Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my best wishes to the hon. member for Hastings--Frontenac--Lennox and Addington who underwent successful surgery earlier this week.
The hon. member was first elected in 1993 and his warm and caring nature has been a welcome addition to the House. His hard work and dedication to small business, agriculture and rural communities is both appreciated in his riding and through his work as the past chair of the Liberal rural caucus and currently as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food.
I would like to take this time to send our prayers and best wishes to the hon. member, his wife Rita and their daughter Kayla. I am sure all members will join me in wishing him a full and speedy recovery. We look forward to his return to this House.