Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the kind words.
Bob probably did not get along with every NDP MP and certainly would happily disagree on many policy issues, but to give an example where that was not the case, I note former MP Fin Donnelly. I had the privilege of joining them on occasion for a scotch and an across-the-lines political and candid among-the-rurals conversation, because that was the kind of guy Bob was. He could not necessarily understand why people felt the way they did, but he would say that we should probably sit down and ask them. That is what made him a brilliant communicator for different audiences, particularly the urban audiences that he worked with during his time at the Winnipeg Free Press.
I think Bob still owed Fin a couple of bottles of scotch from a couple of bets that did not go his way, but he will hopefully be forgiven for that. I know he enjoyed many opportunities with some of his former colleagues.