Today is the 10th anniversary of James Michael Flaherty’s untimely death. He served in this Legislature as the MPP for Whitby–Ajax in several roles from 1995 to 2005, including Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance.

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Canada’s former Prime Minister, said appointing Jim Flaherty in 2006 as finance minister was one of the most meaningful decisions ever for this country, as James steered the economy through the global recession of 2008-09 and worked hard to get the country on a sound financial footing in the years afterward.

Jim Flaherty entered public life to make sure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, had the chance to live happy lives of purpose and dignity. Inclusion in every respect was his ultimate goal. He and Christine Elliott were instrumental in creating the Abilities Centre, a fully accessible recreational and community facility in Whitby. The centre’s mission is to enrich the quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.

We cannot know for certain how long we have here, nor the trials or misfortunes which test us along the way. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures, and we can strive at all costs to make a better province so that someday, if we’re blessed with the chance to look back at our time here, we know that we spent it well and that our fleeting presence has a lasting impact on the lives of others.

This is how James Michael Flaherty lived. That, Speaker, is his legacy.