BC Premier Christy Clark, Prime Minister Stephen Harper issue statements on death of Jim Flaherty
By Contributor
The House of Commons was rocked Thursday afternoon with the announcement that former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty had suddenly passed away in his home in Ottawa.
His family said the 64-year-old died peacefully.
The House of Commons abruptly suspended its sitting before question period began as word of the death spread. Opposition MPs flooded across the aisle to offer condolences to Flaherty’s colleagues.
BC Premier Christy Clark issued the following statement on the death of Jim Flaherty after hearing the news during a media scrum at the provincial legislature Thursday:
“I was shocked and saddened to hear that Jim Flaherty has passed away.
“This is a terrible loss for our country. Jim was a great leader and Canadian. He served with distinction in both provincial and federal politics, and made a difference in both. Under his watch, Canada returned to stability and balanced budgets.
“And while his achievements in Toronto and Ottawa will stand the test of time, perhaps his most important legacy was as a family man. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Christine and their three sons.”
Prime Minister Steven Harper gathered his caucus to mourn.
“Today is a very sad for me, for our government and for all of our country,” The prime minister said. “I learned a short while ago that our colleague, my partner and my friend Jim Flaherty had passed away suddenly today.
“This comes as an unexpected and a terrible shock to Jim’s family, to our caucus and to Laureen and me.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I offer my family’s condolences and I know the condolences of the entire Parliament and government of Canada to Jim’s wife Christine and his sons Quinn, Galen and John.”
“Jim will be sorely missed, not only by his many friends on both sides of the House.… He will also be missed by the countless thousands of Canadians who he helped through his years in public life.”
