Dear colleagues, Thank you for your words, your kind thoughts and the deep respect you have shown our dear colleague, the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—Alnôbak.
Every member of the House knows that uncertainty and change are the hallmarks of politics. Being elected and serving as a member of Parliament is usually a relatively short chapter in a career, a matter of a few years, if we are lucky. Well, our dear colleague is making history with a career of political service that shatters all records. History will tell the story of the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—Alnôbak's longevity, spanning 13 parliaments, seven prime ministers and 11 speakers since he was first elected to the 33rd Parliament in 1984.
What is the secret of his success? In fact, it is quite simple: To make serving his constituents a priority. Our colleague explained it well last March when he said, “I feel just as motivated as I did when I was first elected. I am all the more determined not to drop the ball so that I can keep this wonderful partnership with my constituents going while I do the work I love.”
His constituents have, of course, heard this call to work in partnership many times. He serves as a great example of dedication. All MPs know that weekends and weeks spent in their ridings are often very busy times. If we do the math and figure out how many meetings and events our colleague has attended in his riding throughout his career as a member of Parliament and the number of exchanges he has had with his constituents since 1984, the numbers are staggering.
Far from his riding, here in the House, the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—Alnôbak has always spoken eloquently on the major issues of the past four decades. He has always shown great respect for his colleagues and for democracy. Through his example, we have learned a great deal about how to conduct ourselves and work as members of Parliament, and we continue to learn.
I want to congratulate you and sincerely thank you for your service. With your generosity of spirit, your kindness and your wonderful smile, you have taught us that politics is about connection, dedication, empathy, compassion and, above all, service. Thank you, my dear friend, and well done.
Now, I invite you all to the Speaker's dining room to celebrate our colleague in style.