Quiet Giant

"Since we're going to be playing opposing parts to one another, I wondered if you'd be open to letting me treat you to lunch at the Parliamentary restaurant?"  "As long as we can fight over who pays," I responded.To my knowledge these were the first words Jim Abbott and I ever said to one another. Watching him seated in the Conservative seats, I had observed all six foot, five inches of him, from a distance for my first two years but never had occasion to speak with him. No sooner had I been appointed critic for international cooperation (which includes CIDA) than he approached me with that first question.We dined together two weeks later and he was interested to learn I had been born and raised out West (Calgary) and that I had something of an understanding of Western alienation. The very first thing I learned about him was that he was above all else a family man. He spoke of his kids and grandkids, speaking even more endearingly of his wife Jeannette. It didn't take long for both of us to realize that we didn't have a lot we agreed on. Jim is competitively partisan and I'm more collaborative.  This was especially true of Africa and Canada's historic commitment to the continent and whether it should continue. He spoke of how his government had doubled aid to Africa and I told him I didn't buy it for a minute. He graciously asked if he could set up a briefing for me with CIDA officials and I accepted readily. I then told him that, although I was opposition critic, I wasn't really critical in nature and that it was my desire to assist his government with doing well on the foreign aid file. We parted by sharing our private Blackberry emails with one another.We have used those emails occasionally over the last 15 months, sometimes to share a joke, other times to see if we could work out difficulties we were facing. In every single dealing I have had with this man, he was straight-up, fully honest, and had no trouble expressing his agreement or disagreement.Jim Abbott woke up a short while ago, after spending Christmas with his family, and realized that, in spite of being a healthy 68 years of age, he wanted to reserve the best part of his remaining years to those closest to him. My heart went out to him when I read that; I've been an MP for only 3 years and miss my family every single minute of the day. Being an MP for 17 years must have resulted in untold sacrifices for this quiet man, yet he always had his priorities straight, displaying that again this week.For the record, let me state it clearly: Jim Abbott has been a committed and attentive public servant for his entire tenure as an MP. I have disagreed with him repeatedly, yet I acknowledge that he deserves all the respect given to him. Some have complained of the pension he will be receiving but I say he deserves it. Should I stop being an MP today, I couldn't go back to firefighting. Years of career work could never be capitalized upon. The person who runs for politics most often says farewell to any hope of regaining their earlier career, and their hoped for pensions cease at that point.  Jim Abbott spent 17 of the most productive years of his life serving this country with faithfulness. He has a lot of catching up to do and he has earned the right and opportunity to lay down his public life in honour and pursue his private life in respect. We'll continue to see him in the House until the next election and we'll disagree as much as ever. Yet I know a dedicated man when I see him and his prospective retirement should come with the thanks of a grateful nation.