I know, Mr. Speaker, you have been just waiting for someone to get up and thank you for your service.

---Laughter

Having stood, Mr. Speaker, on an impulse, after hearing Mr. Patterson's passionate words about miracles, then I won't accuse you of ever having wrought any or performing any. But over the last two years I have appreciated your good humour and your attempt to keep everybody on the right track. I only became aware, yesterday what an incredible astute politician you really are, even though you are Speaker. It has taken me a long time, but yesterday I noticed that when you arrived in the Chamber you were wearing red socks that were perfectly colour coordinated with the poinsettias to your right and to your left, and that you have arranged to have a photographer in the gallery to capture this moment in history...

---Laughter

...when you were going to tell us that you were going to now fully represent the people who elected you.

It does leave me with one thought, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Pedersen had a similar kind of problem. When you take on this responsibility then you do, in fact, give up your right to speak and it poses tremendous problems for everybody. So, I suppose what I'm doing is to thank you for those years of self-sacrifice when you have in fact given up these rights in order to serve the rest of us to the best of your ability. Thank you very much.

---Applause