"Gil was a good friend who I will miss a lot. For almost 50 years, he served the people of Manitoba and Canada with exemplary skill and dedication. It was my privilege to serve alongside him in Ottawa -- in opposition and in government. He had an engaging and lively personality. He was a man of great warmth, good humour and a raconteur par excellence. I was always impressed by his deep commitment to public service and to making Canada a better place in which to live.

Above all, he was a man who loved Parliament. He immersed himself in its history and traditions and worked always to preserve its dignity and enhance its reputation – an attachment he displayed most publicly in his tenure as Speaker of the Senate.

Aline joins me in offering our sincerest condolences to Gil Molgat’s family, his colleagues and his many, many friends."