Colleagues, in July, André Gagnon, Deputy Clerk of the House of Commons, will celebrate 31 years of service in the House.
André needs no introduction. He has been a table officer for nearly 23 years and has served 24 different chair occupants.
After having held positions in every area of Procedural Services, it is not surprising that he was appointed deputy clerk in September 2014.
His experience, deep understanding of procedure, and ability to distill and explain complex procedural and administrative questions has made him a trusted source for good advice to members from all parties. Trust me, after the last couple of days, he has been a real source of knowledge for me.
This chamber will continue to benefit from André's counsel thanks to the often quoted third edition of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice, which he co-edited with former acting clerk Marc Bosc.
As the vice-chair of the Association des secrétaires généraux des parlements francophones since 2006, he also helped francophone parliamentary institutions grow and flourish. He will be leaving us in a few days for a well-deserved retirement.
André, on behalf of myself, all those who have had the honour of serving the House in the chair, MPs and employees of the House of Commons administration, I would like to thank you for your contributions to our institution. You have always served with dignity, humility, a strong sense of duty and your own brand of humour.
I wish you and your wife, Lucie, health and happiness as you begin this new chapter of your life.