Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for Catherine and me to be here today, and for me to rise in this House. Yesterday, a crazed gunman came here intending to silence us, to silence the values that our country represents: peace, tolerance and diversity. He failed.
Yesterday's cowardly act was meant to shake this great city of Ottawa and indeed the entire country, but it has only hardened our resolve. It has only strengthened our commitment to each other and to a peaceful world. Let us not become more suspicious of our neighbours. Let us not be driven by fear because in Canada love always triumphs over hate.
For the family of Corporal Nathan Cirillo, may they please know that the thoughts and prayers of every single member of this House and of every single Canadian are with them today. Corporal Cirillo was a young man, just 24, with a beautiful son and a bright future ahead of him. Friends said he always had a smile on his face. That smile will be remembered by a nation.
I would also like to salute my friend, Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers. On behalf of us all, I would ask him to convey our sincere thanks and appreciation to each and every member of his team here on the Hill, the police forces and the Canadian Armed Forces. We do not yet know all of the names of yesterday's heroes, but I can say that we all witnessed heroic actions. We saw such actions right in our room: a member of Mr. Vickers' team threw himself against the door when the gunman was right outside and told us to get down even as he himself was standing in front of the door. The courage and professionalism they showed in the face of such brutality embody the best of what it means to be Canadian.
I thank our Canadian Armed Forces. This week, they experienced two unspeakable tragedies. Every day, our armed forces defend Canadian values, and today all Canadians stand united with them.
Yesterday we awoke in a land of love, diversity and peace, and today that has not changed. Here in this place, throughout Ottawa and across the country, we will conduct the nation's business as normally as possible. As the Prime Minister said, our presence here today is proof of that.
We will hold our loved ones a little bit closer, but we will not allow hatred and violence to change who we are.
As we all know, events take place here that exemplify Canada's openness and freedom.
One of my favourite examples of how this parliamentary area in and of itself becomes a symbol of the freedom and openness of this great country of ours, Canada, is that every Wednesday at noon during good weather we can see hundreds of people, multi-coloured, doing yoga on the front lawn. It is a symbol of openness and freedom. The person who came here yesterday with violence on his mind and in his gestures did not win. We cannot allow that openness and freedom to be rolled back either. We have to continue to defend both.
Today I stand here on behalf of all New Democrats and Canadians. We say that there is great solidarity here in the House and across the country. There is solidarity with the Prime Minister. These acts were driven by hatred, but also designed to drive us to hate others. That is not going to happen. We will stand up and we will stand together. We will preserve. We will persevere. We will prevail. That is what Canadians have always done together. That is what we do best together.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On we go, together.