House of Commons opens with tributes to late NDP leader Jack Layton

The House of Commons paid tribute to Jack Layton, the NDP leader who died from cancer last month.

On Monday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Layton merited the affection and respect of his fellow members of Parliament, and his last election campaign in the shadow of illness was a gallant effort.

The prime minister paid warm tribute to Layton’s courage, dignity and optimism in the face of the illness which killed him.

“One of the pleasures of serving in this place is the friendships that develop. And sometimes, it’s the surprising friendships that grow between opponents, the affections that develop in spite of our strongest partisan instincts,”  Harper said, as many MPs chuckled.

When Harper called Layton’s election campaign “gallant,” the House erupted in applause.

“Of course, it did not detract in any way from his ability to forcefully advocate for a different position than that of the government,” he added.

Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel pledged to keep her party true to Layton’s legacy.

“Day after day, he fought for the little guy,” she said. “He strove to give a voice to those without power and wealth and to ensure that as this country moved forward nobody got left behind and nobody found themselves homeless.

“In Jack Layton’s memory we carry on this work.”

Bob Rae, the interim Liberal leader, had a catch in his voice as he remembered Layton.

“While Jack is gone and has passed away, the things that he stood for and the values that he had and the warmth and strength and quality of his personality will never die, will never disappear,” Rae said.

Olivia Chow, Layton’s widow and a Toronto MP herself, thanked Harper for granting her husband the honour of a state funeral and for the “comfort and support” he and wife Laureen offered both privately and publicly.

“The generosity of Canadians has been a source of great strength for me and for our family in these past weeks,” she said.