Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to a great man who just passed away, Yvon Charbonneau. He was my friend and was a friend to many members in this House.
Yvon was truly a great man. He was generous and principled, and he was guided by noble values. Most importantly, he had the courage to defend those values. Yvon advanced some very important causes throughout his career as a trade unionist, a member of the Quebec National Assembly, a member of Parliament, and an ambassador. Yvon always managed to bring about change.
When I succeeded Yvon as the member of Parliament for Honoré-Mercier, I knew that I had big shoes to fill. I used the word “succeeded”, because it is possible to succeed Yvon, but no one can ever replace him. He was irreplaceable.
I thank him for his friendship and his invaluable advice. There will always be a little piece of him in everything I do here.
Goodbye, Yvon. Rest in peace.