urge hon. members to read the article by John Turner which was published in the Globe and Mail . Mr. Turner enlisted the testimony of many others on the subject.
I would suggest that Sir Wilfrid Laurier would certainly be supportive of the case for Sir John A. Macdonald, as would Sir John A. in return. Here is part of what Sir Wilfrid Laurier had to say in the House of Commons upon the death of Sir John A. Macdonald:
As to his statesmanship, it is written in the history of Canada. It may be said without any exaggeration whatever, that the life of Sir John A. Macdonald, from the time he entered Parliament, is the history of Canada.
Those are very proud and powerful words.
That was Laurier on Macdonald, but I want to turn now to the words of the Right Hon. John Turner on Sir John A. Macdonald. He stated:
Britain will never forget her Cromwell, her Pitt and her Disraeli. The hero whose name we add to our...immortals, John Alexander Macdonald, had much of the force of an Oliver Cromwell, some of the compacting and conciliating tact of a William Pitt, the sagacity of a William Gladstone, and some of the shrewdness of a Benjamin Disraeli. To read the biography of John Alexander Macdonald is, essentially, to read a “New World Biography”.
This is an opportunity for us to look into the lives of these great men and to pause and reflect upon their huge, incalculable contributions to Canada.
In the House of Commons Sir Wilfrid Laurier eloquently reminded us daily of the nature of our country as we look out on the majestic waters of the Ottawa River from this hallowed building. I would suggest that a great deal of inspiration can still be found in the words of these men.
Canadian history is more than the legends of politics or the accomplishments of government. It is often a time to reflect and look into the personal sacrifices these men made and the contributions their families and their parties made. It very much chronicles the history of the country at that stage of our development. At that moment in time those men came forward to serve their country in a significant way, in a way we all admire, hope to emulate and look back on with hope for the future. We hope to draw some wisdom and inspiration from their actions and their words.
We are always challenged to find ways to draw people into this political process, to engage them again, to make it relevant to their lives. I would suggest that having a day which celebrates the accomplishments of these two founding fathers is a ticket to ride. That is a way in which we can very much encourage people to look at the accomplishments of these men and think of the accomplishments others can make in the future.
By marking the anniversaries of Macdonald and Laurier we can not only highlight the past but give Canadians a rallying point, a reason to draw together to speak positively about what the country has accomplished in the past and what we can do in the days and years to come.
I would ask all members to support the bill. I understand that there is a willingness to let the bill proceed to the next stage so we can bring this matter into being.