Mr. Speaker, let us honour the life and legacy of James Ross Hurley, the founding director of the parliamentary internship programme. Created in 1969 by Wellington MP Alf Hales, the program flourished under James Hurley's leadership as a unique, non-partisan opportunity for university graduates to experience parliamentary democracy.
Since then, more than 550 young Canadians have participated in the program, including members of this Parliament, members of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, and alumni who have gone on to hold top positions in the public and private sectors and in non-profit organizations in Canada and around the world.
James Hurley devoted his life to public service as a Privy Council Office constitutional adviser to six prime ministers, a beloved mentor and a professor of political science at the University of Ottawa.
In March 2025, he left us. In a final act of generosity to the Hales and Hurley Parliamentary Foundation, he ensured that the program would continue in perpetuity.
His family, including his sister Ann Gibson, is with us today. James Hurley's legacy will continue to be an inspiration.
His legacy to youth, democracy, bilingualism and Canada will inspire generations to come.