Farewell Bob Rae

Originally published on the DaninOttawa.com site on June 19th, 2013.


Today Liberal MP and former interim leader Bob Rae announced he will be stepping down as a Member of Parliament to pursue a variety of other interests and no doubt also enjoy his upcoming 65th birthday in August. To be candid, I believe I am not alone when I say that Bob Rae will be missed by many on Parliament Hill and given the culture that prevails here, that is truly a compliment in recognition of Mr. Rae’s many years of service and his unique candor and approach to his work as a Member of Parliament.

Why I will miss Bob Rae has much to do with what will be one of our final exchanges that occurred during debate in the House of Commons back in late March of this year. During this debate on tariffs I questioned Mr. Rae on when he believes Canada should re-examine some of our long-standing international tariff agreements. Although Mr. Rae did not directly answer my question, he quite effectively responded to it by articulating his own views on this subject in a manner that was still mindful of the question. What I enjoy about questions during debate is that they are generally unscripted and while Mr. Rae and I have different views on this subject I admired his quick wit and well-spoken ability to put forward his position in a clear and coherent manner. This is, in my view, the epitome of a well-seasoned, veteran Member of Parliament and one whose presence will be missed in the House of Commons and Parliament Hill in general.

The actual exchange I have referred to above can be found at the following link:

http://openparliament.ca/debates/2013/3/26/dan-albas-6/

I would like to wish Mr. Rae well in his future endeavors and again pass on my thanks for his many years of public service.