The unexpressed aim of every politician is to influence events that history books will record his name - and spell it right.

One of the most helpful things I introduced (and of very considerable consequence to Canadians) was my ultimate success in persuading my colleagues (after continuing battle)to reduce the qualifying age for aged pensioners from seventy to sixty-five over a five year period.

It will be, I suppose, a foolhardy Government that tries to push through legislation making knowledge of both official languages one of the qualifications for election to the House of Commons or appointment to the Senate, but maybe it will have to come to this as a price we must pay for equality of the two great language groups of our founding fathers.

Perhaps in the long view, de Gaulle was more responsible with his troublesome interventions into our domestic politics, for unifying our country than we will ever give him credit for.

Out of near disaster, came real progress.

The unexpressed aim of every politician is to influence events that history books will record his name - and spell it right.

I cannot say that I have been hindered all my life by the permutation of genes that resulted in me being born a woman.