Debates of June 8, 2006 (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning about quarter to six I was up there having a coffee and I was thinking about the statement today I wanted to say. I wanted to share with my honourable colleagues here my thoughts on a very special day coming up. As Mrs. Groenewegen indicated, that special day is coming up soon and that’s Father’s Day.

When I began my role as an MLA, little did I know the amount of time that it takes me and other colleagues around here away from our families, especially our little ones. Soon those little ones become big ones. Anyhow.

So, Mr. Speaker, I get a lot of questions from my little guy. Why do you have to go to so many meetings? Can I come? He calls this, he says, can I come to this big House here? Or he says, sometimes, Daddy’s House.

---Laughter

He’s the king.

He’s the king. So sometimes when my little guy puts on a tie, he says I’m going to business. He calls this meeting business. Sometimes, can he stay home today, Dad? Or don’t go to the business meetings, you know? How come my Dad doesn’t say hello to me when he’s on TV? So, hello, son.

---Applause

When he sees me on TV he wants to know why I’m not talking to him. So, Mr. Speaker, our role as leaders, as fathers, as mothers and servants to our people, it has no, sometimes a different meaning, especially as MLAs to our little guys. They just want us home and they just want to be held, or they want to spend time with them, or to read these high stacks of books. As fathers sometimes I just take the little, small ones, but he’s pretty smart there. So they just want our time and to comfort them when we get back home after many days on the road. You know they’re mad at you, but they’re also happy to see you and they act it out. So you have to comfort them. You know? It sometimes gets really hard, Mr. Speaker.

But as fathers, I want to emphasize that we carry a great role and responsibilities and sacrifices and we’re blessed with the little ones to make us realize what’s really important in life and they truly humble us when they ask us after a hard day, how was your day, Dad? So I want to say, Mr. Speaker, I was told by our elders that these children are loaned to us and we’re blessed and they are to teach us something.

So I want to say to all fathers, grandfathers, Happy Father’s Day, keep up the good work. Teach your children well. Mahsi cho.

---Applause