Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour the memory of the late Sir Zelman Cowen, former governor general of Australia, and one of the great jurors and leaders of the 20th century. A distinguished constitutional lawyer and academic, Cowen attended Oxford. As a Rhodes scholar, he became dean of law at Melbourne University and served as provost at Oriel College, Oxford.
A truly remarkable human being, his inspiring leadership as governor general helped unify Australia at a time of national division.
I met with Sir Zelman Cowen and his wife, Lady Anna, in the summer of 2010 and told him that he had always been a role model for me, as he had been to so many others in Australia and beyond. Indeed, I had the privilege of delivering the Sir Zelman Cowen Oration on International Affairs upon my first trip to Australia in 1998, which was a particularly moving experience for me.
My sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Sir Zelman Cowen. May they all be inspired by his memory and may that memory serve as a blessing.