Statement made on 23 June 2009 by Senator James Cowan
Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, it is with great regret that I rise today to mark the retirement of an esteemed colleague, Senator Eymard Corbin. His retirement is a loss not only to the Senate but to Parliament as a whole. Although Senator Corbin was adamant that he did not wish his departure to be commemorated, I believe it is my duty to place clearly on the record at least some of the details of what the Parliament of Canada is now losing.
Senators arrive in this chamber with a wide range of experiences. While many of us, myself included, arrive with little, if any, experience in a legislative body, others take their place here following many years of service as elected legislators. Senator Corbin is such an individual.
Senator Corbin was first elected to the other place in 1968 and was subsequently re-elected four times by the people of Madawaska—Victoria. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Forestry and, later, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment. He was held in high esteem not only by his constituents, who continued to return him to the House of Commons, but also by his colleagues in that chamber who chose him as their Deputy Speaker.
When Senator Corbin was summoned to serve in our chamber on July 9, 1984, he brought with him a wealth of knowledge and experience of Parliament and, in particular, knowledge of legislative procedure. This has served him well as an active participant in the chamber and as a valued member of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament. Given his experience, it is not surprising that he has also served as Chair of the Committee of the Whole in both houses.
To gain a better understanding of what drove my friend to enter political life, I turned to his first speech in Parliament, which he delivered on September 13, 1968, in moving the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne.
I was not surprised to find in that speech the core values he has displayed here. In that speech, he clearly showed his dedication for the promotion of both French-speaking and English-speaking people of New Brunswick. He spoke not only of the francophone majority in his riding but made it clear that he also represented his English-speaking constituents and the two Aboriginal bands that are found in Madawaska—Victoria.
His commitment to the equal status of our two official languages has been a constant theme in his political career, and found particular expression in the Senate when he served as chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages.
Senator Corbin is also a proud patriot. In that first speech, which he gave in the other place more than 30 years ago, he said:
Mr. Speaker, I am Canadian first, and foremost. . . . It is with a very deep sense of concern that I sit in this house with colleagues devoted to the growth and unity of our country.
However, Senator Corbin's concerns extended beyond our national borders. All honourable senators know the instrumental role he played in the Foreign Affairs Committee report on Africa. It was on his urging that the committee embarked on its Africa study. His public remarks about what he and his committee colleagues witnessed during their travels in Africa are sobering and remind us all that, as Canadian parliamentarians, we have a moral obligation when it comes to the terrible suffering of people in other parts of the world.
For over 40 years, Senator Corbin has served both Canada and Canadians. I am certain his wife Yvette, his children Sylvie, Louise and Isabelle, and the rest of his family are very much looking forward to spending more time with him upon his retirement.
Senator Corbin, I thank you on behalf of all honourable senators and all Canadians for your extraordinary service to this country.