Canada lost a great man on Thursday. He may not have been known to many Canadians, but he was well known and loved by his family and community, his constituancy of Scarborough-Agincourt, and his fellow Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, no matter their political stripe. On June 12, 2017, Arnold Chan, dying of a rare form of cancer, stood up in the House of Commons and spoke of civility in debate in Parliament, and in society at large. He said, "I am not sure how many more times I will have the strength to get up and do a 20-minute speech in this place, but the point I want to impart to all of us is that I know we are all honourable members, I know members revere this place, and I would beg us to not only act as honourable members but to treat this institution honourably." "To that extent, I want to make a shout-out to our colleague, the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands (Elizabeth May). This parliamentarian, who despite the fact we are not in the same party and despite the fact that we may disagree on some substantive issues quite vehemently, I consider to be a giant, not simply because she exhorts us to follow Standing Order 18, but more importantly, I have observed in her practice that she reveres this place. She is dedicated to her constituents. She practises, both here and in committee, the highest standard of practice that any parliamentarian could ask for. Despite strongly disagreeing, perhaps, with the position of the government of the day, she does so in a respectful tone. I would ask all of us to elevate our debate, to elevate our practice to that standard." "It is only through that practice, which I believe she so eloquently demonstrates, that Canadians will have confidence in this democratic institution that we all hold so dear. It is important that we do that." "The other thing that I wanted to speak broadly to is the practice of ditching what I call the “canned talking points.” I am not perfect. I know that sometimes it takes some practice. There are instances where it is necessary for us to have the guidance and assistance of our staff, the ministries, and of our opposition research." "However, I do not think it gives Canadians confidence in our debates in this place when we formulaically repeat those debates. It is more important that we bring the experience of our constituents here and impose it upon the question of the day, and ask ourselves how we get better legislation and how we make better laws." "We can disagree strongly, and in fact we should. That is what democracy is about. However, we should not just use the formulaic talking points. It does not elevate this place. It does not give Canadians confidence in what democracy truly means." He was calling for respect among the Members of Parliament. For those of us who watch CPAC on a regular basis, we know that debates can sometimes come down to shouting matches that the Speaker must put an end to. These shouting matches can sometimes spill outside of the House and these disrespectful words and tones are caught on camera by journalists who then broadcast it into the homes of Canadians during the evening news. This can lead to animousities among the public that have nothing to do with the issue being debated. Democracy is not yelling at and disrepecting each other, sticking to our guns and not budging. It is coming together, whether we agree or disagree, to compromise and work toward a common good. He then spoke of how we all, as citizens of this country, can make it live up to it's reputation of being a friendly, civil country. "I would ask Canadians to give heart to their democracy, to treasure it, and revere it. Of course, I would ask them to do the most basic thing, which is to cast their ballots. However, for me it is much more than that. I ask them for their civic engagement, regardless of what it actually may mean, whether it is coaching a soccer team or helping someone at a food bank. For me it can be even simpler than that." "It is the basic common civility we share with each other that is fundamental. It is thanking our Tim Hortons server. It is giving way to someone on the road. It is saying thanks. It is the small things we collectively do, from my perspective, that make a great society, and to me, that is ultimately what it means to be a Canadian. We are so privileged to live in this country, because we have these small acts of common decency and civility that make us what we are. I would ask members to carry on that tradition, because that is the foundation of what makes Canada great." When he finished speaking, he sat down to tremendous applause throughout the House. Several Members left their seats, making their way to him, to shake his hand, or give him a friendly hug. Several Members, of different parties, then stood up to thank Mr. Chan for his thoughts, and then gave small recollections that they had of him exemplifying the decency and civility that he wished to convey to the House that day. Finally, Filomena Tassi, Liberal MP for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, stood and asked his advice. "What advice can you give to us, as to how to reach that magical place, that place where you take compassion and kindness; then you build into there wisdom, insight, intellegence; amd then you build into there a respect for your constiutants with everything you do, a respect for your family who you love dearly; and at the end of the day, serving your constituants to the best possible place you can be and you can do. How do we get to that place? What words can you leave us?" His answer was short, yet poinent. "My advice to you is simple: use your head, and follow your heart. It's as simple as that." Arnold Chan died Thursday, September 14th, at age 50, losing a battle with nasopharyngeal cancer. He leaves behind a loving family, which includes his wife, Jean Yip, and their three children; Nathaniel, Ethan, and Theodore. The text of the speech can be read at The Hill Times, https://www.hilltimes.com/2017/06/19/dedication-duty-devotion-arnold-chan-speech-captivated-house/110484 the video of the speech can be viewed on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5Z4fu1xd4s
