- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Conservative
- South Shore—St. Margarets
- Nova Scotia
- Voting Attendance: 67%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $136,927.65
- Government Page
- Feb/17/23 11:09:16 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while we were all enjoying Boxing Day, the frigid North Atlantic Ocean claimed the life of a 27-year-old lobster fisherman from Nova Scotia.
Christian Atwood was lobstering off Cape Sable Island, setting the last trawl of traps, when he was pulled overboard. He has not been found.
Christian leaves behind his beautiful 16-month-old son, Colson; his loving partner, Kristen; his siblings; and his parents, Carmella and Ralph.
Everyone who knew Christian remembers him as a fun-loving, cheerful guy and a great father. He was the light that shone in every room when he entered. His father, Ralph, told me that he did not want his kids to go fishing because of the danger, but the draw of the ocean gets in one's blood, and fishing was in Christian's soul.
The vast unmarked grave of the ocean is no consolation for those family members who have had people lost at sea. Christian's family is asking us in this place to do better to make our fishermen safer at sea and bring them home.
May Christian rest in peace.
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- Sep/23/22 11:06:08 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I rise to pay tribute to Corey Mood from my riding, who passed away suddenly this summer, just 23 days after his wonderful mother Kay's passing.
Corey Mood was a stalwart in the Nova Scotia seafood industry. Corey ran one of our most important businesses, James L. Mood Fisheries, selling lobster, halibut, swordfish, haddock and tuna throughout North America and Asia. He grew a small family business into a powerhouse.
Fishermen and friends knew that Corey's word was gold and his support unconditional. He did business on a handshake. Life was a remarkable adventure for Corey. Corey was a gentle giant, showing kindness and support to everyone he met. He loved hunting, hockey and the Red Sox.
Corey's loss is most felt by his wife Wanda, daughter Natasha, father James and siblings Debbie, Almond, Andrea and Dougie.
From Barrington to Brussels and Beijing and from Boston to Brier Island, his friends cherish the memories of Corey and mourn his loss. The legacy of Corey Mood is a blessing for our community.
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- Sep/15/22 3:49:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in my brief parliamentary career, rising today to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of those whom I represent in South Shore—St. Margarets is the greatest honour I could imagine. There have been many wonderful tributes to Her Majesty in this place today, and I will attempt to add some additional perspectives in this commemoration of an exemplary life of dedication and service.
The loss of one's mother leaves one feeling unmoored. It leaves one feeling the anchor of the family is lost. It changes the family forever. Those of us who have lost our mothers know this to be true. My mother, Rosemarie Borgald Perkins, passed away less than three months ago, on June 29. There is a sense that one is adrift. Several of our colleagues in this place also lost their mothers this summer and are experiencing the same grief.
The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a loss felt most deeply by her children, King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Theirs is the loss of a mother's love. William Shakespeare captured the feeling of a child once their mother is gone well in Henry V, when he wrote:
And all my mother came into mine eyesAnd gave me up to tears.
The royal family must feel that way in this period of public grieving, the way all of us feel when we lose a parent. Grief comes in waves like the ocean, waves of deep sadness and waves of great humour and joy. Queen Elizabeth said, in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, that “Grief is the price we pay for love." As her family grieves, as her nation and the Commonwealth grieve, we are demonstrating a global act of love and thanks to Her Majesty and her family.
She said, as we know, in her statement on her accession to the throne, “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service”. Indeed, we were blessed that her life was long and she fulfilled her duties with grace, solemnity, passion and humour. The world is a better place for it.
When we grieve for the loss of a person we care about, we often reflect on our own lives and tell a few stories about that person that captures their personality. If the House indulges me, I will tell a few stories about Her Majesty.
My mother and father grew up in Halifax during World War II. It was a busy war port and the King, Queen, royal family and Winston Churchill played a huge part in their lives at that time. When young Queen Elizabeth, only 33, visited Nova Scotia for the first time as the Queen, my mother and father had to go to see her. They did, and when the the motorcade passed, my mother and her sister ran down the road after the Queen like they were Beatles' groupies and embarrassed the heck out of my father.
In this place, we all know the importance of the role that those that do tour advance for prime ministers play in serving our country. One of my best friends, Scott Munnoch, played this role for Prime Minister Mulroney. Scott, in this role, often wore white running shoes with his suits. He even wore them while wearing black tie. While it looked a bit goofy, it was comfortable, given the long days he had on his feet. Scott is a big man. Having been a defensive lineman on the Queen's University football team, he is hard to miss.
During the royal visit in 1992 to celebrate Canada's 125th birthday, Scott wore white running shoes the entire time. RCMP security mentioned to him that a couple of times in the car, the Queen had asked about the fellow with the running shoes. On Canada Day, Her Majesty appeared at the noon-hour show on the Hill and returned for the evening show as well, something she had never done before.
On the final day of departure at Uplands Airport, the farewell delegation included the prime minister, Mrs. Mulroney and several ministers. They were lined up at the foot of the stairs to the aircraft. Once they were assembled, Scott stood on the opposite side at the foot of the stairs, out of the way, he thought. Her Majesty said her goodbyes and moved up the aircraft stairs. After a step or two up the stairs, she paused, turned around to Scott and said, “I really like your footwear.” She then boarded the plane and flew back to London.
In 1997, while serving in a similar role for Premier Harris, Scott organized the Ontario portion of Her Majesty's visit to Canada. At the last stop of the tour in North Bay, Scott was told to be present at an event with Her Majesty. As the last person to be called into the personal audience with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Queen invested on the “fellow wearing the running shoes” the Royal Victorian Order, making him a member of this dynastic order established by Queen Victoria, which is only bestowed by the monarch. It recognizes distinguished personal service to the monarch. Scott is the 2,072nd person in the Commonwealth to receive this honour since it was established in 1896.
In 2002, Her Majesty the Queen was in Regina to unveil the statue of her riding her prized horse Burmese, a gift from the RCMP. The RCMP had transported the State Landau to Saskatchewan for the event. The day was marred on and off by torrential rains, so the commanding officer of the RCMP asked the monarch if she would like the roof installed to keep her dry. She responded, in typical Queen Elizabeth fashion, that if her subjects were going to be in the rain, then so should she. The roof went back to the truck where it stayed for the rest of the day.
On another visit to Canada, for her Golden Jubilee, she visited Exhibition Place in Toronto, where Her Majesty was to be introduced to a renewed horse breed called the Canadian that had gone almost extinct. She immediately made a connection with the huge horse, which was a little skittish because of the crowd and because of the camera flashes that were happening. To everyone's surprise, Her Majesty pulled a large carrot out of her handbag and fed it to the horse, now her new best friend. There we have it. There was more in her purse than just a sandwich.
A staff member of mine, Denis Drever, acted as an official photographer on royal tours to Canada for Her Majesty and Prince Philip. He did that three times. At the conclusion of one of those tours, the Queen personally presented him, a professional photographer, with a hand-signed portrait of the royal couple and said, “It's quite odd really, me giving you a photograph.” Naturally, he accepted it with thanks and it now hangs proudly in a place of honour in my Hill office.
In a story President Reagan told Prime Minister Mulroney, President Reagan hosted the Queen and as the visit wound down the president asked her what her schedule was the next day. She replied that she was going home, going to Canada. It spoke of her affection and love for Canada.
Queen Elizabeth attended only two funerals of the 15 prime ministers who swore allegiance to her: Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill. Therefore, I will conclude my tribute with the words of Winston Churchill in his final toast to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth when he was prime minister. Churchill said this:
Never have the august duties which fall upon the British monarch been discharged with more devotion than in the brilliant opening to your Majesty’s reign. We thank God for the gift he has bestowed upon us and vow ourselves anew to the sacred cause, and wise and kindly way of life of which your Majesty is the young, gleaming champion.
God bless Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and long live King Charles III.
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- May/4/22 3:34:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I too rise today to pay tribute to my friend, the Hon. John Bosley, and mark his death last week. As most of us know, John was the former member of Parliament for Don Valley West and a former Speaker of this House.
It is always sad when we lose a colleague. Despite the partisanship that often divides us, it has been my experience that there is always a degree of collegiality and mutual respect among most members. Of course, Speakers serve this House in a special way and have a unique opportunity to bridge the divide between parties and develop relationships with all members.
It is fitting that the House take a few moments today to honour John Bosley and reflect on his service to this place.
I first met John Bosley when I came to Ottawa as a young staffer after the 1984 election, working for then member of Parliament Bill Attewell, from the neighbouring riding of Don Valley East, and then later for the Hon. Barbara McDougall. I got to know John very well over the years. I also served on his board in Don Valley West for a decade.
Here are some stories about John.
The riding of Don Valley West was actually redistributed in 1976. It was then called Don Valley, and the Conservative member of Parliament was a fellow named James Gillies, or Jim Gillies to most of us. Jim was going to run again. The Hon. Michael Wilson lived in Don Valley West, and he wanted to run in Don Valley West, where he lived. James said he was going to stay and run again in the 1979 election, so Michael Wilson had to find another riding. He ended up fighting a contested nomination in Etobicoke Centre, winning that, and going on to win the election and become Canada's finance minister.
Shortly after Michael Wilson won the nomination in Etobicoke Centre, Jim Gillies decided not to run. That irritated Michael Wilson a little bit, but it gave the opportunity to a young real estate agent in Don Valley West. The Bosley family had a big real estate business, and of course that is always a great set-up if one wants to run for Parliament. John had already had signs up throughout the riding for years with his name on it. He was elected for the first time in 1979 and, of course, re-elected through the 1993 election.
In 1983, when Brian Mulroney became leader of the Conservative Party, he appointed a number of task forces. One of them was on Revenue Canada. They travelled the country, and John was co-chair of that one with Perrin Beatty. They travelled the country in 21 communities, hearing from Canadians about Revenue Canada issues. One of the big recommendations from that was the taxpayer bill of rights. When Brian Mulroney got elected as Prime Minister in 1984, one of the first pieces of legislation brought to this House was the Revenue Canada taxpayer bill of rights, so before John even became Speaker of this place, he had already had an impact on public policy.
John cared deeply about this House as a fundamental pillar of our democracy. While that may be somewhat obvious, he believed that as the Speaker he could bring people together. It was a tough time, with 211 new Conservatives, 40 Liberals and 30 NDP members. He tried all he could to bring this place together. It was a very, very difficult time. He was sort of known for pointing at members during that period of time.
I would ask all members, as they leave the chamber, to go down to the portraits of the former Speakers, take a look at the wall and reflect on the contribution that the Hon. John Bosley made, not only to this place but to his community of Don Valley West in Toronto.
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- Feb/7/22 2:10:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to former member of Parliament William Attewell, elected in 1984 to serve Don Valley East and in 1988 for the riding of Markham. He passed away on Christmas Eve.
Bill was a gentleman of the highest order. He rose from humble beginnings to be an executive in the financial services industry. His 1984 election win was my first campaign. I campaigned with him every day. I then joined him in Ottawa, which changed my life forever.
He advocated for the right of Jews in the Soviet Union to emigrate, helping Natan Sharansky escape. He fought for human rights and believed in fiscal responsibility. He was key in the restructuring of Canada’s financial service industry laws. He served as parliamentary secretary to the prime minister. He made a difference in everything he did.
He left this world a better place for his family, for his community and for his country. I shall miss him, his political mentorship and his friendship.
On behalf of this House, I thank Sandy, Howard, Pamela and Leslie for sharing him with our country.
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