Statement made on 11 December 2009 by Senator Sharon Carstairs (retired)
Hon. Sharon Carstairs:
Honourable senators, I was not in the chamber yesterday when His Honour announced the passing of Jean-Robert Gauthier, but I did hear it on the news this morning.
Jean-Robert was my first seatmate in this place. He was a remarkable man, and I should like to recall for all senators, particularly those who were not here, that it was on a trip to Africa on behalf of the Senate that Jean-Robert contracted a virus that left him profoundly deaf and with a number of other physical handicaps. He never once complained that he had become ill in the service of his country, and I think that was a measure of this particular individual.
It also led Senator Brenda Robertson and me to introduce changes in this place to make the Senate friendlier to those who are hearing impaired and others with physical disabilities. We led that initiative long before the House of Commons, and it was in tribute to Jean-Robert Gauthier.