I have a petition titled “Ontario Should Say No to Federal Gun Buyback.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the federal government is banning a large number of firearms legally owned by private citizens; and

“Whereas the federal government has introduced legislation for confiscation of the banned firearms and wants provincial law enforcement agencies to execute said confiscation; and

“Whereas participating in this confiscation will take law enforcement personnel off the streets; and

“Whereas the governments of the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and the Yukon territory have said they won’t allow provincial resources to be used for the federal gun confiscation;

“We, the undersigned, petition Ontario’s government to tell Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Ontario will not take police off the streets to execute his gun control measures.”

I support this petition and I will affix my signature to it and send it to the table with page Georgia.

Good afternoon to the family and friends of former member of provincial Parliament Barbara Ann Pickard Sullivan. Today, we have the privilege of the presence of some of Barbara’s loved ones, as she had many: Mr. Jordan G. Sullivan, Barbara’s husband; her daughters, Michele Thompson, Sandra Sullivan and Elspeth Gibson; her son, Jordan D. Sullivan; her daughter-in-law, Alex Sullivan; her granddaughter Annie Keeley; and her dear friend Vivienne Jones.

Barbara’s family and friends are also joined by Mr. David Warner, who presided as the Speaker of the Legislature during the 35th Parliament.

I welcome you all on behalf of the Ontario NDP official opposition. We thank you deeply for sharing your beloved Barbara with the hard-working people of Halton Centre and Ontario.

Barbara was born on January 24, 1943, in Calgary, Alberta. Her family soon moved to Oakville.

She graduated from Carleton University school of journalism in 1964, and before politics, she worked as a journalist and later as a public affairs consultant at the Toronto Telegram, if I’m not mistaken.

Barbara came to Queen’s Park having defeated her PC opponent in Halton Centre by a whopping 6,000 votes amid a landslide Liberal majority at the provincial level. She served as a Liberal MPP in the 34th Parliament and in the 35th Parliament under Premier David Peterson and Premier Bob Rae, respectively. She valiantly represented her community and earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues across party lines.

Frankly, there isn’t enough time today to highlight all of the leadership roles Barbara excelled in, spanning across her terms in 1987 to 1995, but here are just a few:

She served as Chair of a Select Committee on Energy, as deputy whip, as her party’s environment critic and health critic, as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Labour and to the women’s issues minister, as the commissioner of the Board of Internal Economy. And that’s when she wasn’t flying out of Queen’s Park in her “little red power suit,” as her daughter recalled, saving the day for her dad, a farmer who had taken ill. Barbara flew out of Queen’s Park in style to replace him, exhibiting sheep at the royal winter fair, and as Barbara did, she won. Barbara’s daughter Sandra called her mother, yes, a “five-foot ball of energy.”

Outside of Queen’s Park, Barbara loved cooking, sewing and gardening. She created dollhouses that her daughter said could be displayed in any museum, and apparently she loved world travel.

Former Liberal Premier David Peterson said, “She was plugged in and a dynamo of fire. There were just sparks that came off of her. She had so much energy!”

Barbara, I hear, had an incredible laugh, was confident, and had a collaborative leadership style—and a leader she was, having managed many political campaigns before becoming an MPP herself. She managed the campaigns of former Liberal leader Dr. Stuart Smith and Art Eggleton’s successful runs for Toronto mayor in 1980 and 1982. She was also the campaign manager for Jean Chrétien’s federal Liberal leadership campaign. Back in 1987, Robert Nixon was quoted as calling Barbara the “best campaign manager he knew.”

Barbara had influence, but her friends often described her as unassuming and maternal, finding time during her hectic Queen’s Park schedule to drive to Oakville to prepare lunch for her then youngest children, Elspeth and Jordan.

Even after politics, Barbara remained devoted to her community. She served as chair of the Hamilton Health Sciences board from 2006-09. Her intent to support seniors led her to the position of vice-chair of the board of directors of the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority during the years 2013 to 2020.

She was a patron of the Sheridan College musical theatre program, the Ontario Historical Society, the Canadian Wildlife Federation and also served as a board member of the Big Sisters Association of Metropolitan Toronto, Huntley Youth Services, Mohawk College, Bird Studies Canada, chair of Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts and commissioner and acting chair of the Commission on Election Finances in Ontario.

Barbara took life by the horns but also knew that life would have its bumps. To quote Barbara during her first campaign, she said, “I’m an ad hoc person. What comes, does, and what doesn’t does not. There will always be a challenge for me.”

Barbara Sullivan’s sun set on her 78th birthday, on January 24, 2021, in Hamilton, Ontario. Those who respected her and admired her tenacity as a politician, a community leader, will remember her as “the cream that rose to the top.”

To Barbara’s family and friends here today, thank you again for sharing her with Ontario.

To her dearest grandchildren, hold on tight to those musical birthday cards she often gave you. May her words and your memories of her live on forever.

It’s an honour to rise in the Legislature today and pay tribute to the late Robert “Bob” Huget, who served as the Sarnia member of provincial Parliament in Ontario’s 35th Parliament from 1990 to 1995. Bob passed away this past June and is greatly missed by his wife, Lori; his daughter Susannah Huget; and his many friends and colleagues who are here today.

Born and educated in Saskatchewan, Bob eventually found his occupational calling in the oil and gas sector, both in BC and Alberta. His interest in this field led him to move to Lambton county, the hub of Ontario’s oil and gas industry, where he worked at Shell Oil’s chemical plant in various capacities. At the same time, he developed a passion for the organized labour movement, eventually becoming the president of Local 800 of the Energy and Chemical Workers Union.

He also owned and operated a small livestock business prior to his time at Queen’s Park, and additionally he served as a member of the Lambton College board of governors, the Sarnia/Lambton Employee Assistance Council and the Canadian Council on Working Life.

In 1990, Bob was elected Sarnia’s first New Democratic Party member of provincial Parliament as part of the Bob Rae NDP government. Bob served in many roles, including as a junior minister responsible for economic development and trade. I remember that election very well. I remember the front-page headline in the paper, the mayor of Sarnia down on one knee acknowledging the victory by Bob Huget that night. There won’t be anybody else here other than his family that will remember that story.

Before and after serving at Queen’s Park, Bob was a tireless leader in the labour movement, both at home and at the provincial level. He was a fearless advocate for workplace justice, health and safety, and for the rights of the working people. Bob was once described in a London Free Press article as “tall, lean and intense,” and I agree with that wholeheartedly.

I had the privilege of meeting Bob on several occasions, and although we served on opposite sides of the political fence, we both shared a mutual respect for our constituents, along with a passion for the hard-working labour community of our area. I also worked in the oil and chemical sector, like Mr. Huget did, before I got here.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Glenn Sonier, a past labour leader from the Sarnia community who also worked with Bob at Shell Canada and also shared his passion for organized labour and for the betterment of the lives of Ontario workers. Glenn and Bob worked together at Shell Canada, but it was their efforts outside the workplace, especially with trade unions, that truly motivated them both. Glenn said that, from the very first time they met, he knew Bob was meant to be a leader and that he cared deeply about the workers and what Glenn called the average guy.

Bob’s time at Queen’s Park served him well in his later union leadership roles, as he learned how to be an even stronger advocate for workers and their families. Glenn told me about one time that Bob organized what he called—this was when he was in government, his own government—an occupation of the labour minister’s office. Bob had invited three widows of workers who had died from workplace exposure—I think probably from fibreglass or Dow Chemical—to join him at this occupation. Glenn was amazed by the passion and fortitude that Bob showed in organizing the occupation, which literally helped bring this issue right to the Minister of Labour’s door.

Bob also had a great passion for spreading the labour message and for building a stronger New Democratic Party, especially for young people. Glenn recalled going to Toronto for a meeting with Bob and being invited by him at that time to join him at an NDP convention. At the time, Glenn was travelling with his elderly father and his 11-year-old son, so Bob told him he would make some calls and wrangle an invitation for all three visitors. Glenn’s father was a lifelong Liberal Party supporter up to that point in life, but he was won over by Bob’s friendliness and hospitality. In fact, Bob went out of his way to introduce the three visitors to a number of high-profile NDP leaders, including Ed Broadbent and Jack Layton. Glenn’s father was so impressed that he became an avid NDP supporter, and so did Glenn’s young son. So you never know who you’re going to meet in this world.

Passion, determination and a love for the working person were all hallmarks of Bob Huget. He was truly a man of the people and someone who dedicated his life to bettering the lives of everyone he met.

Thank you, Bob, for having a lifelong passion for working people, whether it was in the oil and gas industry, as an MPP here at Queen’s Park or through your decades of involvement in the organized labour movement. Because of your efforts, you truly left a legacy that you can be proud of, both in Sarnia–Lambton and across our province. And to his family and friends: I know that Canada is a better place today, Ontario is a better place, and I know Sarnia–Lambton is a better place for Bob Huget.