Grieving Quebeckers bid farewell to ‘bon Jack’

The Globe and Mail:

Serge Ménard, a longtime Bloc MP who retired before the last election, said he is filled with sadness at the news.

“I think he was a great man. He was always in good humour. Every time he spoke. He was very authentic. He really loved Quebec, and the difference there was in Quebec from the rest of Canada. He saw a richness. At the beginning he was criticized for being too jovialiste but you know what? He was jovial, but he was also profound, ,” Mr. Ménard said.

“He was never a demagogue. He could express with clarity, could oppose conservative ideas with force, but it was never a vicious attack, always respectful. It's a great, great loss for the entire Canadian community.”

Quebec Premier Jean Charest said Mr. Layton “did politics differently…. Mr. Layton was a man who smiled at life and believed in hope. He didn't approach politics from the angle of lowest common denominator. He didn't seek to divide people. He believed in hope, and everything that unites us. I find he made a beautiful accomplishment. A beautiful monument for him and his movement.”

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