It’s a great honour to rise this morning and remember the extraordinary life of Daryl Kramp. I’m one of the people in this building that comes from the great region of eastern Ontario. As an NDP politician, I’m proud to say in this place that I considered Daryl Kramp a friend and a shining example of the kind of kindness we want to see in our politics at a time when so much in this world is asking us to beat each other up all of the time.

In the time I have, I’d like to talk in my experience about Daryl’s kindness, his courage and the community he built, which I got to experience first-hand when I headed down Highway 7 and went to his celebration of life.

To begin with kindness, it’s remarkable to meet someone who clearly was a mentor for his caucus, but who found time to be a mentor for every other member in this place. The anecdotes were overwhelming as this celebration of life this morning approached. I’ll just recount one I talked about briefly in the House. We were having a very tense debate as the government first came to office in June 2018. We were convening over the summer. Daryl and I shared offices on the third floor of this building. I was up there hanging my head because I was finding, as I told him, the heat in this place to be a little intense. He put his hand on my shoulder, he looked me in the eye and he said, “Joel, let that heat power you to work for your people.” Amen to that.

I remember, when I was at the celebration of life in the beautiful town of Madoc, hearing people talk about Daryl caring most about getting things done for the community and caring less about who got credit for it. I want to remember the recent words of the mayor of Belleville, Mitch Panciuk, who said, “It is hard to imagine a federal or provincial representative who has been so instrumental in the development of our city in the 206-year history of Belleville.” My goodness.

Daryl was kind not only to me but to many others. But what I also learned in parsing through the research the good people of the legislative branch gave us is that he was one of those politicians who was also gracious in defeat and victory, having contested nine elections at all levels of Canadian politics.

My friend Nate Smelle, who was the provincial candidate for our party in 2018, walked into Daryl’s victory party in 2018. Daryl made a point, from the microphone, of saying, “Now, Nate, I want you to know that if NDP supporters in this riding have any concerns, they need to bring them straight to me,” in the middle of the celebration for him and his victory.

I also note that when Bruce Knutson lost to Daryl in 2004, he made the opportunity to say as Bruce walked across the street, “Bruce, I know that walk and how it feels like. I know what it feels like to walk from your campaign office, having lost a campaign, and walk into the victor’s office. It’s a long walk, but I appreciate you and I appreciate the time you’ve taken in our community to work hard for community.”

Mr. Kramp turned a riding that had been Liberal for 18 years Conservative. He went on to continue to serve in 2004, winning 2006, 2008 and 2011, losing only in a wave election in 2015 and being elected again in 2018. The people don’t lie. They saw something in him. I think all of us saw it, too.

Mr. Kramp and I shared an affection for the Christian faith. We were both raised in the Christian faith. Matthew 17:15 to 17 reads, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” When my minister was explaining what that passage meant to me as a young man, he said, “Judge someone not by their words, Joel. Judge someone by their actions. What are they prepared to do? You will know the tree by the fruit that it bears.”

When I had occasion to go to the celebration of life in Madoc, I saw an orchard of fruits. I saw a church filled to the gills with supporters singing The Old Rugged Cross, Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art. The member from Bay of Quinte tells me there was an overflow room down the street of people there. We will be judged and remembered by the community we built, and that’s what I remember with Mr. Kramp. He’s someone we all should look up to. In a time of polarization and anger, let us remember what he stood for.

Thank you, Kramp family, for sharing him with us.