In a rare display of bipartisan praise in partisan Ottawa, politicians this week commemorated the deaths of two agriculture ministers with different political pedigrees.
Longtime Liberal minister Eugene Whelan died in mid-February. Former Conservative minister John Wise, who followed Whelan as minister twice in 1979 and 1984, died in January.
In a speech to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture Feb. 27, Conservative agriculture minister Gerry Ritz paid tribute to both his predecessors.
Earlier, he both praised Whelan and suggested he was following in his footsteps.
“Eugene was a strong voice for Canadian farmers for decades, serving in both municipal and federal politics,” Ritz said in a statement issued after Whelan’s Feb. 19 death. “As Canada’s agriculture minister and his trademark green Stetson, Eugene was planted firmly on the side of farmers.”
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Ritz added that he followed in Whelan’s footsteps of “putting farmers first.”
In the House of Commons, interim Liberal leader Bob Rae, who opposed Whelan as a New Democrat MP in the 1970s and 1980s, called the former agriculture minister one of Canada’s “most remarkable political citizens.”
“A distinguished and hard-working member of this House as the member for Essex, Gene Whelan was an outstanding minister of agriculture for many years,” said Rae. “His sense of dedication and his sense of humour were equally legendary.”
Had he been around to hear the tributes from political adversaries, Whelan’s sense of humour would have kicked in.
“With his trademark Stetson hat, Gene could be seen in meetings not only around Canada but around the world,” said Rae. “He cared deeply about the success and prosperity of individual farmers and the industry as a whole.”
Rae noted that the House of Commons earlier had paid tribute to Wise, another southwestern Ontario minister “who deeply respected Gene Whelan’s work and dedication. The respect was mutual. We should all pause to reflect on these two men, what they did, what they gave and what they stood for.”
Wise and Whelan combined to represent agriculture in various cabinets for more than 15 years between late 1972 when Whelan was appointed minister and 1988 when Wise retired before the November election and after 16 years as an MP.
