Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to offer my condolences to the family and friends of John Gomery, who passed away last week at the age of 88.
He was originally from Montreal but had been living in Havelock, which is in my riding, for the past few years. Simplicity, humanity and sincerity were his hallmarks, but history will remember him most for heading the commission of inquiry into the sponsorship program. The commission exposed the turpitude of the Liberal Party, which was diverting public funds to friends of the party on condition that they make donations to it and undermine Quebec's sovereignty.
I was fortunate enough to meet him a few times, and I will remember him more for his intrinsic honesty than for his aversion to corruption. His lengthy career as a lawyer and judge dedicated to noble causes made him a prime example of a citizen who is engaged, free and determined to live in a society that honours the principles of justice. May he rest in peace.