SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 297 - Apr/10/24

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Apr/10/24 3:17:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That the House: (a) recognize that the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel became, on April 3, 2024, the longest-serving and undefeated elected representative in the history of the Canadian Parliament on his 14,457th day in office, for a total of 39 years, 6 months and 29 days; (b) salute the dedication that he must have shown to the constituents of Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel in order to be worthy of their trust since 1984 in twelve federal elections; (c) thank the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, the dean of the House, for his record-setting length of public service over four historic decades devoted to standing up for the people of Quebec; and (d) pay tribute to the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel immediately following the adoption of this order to allow members to make brief statements, in the following order: a member of the Bloc Québécois, followed by a member of each recognized party, a member of the Green Party, and the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel.

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Context: House Hansard - 297 - Apr/10/24

Hon. Steven MacKinnon (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Apr/10/24 3:22:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is my turn to recognize the dean of the House, the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, for his impressive public service longevity record. Over the past four decades, day after day, my Bloc Québécois colleague has done an excellent job of promoting, defending and representing his constituents. I have to quickly mention our former colleague, Herb Gray, who held that record until now. However, on April 3, the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel became the longest continuously serving elected member in the history of the Parliament of Canada. Clearly, my colleague should be extremely proud of that achievement. His constituents have placed their trust in him since 1984, making him the envy of us all. He has been consecutively re-elected since 1984. That is what I call a great batting average. He has also shown us that we can politely agree to disagree in the House. The fact that he has been a member for 44 years should inspire us all to emulate his qualities and perhaps be here for as many years as he has. I must also point out how important institutions, even federal institutions, are to him. He and I are working together on the restoration of Centre Block, our crown jewel, the seat of our democracy in Canada. I also appreciate the great commitment the member has shown to our institutions and to what is perhaps the ultimate federal democratic institution. I thank him for that. Once again, I would like to congratulate our dean, the dean of the House, a member who is present, proactive and greatly appreciated, not only by his colleagues, but also by his constituents, as his record shows.

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Context: House Hansard - 297 - Apr/10/24

Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, NDP)

Apr/10/24 3:27:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to pay tribute to the longevity and hard work of the member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, who has been elected 12 consecutive times without ever losing his riding. It is absolutely amazing. He was first elected in 1984 as part of the same Progressive Conservative wave as the late Mr. Mulroney. I wonder where I was in 1984. I was 11 years old, finishing elementary school, and I was younger than my youngest child is now. That gives members some idea. The hon. member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel has a great sense of humour. He is always witty and sometimes has a tendency to tease us. I cannot resist pointing out that Wikipedia says he acted as interim Speaker of the House of Commons for six days last fall. For six days, the Bloc Québécois member was theoretically reporting directly to Charles III, King of England. He served him conscientiously for those six days. More importantly, he has served his constituents conscientiously for over 14,000 consecutive days. That shows the depth of his local roots, his on-the-ground knowledge, and his grassroots connections. It also shows the power of local democracy. On behalf of the NDP, I congratulate the member.

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