In my travels throughout the Easter Break in our riding, we were all nostalgic and reflective following the news that Ralph Klein had passed away. His legacy will be with us for a long time to come. We first knew Ralph as a friendly and savvy media hound. He went on to become Mayor of Calgary, a provincial cabinet minister, and ultimately, our Premier. He became a household name across Canada and last November, the Governor General of Canada installed Ralph as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Calgary’s Light Rail Transit System, the Saddledome, and the 1988 Olympics, for example, will always remind us of Ralph.
As a politician myself, I have often contemplated, as we all do from time to time, what the great political leaders of our day and the past would say about current events as they unfold. It can be very helpful to consider their perspectives based on their experiences.
Ralph Klein was always honest and straight forward. He kept everything simple – he said what he would do – and then he would do what he said. You could count on Ralph.
Just as we started getting used to the passing of our former Premier, we learned of the passing of another political icon of a bygone era, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In her day, she spoke with all the power of the Western World. Her leadership extended far beyond the borders of Britain. She was a key ally on the world stage along with the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Paul II. She was one of history’s great conservatives.
She came to be known as ‘The Iron Lady’. She implemented successful economic policies. Working with many of the world’s leaders, she became one of the strongest contributors to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the demise of communism.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper in his statement following the news of her death said, “New to my own duties as Prime Minister in 2006, she provided me wise and gracious counsel in London, the memory of which I will forever cherish.”
I hope that the younger generation learn of the imprint on our lives that such great leaders have made. It is up to us to make sure that our children and our grandchildren know about these people and why they were so important. We could say that the decisions of Baroness Thatcher and ‘King’ Ralph brought us to the place from which our generation started. While this is true from a generation to generation perspective, some of our past leaders have remarkable stories that continue to need to be shared. Our future great leaders should be encouraged and inspired by the examples of the great leaders that have ruled before them. We can best honour these past leaders by passing on the benefits of their experiences and accomplishments.
