Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):

Honourable senators, on August 22, Canadians awoke to learn of the death early that morning of Jack Layton. The outpouring of grief and emotion spoke volumes about the kind of person Jack Layton was, and it spoke eloquently about the kind of country that Canada is.

There have been many wonderful tributes from his friends, family and colleagues, people from across the political spectrum, who spoke movingly about personal recollections, friendships and profound convictions. I was honoured to attend the service at Roy Thomson Hall, together with colleagues from both sides of this chamber, and to listen to the heartfelt, often impassioned eulogies delivered by his family and close friends.

The thousands of grieving Canadians across the country had never met Jack Layton. However they were moved, I believe, by the loss of someone who was profoundly dedicated to public service, who believed in the power of the many to come together to build a better world and the power of each of us to make a difference as individuals.

A word that has often been used to describe him is "optimistic." Fundamentally, I believe that this optimism was a belief in Canadians and a conviction that the Canadian democratic system can allow us — all of us, not just a privileged few — to rise to be the best that we can be.

Jack Layton knew that one cannot bring people together by dividing them, by pitting one group against the other, or by marginalizing or excluding people. Bob Rae spoke in the other place of Mr. Layton's love of making a deal and his determination to work together with others to find a compromise, even when, as Mr. Rae wryly noted, others had discovered there was no deal to be done.

I did not agree with many of Mr. Layton's policy ideas and positions, but I did agree unreservedly with his conviction that politics — true public service — demands serious, honest, respectful debate, listening, exchanging ideas, and an openness to be persuaded, perhaps especially, by those representing contrary views.

The Senate, of course, is not an elected body, at least not yet. As a result, we are not bound by the electoral cycle to the same extent as the other place. We have an opportunity to take a less partisan approach as we debate the important issues of the day. Historically and traditionally, some of our best work has been done when members of different parties came together to work in the best interests of Canadians. Does this involve compromise? Of course it does. Everyone has to put a little water in their wine at certain times and at certain points. Have Canadians benefited from that effort? Without question, the answer is yes.

I suspect that if Jack Layton could select only one legacy, it would be that we temper our partisan politics — not cast it out, because he, like many of us, was passionate about his party — so that we are not blinded by partisan concerns when addressing challenges facing the country. He knew that it is through respectful debate, the exchange of ideas, and the sharing and analysis of evidence marshalled in support of those ideas that we best serve Canadians and come together to build a better Canada and a better world.

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