I will add a few brief words, if I may.
Gib Parent was elected Speaker of the House on January 17, 1994, and re-elected in 1997, only the second Speaker in history to be chosen by secret ballot, as was mentioned.
As the Speaker of the 35th and 36th Parliaments, Gib had to deal with a number of challenges. Among the toughest of these was the fact that there were five official parties in the House, four of which demanded the right to be recognized as the opposition.
Gib Parent used the speakership for a variety of constructive purposes. During his mandate he took significant steps to make Parliament more accessible to Canadians, and he worked to raise awareness of this institution's rich history and traditions.
Inspired in large part by his own experience as a teacher, he launched the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy, as has been mentioned, to promote education about democratic institutions. Today the Teachers Institute is in its 13th year and continues to be as successful as ever. It is only one of his many gifts to Canadians and it typifies his love of learning, love of country, and love of his fellow citizens. It is a tangible and lasting result of his heartfelt desire to share those loves with all who seek a better understanding of how we govern ourselves.
He will be missed very greatly by all of us in the House, and he will certainly be remembered.
I would now ask hon. members to rise for a moment of silence in honour of our departed colleague.
[A moment of silence observed]