It was a chance to get to know MPs from all across Canada; to listen for the melancholy bells which bring us into the House to vote; to play musical chairs in the House of Commons; to work on my tan while playing football on Parliament's front lawn; to be affectionately referred to by the Liberals as the $150,000 man; to have the Speaker rule my definition of a bribe out of order; to need an e
xtra two minutes to finish a 40-minute speech; to refuse, along with 50 of my coll
eagues, to take the gold plated pension plan ...[+++] as a display of leadership by example; and to represent and vote the wishes of my constituents as opposed to always having to vote the party line, proof that free votes work.
J'ai eu la chance de connaître des députés de toutes les régions du Canada, d'entendre la sonnerie mélancolique qui nous ramène à la Chambre pour les votes, de jouer à la chaise musicale à la Chambre des communes, de parfaire mon bronzage en jouant au football sur la pelouse de la colline du Parlement, de me faire affectueusement qualifier d'homme de 150 000 $ par les libéraux, de voir le Président rejeter ma définition de pot-de-vin, de demander deux minutes supplémentaires pour terminer un discours de quarante minutes.
