The Biggest Grin In Town

It was the usual stuff: harsh questions, evasive and mocking replies, whipped clapping, the occasional laugh. That's Question Period. Then a few hours later we gathered once more for a series of votes on various pieces of legislation. The voting time in the House is easier to bear than QP because the mood is lighter and there's more mixing, as the MPs often cross over to speak with one another.So, what appeared to be a usual atmosphere of votes became slightly odd when I happened to look over at Conservative Ted Menzies and saw the widest grin I think I've ever seen in my time as an MP. He was sitting there quietly, but something was engaging his mind in ways that exercised the limits of facial muscles. As the votes wore on, the grin hardly wore thin; in a sense it was captivating.Ted is one of the good guys.  As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, he has had his work cut out for him this past year. The government stimulus and Action Plan have highlighted points of debate and contention in the House among the various parties, but Ted's ability to use humour and a good nature to rise above it all has assisted him through the process. He's always smiling, but not quite the way he was this past week.Suddenly my Blackberry buzzed and on the screen was the picture of a tiny baby boy - a grandson, born to Ted only hours before. He'd had to endure QP, then rushed to the hospital to be with his daughter Kari for one of those great rites of passage.It all made sense in an instant. What made it so special for me was that it occurred during some of the most contentious political rhetoric of the day. Had he been asked a question in QP he would have answered it effectively, yet at that moment his heart wouldn't have been in it. It was a few kilometres away in a nearby hospital, where new life now clung to the destiny of the Menzies' clan.I walked across the aisle towards him. He saw me coming, knew why I was there, and lifted up his digital camera towards me. There on the LCD screen was another picture of baby Graham. It was great, but my main emotion was a sense of thankfulness that humanity had entered a zone of combat through the delightful expression of a good politician. And I'll bet you this one thing. Ted will become even better and more human as a member of parliament because his life has now altered in subtle and marvellous ways. It's his first grandchild and it caused the biggest smile in the House that I've ever witnessed. New life has already had its profound effect. Congratulations Grandpa.