Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour for me to rise today to add my voice to those paying tribute to our dear friend Marc Garneau. It is a big shock that he is no longer with us today.

It was a great honour to work with him. We had been friends for over 14 years. I worked with him here, in the House. When I was elected in 2011, the Conservative Party had a majority government on this side of the House, and Marc was in the corner, because the Liberal Party was the third party in the House. There were only four Bloc Québécois members, and I was in that corner too. We were there in the spring of 2012 when Prime Minister Harper brought in his omnibus Bill C‑38 to gut environmental laws. I fought hard against that bill.

I was surprised to learn that it was thanks to Marc Garneau that the Liberal Party gave me its support. Marc supported my efforts and joined my fight against Bill C‑38.

I will never forget how extraordinary it was. He was the leader in the House for the Liberal Party then, and I had gone to the other opposition party leaders. I said to him, “Look, I have about 400 amendments to this, and I have the right to present them at report stage, but I really do not want to do it all by myself because I know it will generate a lot of opposition.” He said, “Let me think about it.”

It was not long, maybe a day, until I found that he had gone to a media scrum and said, “We have decided to support what Elizabeth May is doing with these motions and amendments.” I thought that he could just as easily have taken them and presented them as Liberal amendments. I would never have said anything; I would have been grateful if someone else had taken up the fight. His lack of partisanship in that moment, that willingness to be so generous, was absolutely breathtaking, and it cemented a friendship. I was so very honoured to work with him.

He was a great Canadian, a great member of Parliament and a great man. He also had a remarkable background in science, in addition to his career as an astronaut. As my colleagues have already pointed out, he took part in three space missions.

When Marc Garneau reflected on that time in space, he said that, the first time in space, “What you aren't ready for—on an emotional and intellectual level—is how looking down at Earth will profoundly affect you.” On this World Environment Day, it seems fitting, and really hard, to say goodbye to someone who was unfailingly kind and unfailingly respectful across party lines.

As my Conservative colleague mentioned, Marc Garneau was known as a true star, an exceptional yet remarkably humble person. I will never forget his last day here; his seat was not far from mine.

He had to pass by me. He took his leave of this place without this kind of round of speeches, because he did not let us know he was going until one day he stood up and said, “I'll be going now.” He gave a speech, begging us to co-operate more, to be more respectful, and I will never forget it. He packed up his briefcase, buckled it, and started to walk past the aisle, past me. I asked him, “Marc, is this it? Are you going today? Is this it?” I threw my arms around him and gave him the biggest hug. It was the last time I saw him. I said, “I'm just going to miss you so much, but let's stay in touch.” I kick myself now. We did not do that so well.

We have lost a very great human being. To his entire family, I send my deepest condolences and sympathy. May they know that in that space where he looks down at planet Earth now, I think it is a place called heaven.

Elizabeth May

$565,861.00