SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Tributes

But he came back.

Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Nope.

Thank you.

Honourable senators, rising to pay tribute to Senator Smith today has me feeling quite emotional.

After all, I see Senator Smith primarily as an idol of my youth. Born in Verchères, I was a football fan. Quebec remembers Larry Smith, the outstanding football player. Canada should remember him too, despite the success of other teams.

For Montrealers, Larry Smith has been more than a football player and much more than a senator. He has been an ambassador.

Larry Smith is a francophile. As a francophone, I admire that about you, Senator Smith. When I was a student, I listened to a lot of the interviews you so generously gave. Every time, you made an effort to speak to Quebecers in both English and French. To this day, whenever we meet, you kindly and respectfully make an effort to speak French. I must say that you have a very nice French accent indeed.

Senator Housakos said that you were a mentor to many young people. I wouldn’t exactly call myself young, but you mentored me in tai-chi. You told me to stop trying to lift weights and to try tai-chi instead because it is better for flexibility. I think you were trying to get me to see that I am also starting to get older.

As I was preparing my notes for this tribute, I knew that people would no doubt talk about your outstanding athletic abilities. That is something that has made a strong impression on me too. However, I want to try to describe what you inspire in me when I see you. When I see you, Senator Smith, what I see is a gentleman. It is hard to define exactly what a gentleman is, but you recognize that rare quality immediately when you meet one. A gentleman is someone who is courteous to everyone. You are courteous to everyone you meet.

A gentleman also shows restraint in the use of power and influence. You are, without a doubt, a senator who has had enormous influence here as a result of the roles that you have played in the Senate. When you have held positions of influence, you have shown restraint in using that influence. A gentleman also respects others regardless of their status. In your eyes, there is no social hierarchy. You treat all Canadians the same way. That is extraordinary. Finally, and in my opinion most importantly, a gentleman demonstrates moral elegance through their discretion and dignity. You are one of the most dignified men that I have had the honour to meet. I wish you a great retirement full of health and happiness with your family, friends and loved ones. Thank you very much.

Honourable senators, Senator Smith knows that I, too, am a football fan. The only sport that I watch is Canadian football, and I have done so for a long time.

Honourable colleagues, I am speaking today on behalf of the Independent Senators Group, or ISG, to pay tribute to Senator Larry Smith. Let me begin with a simple truth: Elite-level sports never truly leave those who have played them. They may change fields, jerseys and strategies, but deep down they remain competitors, teammates and strategists — in short, players at heart. Senator Smith is one of those — a player at heart — and, may I say, a very good one.

Before coming to this chamber, he worked in many other fields, including the business world. He was the head of The Gazette and the Commissioner of the Canadian Football League. He also worked on a grassy 110-yard field, where every play demanded vision, quick reflexes and team spirit.

In a way, he simply brought that discipline here to the Senate of Canada. I am sure you will agree, colleagues, that, in its own way, the Senate sometimes resembles a football field. We have to know how to play the long game, anticipate impacts, protect the most vulnerable lines, listen to teammates and, most importantly, not lose sight of the end zone, which in this case is the common good.

That is exactly what Senator Smith has done throughout his career in the Senate. He also brought with him a remarkable ability to understand Canada in all of its complexity. That understanding enabled him to staunchly defend better living conditions for Canadians without losing his cool and without losing sight of the restraint and diplomacy needed to unite rather than divide.

However, we all have one burning question: Will Senator Smith actually retire? I have my doubts. Outstanding athletes never really quit the game. They just redirect their energy elsewhere, where it can make a difference.

He may no longer set foot in this unique institution known as the Canadian Senate, but he will undoubtedly continue to make his mark elsewhere, inspiring future generations to believe in their own journeys and to fully commit themselves to causes that transcend their own interests.

Senator Smith, on behalf of my colleagues at the ISG, I would like to express our gratitude for your dedication, your vision and your diplomacy and, above all, for the way you remind us that, in sports as in politics, what really matters is not just playing the game but playing it for others and for something greater than oneself.

Thank you, Larry.

Honourable senators, I am honoured to pay tribute to someone whose contributions to Canada truly are the stuff of legends: our colleague and friend Senator Larry Smith.

Even before he set foot in this chamber, Larry was already a household name as a Canadian Football Hall of Fame player and a sports executive. But Larry didn’t stop at being a sports legend; he became a political legend as well. He has the distinction of being one of only a handful of senators in the 150-plus years of Canadian political history to have been named to the Senate not once but twice. I don’t know what he was thinking. He had the chance to get out, and we pulled him back in.

He has been the Leader of the Opposition, the chair and deputy chair of numerous committees and a driving force behind thoughtful, rigorous parliamentary work. His leadership has shaped this chamber in ways that will endure long after his retirement. With his 5,561 days in the Senate, he has served this institution with dedication and distinction.

Not only has he been a rock star in politics and sports, but he once had plans to be an actual rock star. He and his band performed at Expo 67, proving that Larry’s talents have always extended far beyond the gridiron, the boardroom and the Red Chamber.

Larry is a true gentleman — and, Larry, I hope you know we have all talked about what a gentleman you are — who displays kindness and congeniality to all senators.

I had the opportunity to work closely with him in this place, both when we were members of the Conservative caucus and later, briefly, as members of the Canadian Senators Group. In every setting, Larry has been a hard-working parliamentarian, unafraid to ask the difficult questions but always asked them respectfully.

During Question Period, he showed a competitive spirit but acted with grace and style. He was always looking for answers in the name of government accountability.

With Senator Smith being at home much more, I am sure that his wife, Leesa, will appreciate his new passion. Some of us have learned that Larry is also a legend at home, apparently as a devoted Dyson vacuum aficionado. Only Larry could bring the same enthusiasm to a household appliance and vacuuming that he brought to the gridiron.

To conclude, I have some parting good news for all colleagues here. Larry is listed as a professional speaker on topics ranging from coaching and generational issues to strategy, entertainment and sports. I checked the website, and his calendar appears to have some openings in case we need to call him back for a pep talk. With any luck, the Senate friends and family discount would apply.

On behalf of your friends here in the Canadian Senators Group, Larry, we wish you a happy retirement filled with time for your family, your community in Montreal and Hudson and, of course, your Alouettes.

Honourable senators, when I was in high school, Dalton Camp wrote a book called Gentlemen, Players and Politicians. I like the book, but I like the title even better. It provides a framework for a few comments on Senator Smith.

Others have referenced that he is a gentleman. I just want to underscore that. Who hasn’t enjoyed his self-deprecatory humour and his ability to provide a warm smile in difficult times? He is a gentleman.

He is a player, in many senses of that word. People have talked about him being a football player, but he has also been a player in politics and a player in the media, and he continues to be an active participant in the game of life.

He is a politician. He is a recidivist Conservative. He ran for office and got the Senate back instead. I have the utmost respect for politicians, and, Larry, you’re one of them.

I want to knit the three — gentleman, player and politician — into one anecdote.

Ten years ago, the new government was facing its first budget. Larry was chair of the Finance Committee. Nicole Eaton was the critic for the Conservatives for the budget. Nicole was a fantastic Speaker pro tempore, but she was quite partisan.

We were doing a clause-by-clause consideration of this first budget on an early morning. One of the — shall I say — non‑Conservative senators felt it was a little early in the morning for them to attend. Remember, the Conservatives had a majority. We were doing clause by clause, and Senator Eaton moved that a clause be deleted. It passed. Of course, I was wondering, what the heck am I going to do now?

Well, the senator arrived, and we finished our clause by clause, and as we were about to rise, Senator Smith, as chair, said, “You know, I think we should revote that first vote we took.” We revoted, and the clause was not defeated. So the bill passed and went on, and nobody really noticed. But we had a gentleman, a player and a politician ensure that the Senate did its work and that we passed that budget even with the integrity of the debate that we had at the moment.

I want to reflect on that because it really does speak to the character that Larry Smith is. He is partisan, he is a gentleman, and he is a real player.

Thank you so much.