Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of our Conservative caucus, to mark the passing of a good friend to all of us in the House, and to so many around the country, our former colleague, Keith Ashfield.
Keith was a fixture here in Ottawa, his home away from home when he could not return to his beloved New Brunswick.
Determined to serve the people of New Maryland, Fredericton, and beyond, Keith put his name on the ballot of the provincial legislature in 1991 and won a seat just a few years later.
A true blue Conservative, Keith would take the fight to Ottawa in 2008 as a member of the Conservative government, where he would serve as a cabinet minister and a staunch defender of Atlantic Canadian interests until 2015. Throughout his political career, Keith fought to champion and protect Canada's natural abundance, both as the provincial minister for natural resources and the federal minister for fisheries.
Rural families and workers, and those who rely on Canada's natural wealth to help feed their families, knew they had an advocate in Keith Ashfield. Even as he faced health challenges in recent years, he never stopped working for the New Brunswick communities he loved so much.
Keith even said just a few months ago that he would run at the provincial level again. There is no doubt that the people of New Brunswick are mourning this loss today knowing that Keith was fighting for them yet again.
On behalf of our entire caucus, my wife Jill and I send our sincere condolences to Keith's wife Judy and their loved ones. May his memory be a blessing for all of them.