In posthumous speech, Chan urges good will and courage to face the future
OTTAWA — Arnold Chan’s final speech to the House of Commons, delivered posthumously Tuesday by fellow Liberal MP Mark Holland, offered an optimistic vision that goodwill, openness and courage can prevail against the challenges and perils of the world.
Chan, MP for the Toronto-area riding of Scarborough-Agincourt, died last week of cancer at the age of 50.
His valedictory, read by a close friend who made his emotions clear, warned that climate and technological change — along with ensuing social unrest — pose existential threats for the next generation to confront.
“In the face of climate change, accelerating technological advancements and the disruptions that they are causing, the tendency of people and communities is to ‘circle the wagons’ and, even worse, to ‘fear the other,” Chan wrote.