Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to mark the passing of my former campaign manager Colleen Mason, taken too soon from her friends and family at the age of 47. Colleen had a passion for politics from a young age and grew to become something of a legend in Canadian politics, well known to many of us on both sides of the House.
She literally wrote the book on Conservative campaigning, having contributed to the party's first campaign manual. She worked for dozens of provincial and federal campaigns across the country, most of them successful, and many of them, including my own, beating the odds. During her years of service as a Hill staffer, she was known for her collegial approach to building friendships and relationships across the aisle.
Outside of politics, she was a loving and devoted daughter, sister and aunt. Her red hair reflected much about her personality. She was a fiery and passionate spirit, and sadly her candle has burned out too soon. Colleen Mason will be greatly missed.