Today, June 17, 2014, is the birthday of our former boss and much loved politician, the Honourable George Hees.
A year ago, I wrote a belated Eulogy for this late great Statesman, and it seems fitting to publish it once again:
When we see how politics has fallen into disrepute in recent times, we consider ourselves most fortunate to have worked for one of Canada’s last great statesmen-politicians, the Honourable George Hees.
Mr. Hees passed away in Toronto on June 11, 1996 at the age of 85. This Monday, June 17th, would have been his 103rd birthday.
Married in 1934 to Mabel Dunlop..’the Pembroke Pearl’, the Hees’ had three daughters and a life together full of interesting times and adventure.
Save for a brief interlude between 1963 and 1965, our Boss was continually a Member of Parliament from 1950 until his retirement in 1988.
His accomplishments were legend: all star athlete culminating with his being on the 1938 Grey Cup Champion Toronto Argonauts; a war hero wounded in the heavily fought battle for the Walcheren Causeway in Holland in 1944; a most successful businessman having had to take over the family business at a young age after his father was killed in a riding accident; he served as Cabinet Minister in the Diefenbaker Government of 1957-1963 both as Minister of Transport and Minister of Trade and Commerce;and, later in life served in the Mulroney Government as both Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State for Seniors.
The list could go on and on but for us, Mr. Hees was far more than these biographical entries. He was a gentleman of the first order.
Always cheerful and never critical he inspired his staff to do their utmost simply by the fact that we never wanted to let him down. On those occasions when we did, he encouraged us to shake it off “we all make mistakes” he said, “and no one more than me”.
When asked one time what best prepared him for a life in politics he replied simply, “that’s easy, sports, in sports you have to depend on your teammates and with sports comes both victory and failure and the lessons learned in how to successfully deal with each”.
He did not view the Members of other parties as the enemy, rather he considered them friends, all working in the interests of a better Canada and he lived that philosophy by example, as well as by word. When we came to work for him as the newly appointed Minister of Veterans Affairs his first order of business for us was to get to know the Veterans’ Opposition Critics. He asked us to find out what he could do for them to make their jobs easier all with the goal that this would benefit veterans whom he viewed as the most special of Canadians.
We can hear him now … in his speeches … telling audiences of the sacrifices made by these young men and women, “they risked their lives, risked having their heads were blown off and too often their limbs destroyed, all so that we might enjoy the many freedoms we have today.”
Our Boss was fond of mottos; while Minister for Trade and Commerce in the early 1960s he promoted the phrase You Can’t Do Business Sitting On Your Ass and neckties of a donkey accompanied with the letters YCDBSOYA soon flourished. While Minister of Veterans Affairs he coined the phrase Courtesy, Generosity and Speed (C.G.S.). Both these mottos encouraged his departments to double their efforts on behalf of their respective clientele.
Mr. Hees was very much from the old school in that he was proud of his profession and proud of his colleagues on all sides of the House of Commons. Often he would coach newly elected M.P.s regardless of party just because that was the way he was. Few know this, but he met often with Pierre Elliott Trudeau to discuss issues of the day.
Also of interest, was the fact that he was offered a Senate position by both the Liberals and the Conservatives but dismissed them by saying “I’m too young to retire.”
Perhaps the best way to sum up this Eulogy is to refer back to Hansard on the last day George Hees appeared in the House of Commons, the date was September 1, 1988:
Neil Young the NDP Critic for Veterans Affairs stood and asked the Boss a rather soft question – he began with the following lead-in – “My question is to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, and it may very well be the last chance I have to ask the Minister a question in the House or indeed for him to give a response. And I regret that very much Mr. Speaker, because the Minister has been appreciated by all members on all sides of the House and certainly by the Veterans of Canada”.
Mr. Young’s question was met with thunderous applause throughout.
George Hees then replied -
“To start with, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all Honourable members for their very kind and generous expression of good will that they accorded me a few moments ago. This is one of the reasons that makes serving in Parliament the finest profession that anyone can have. I’ve enjoyed it tremendously not only because of the work that we’re all able to do,but because of the associations that we make, not only with members of our own party, but with members of all other parties.”
This was followed by several standing ovations.
It has been a quarter century since the voice of George Harris Hees echoed in the Halls of Parliament but for many and most especially for those like us who had the honour to have worked for him, those words will never be stilled.
Respectively submitted by:
Keith Bell … Former Chief of Staff
Shirley Cheevers … Former Executive Assistant
