Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House as the dean of the New Democratic caucus to pay tribute to the late dean of the Conservative caucus.
I know that Deepak planned on running again and was looking forward to the campaign in the hopes of returning to the chamber this fall. His sudden illness and passing shocked us all. I wish to extend our deepest condolences to his family, his friends, his colleagues and the people of Calgary.
As we have heard from the tributes in the House, we have lost a remarkable colleague. His accomplishments were significant.
Deepak Obhrai served the House with distinction for 22 years. He was elected seven times, becoming the longest-serving MP of South-Asian descent. Over the years, Deepak served as parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs, international co-operation and international human rights. He represented Canada ably on the world stage. The New Democrats may not have interpreted the world the same as Deepak, but we respected him and his service, as did all of us, for our Canada.
When Deepak was appointed to the Queen's Privy Council by former prime minister Stephen Harper, he was proud to have “The Hon.” title and never shy to remind anyone, especially during hallway debates in the parliamentary corridors.
The story of Deepak is not only about a Canadian's service to his country. It is also the story of perseverance by a Canadian who faced racism in all aspects of his life, including his professional and political life. In fact, he ran for the leadership of his party because it was important for him to send a message to Canadians that every Canadian, irrespective of his or her ethnic background, should have an equal opportunity to participate in every facet of Canada's political process.
During this campaign, media characterized his campaign as “The Fun Uncle Who Keeps Stealing the Show” and “charmed”.
We are fortunate he lived long enough to see a racialized Canadian elected as a leader of a major federal party. While he rarely agreed with the NDP, he understood and appreciated the importance of a diverse House of Commons that respected all.
We will miss his trademark scarves. The one I wear today has the saying, “Deepackage” on it. I wear it with humility and pride for a man who showed us great respect in the chamber. We will miss his humour and his laughter.
Parliament and all of Canada lost our “Fun Uncle”, but not before he mentored us all.