Ottawa, Ontario
30 April 2015
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Prime Minister Stephen Harper today delivered the following remarks at a memorial service for the late Honourable Pierre Claude Nolin, Speaker of the Senate:
“Excellency, former prime minister Mr. Mulroney, Mrs. Mulroney, Premier Couillard, Your Worship Mayor Coderre, my fellow parliamentarians, distinguished guests and, most especially, members of the Nolin family.
“Camille, Simon, Louis and Virginie, and the grandchildren and brothers and sisters, Laureen, our children and I offer you our most sincere condolences.
“I would also like to extend my thanks for having so often shared Pierre Claude’s talents and exceptional qualities with your fellow Canadians over so many years.
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to pay tribute to one of the most distinguished, most dedicated and most courageous parliamentarians of our generation.
“Today, we are all mourning the loss of a man of unity.
“Even as a very young man working as a political organizer, Pierre Claude understood the importance of unity for a successful political organization.
“More remarkable still, as Speaker of the Senate, he succeeded in forging new unity among the members of the different parties as a first step toward reforming that institution.
“Not everyone has that gift, that talent to bring people together and inspire them.
“That is what made him stand out in a crowd.
“And when I embarked on consultations to find this rare gem who might assume the position of Speaker of the Senate at a particularly difficult time, one name was on everyone’s lips: Pierre Claude Nolin.
“Some spoke of his knowledge of regulations, others, of his conciliatory spirit, and still others, of his desire – and his ability – to effect change.
“I was told about his strong work ethic and his respect for the institutions of Parliament.
“And it was all true.
“Pierre Claude had all these qualities.
“It would have been only a matter of time before he became a great Speaker of the Senate.
“As a parliamentarian, he also actively practised international solidarity through his involvement on several Senate committees, in particular on defence and national security issues.
“In that respect, Senator Nolin also showed the utmost respect for our military tradition.
“In 1995, he joined the circle of honorary members of Le Régiment de Maisonneuve.
“And in 2002, he became the honorary lieutenant-colonel of that proud regiment.
“A passionate Quebec patriot, Pierre Claude also displayed, in all of his undertakings, the greatest and most clear-sighted loyalty to Canadian unity, and to Quebec’s crucial contribution within our Confederation.
“Above all, those who were privileged to be his friend – all those who affectionately called him PC – will remember him as being attentive and sympathetic to the problems of others, tolerant of all points of view, and invariably serene.
“These qualities are far from common.
“They are even more rare in the fiery world of politics.
“Pierre Claude tackled every issue, from the simplest to the most complex, in the same meticulous, even legal manner, instinctively seeking and usually finding the solution that would hurt no one.
“Even though weakened by a ruthless disease, he was in good spirits to the very end, buoyed everyday by an unwavering optimism, altruism and patriotism.
“Our political family has lost one of its most admired and best loved members, someone who was a mentor to more than one generation of Conservative Quebec politicians and supporters.
“Today, I think even the supporters of other parties will forgive me for mentioning this.
“I know that all Speaker Nolin’s Senate colleagues, from both sides of that Chamber, will remember Pierre Claude’s profound commitment to Canadian democracy and to national unity.
“And I know that Canadians more generally deeply appreciate the strength of his devotion to his public service as a Senator, rendered faithfully until his very last, difficult days.
“Pierre Claude left us too soon.
“But his memory and his example will live forever in the hearts of Canadians, especially here, in his beloved Quebec, which he served so well.
“Thank you.”
