1st Session, 42nd Parliament,
Volume 150, Issue 20

Wednesday, March 9, 2016
The Honourable George J. Furey, Speaker

The Honourable Claudette Tardif

Congratulations on French Legion of Honour

Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Honourable senators, I had the privilege of attending the ceremony during which the Honourable Senator Claudette Tardif was presented with the insignia of Officer of the Legion of Honour. I would like to begin my statement by congratulating the senator on this well-deserved honour.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

Senator Jaffer: You have been representing francophones outside Quebec ever since you arrived in the Senate.

Your knowledge and lifelong devotion to French allow Franco-Canadians in minority communities to have a voice in this chamber.

Your voice has helped a group win recognition of its importance and its rightful place within a bilingual nation.

You have also lent that voice to the Senate Committee on Official Languages, as well as the Canadian branch of the Canada-France Interparliamentary Association.

That brings me to all the hard work you have done in the Senate, which was a natural follow-up to your professional life.

Before being appointed to the Senate, you were already a committed advocate for French. I would like to share an excerpt from the speech Senator Tardif delivered during the ceremony:

The desire to teach and promote the French language to my fellow Albertans was deeply rooted in me, whether I was encouraging anglophones and francophiles to learn French as a second language or lobbying and establishing French-language schools.

Your arrival at the Senate only fuelled your convictions and reinforced how important the French language and Canada’s bilingual culture were to you. For that I thank you, because you helped me discover a facet of the Franco-Canadian reality and you very much motivated me to make an extra effort to improve my French.

It is because of your dedication and generosity that I am congratulating you in the language of Molière today.

[English]

Senator Tardif, the biggest honour you received that evening was from your two adorable grandchildren. The absolute pride and love they exhibited for their grandmother Claudette was the biggest honour you received that evening.

[Translation]

Once again, congratulations! I am very proud to have you as a colleague.

Hon Senators: Hear, hear!