It’s certainly an honour to speak on behalf of the Ontario Liberal caucus to pay tribute to Ms. Marietta Roberts this evening, the former Liberal MPP for Elgin and former Ontario court justice appointee.

Ms. Roberts was born in Yarmouth township, near Sparta, on January 9, 1943. She was raised on the Roberts family farm. She later received a BA from Western, a teaching certificate from the Ontario College of Education and a law degree from Dalhousie University. Ms. Roberts started her career as a teacher at Alma College, but steered by her Elgin county roots, she was able to use her intellect and innate kindness to effect change throughout her community and right across Ontario. Following her time as a teacher, she practised law in Elgin county with the firm of Gloin, Hall and Associates, including a stint as acting county crown attorney and as a founding member of the Ontario Child Representation Program.

Now, she lost her first two elections, one with the federal Liberals and one with Ontario Liberals, but she didn’t give up. She chose to run again in 1987. Her election victory in 1987 was monumental as residents of Elgin county put faith in Ms. Roberts, electing her to victory and washing away nearly 42 years of Tory blue in the riding of Elgin. More impressively, though, her victory also made her the first woman ever elected to Queen’s Park for the riding of Elgin.

Throughout her time at Queen’s Park, she served fiercely in Premier David Peterson’s government, serving as caucus chair and later as deputy government whip. She brought compassion to the halls of Queen’s Park, a trait that’s too often overlooked in this place and in this profession, Madam Speaker. I think that former Premier David Peterson put it perfectly when he said, “She had the biggest heart and huge energy that just enveloped everybody.” Peterson also said, “Everybody loved her. Her political adversaries liked her. Her friends liked her. She was a joy to be around.”

Following her defeat in the 1990 election, she was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 1991 by the NDP government. She became an Associate Chief Justice and the coordinator of the justices of the peace from 1995 to 2001.

Ms. Roberts cared deeply about her community, and in her spare time was a philanthropist and great supporter of local museums. In reading the background that we were given, Madam Speaker, you knew immediately that she cared about her community, because in her spare time, which there must not have been much of, she was the director of the Elgin Conservation Foundation, the Talbot Estate Foundation and secretary of the East Elgin branch of the Canadian Cancer Society.

I’d like to thank the members of the family that are with us here today: Emily, Elena, Laurie, Adam, Mike, Scott, Hayden, Matthew, Victoria; family friend Darcelle Hall; and Lauren Scully from the Ontario Court of Justice. I’ve been told that other members of the family are watching live on television in St. Thomas and in areas right across the province. So to her entire family, to all of her friends, on behalf of Ontario Liberals, I’d like to thank you for sharing Marietta with us, and thank you for everything that she did for her community and for the province of Ontario.

Applause.