Hon. Denise Batters: Honourable senators, I rise today to mark the passing of Senator Len Gustafson, a true prairie son of southeastern Saskatchewan. He was a seasoned politician who won four elections as the member of Parliament for the Assiniboia, and later Souris—Moose Mountain riding before being named to the Senate. He never became “Ottawashed.” Senator Len Gustafson was a down-to-earth and unpretentious man, a dedicated farmer who believed in kindness, loyalty and service to others.

Len Gustafson hailed from a farm in Macoun, Saskatchewan, and by the time he finished his lengthy parliamentary career, he had helped put Macoun on the map. He served as an MP from 1979 to 1993, defeating Liberal Ralph Goodale not just once in his first MP election, but twice — a man after my own heart. As a member of Parliament, he quickly proved his skill, and in 1984 he was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, a designation he held throughout the remainder of his time as a sitting MP.

In 1993, former prime minister Brian Mulroney named him to the Senate, where he served capably until his retirement in 2008. He was appointed to the Privy Council by former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2009 in recognition of his long record of service to Canada.

A passionate advocate for rural issues, Senator Gustafson was known especially for his work as the chair and deputy chair of the Agriculture Committee. He was always armed with the latest daily statistics on agricultural commodity prices. Often, Len would relate the topic of the committee back to his life on the farm in Macoun. It eventually became a running gag, with other members on the committee stopping to ask, “How are things in Macoun today, Len?”

Len Gustafson was devoted to his family, his community, his faith and his principles. He was the kind of parliamentarian that inspired others to want to become involved in politics. My late husband, former member of Parliament Dave Batters, was one of the young people inspired by his MP, Len Gustafson. Growing up in nearby Estevan, Dave worked on Len’s federal campaigns when Dave was a kid in high school. When Dave and I attended political conventions together as young adults, Len Gustafson always made a point to take time out of his schedule to stop and visit with us and the other Progressive Conservative youth delegates. I remember being very impressed that Dave knew him.

Senator Len Gustafson was generous with his time, his charity to others and his commitment to the people of Saskatchewan. He never forgot where he came from, and he would not let Ottawa forget it either. His strong roots in rural Saskatchewan grounded him and motivated him to always stand up for the rights of farmers and rural Canadians.

Senator Len Gustafson had a long and distinguished parliamentary career, logging over 10,000 days in service of the public. His accomplishments are many but, above it all, he was a farmer, a man of the land with a kind heart and generous spirit, and this chamber and Canada are better for his service.

Our prayers and condolences today are with Len’s wife, Alice, his children, his 12 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren — his greatest legacy of all. Thank you for sharing Len Gustafson with Canada.