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A right and honourable Canadian

Who says political opponents can't bury the hatchet once they leave politics?

Stephen Hogue used to work for former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien and is now with the Montreal-based pharmaceutical company Pfizer Canada.

Today, it was Hogue's job to introduce the guest speaker at a science forum, Preston Manning.

Political Bytes

Susan Lunn

Manning, of course, used to be the leader of the Reform party and was often one of Chrétien's fiercest political adversaries.

In his introduction, though, Hogue spoke highly of the former Reform leader, praising the work he has done since leaving politics.

"He may not have achieved his ultimate goal of being prime minister. But as you can see from his impressive career so far, his legacy is no less impressive as he continues to shape public policy in Canada and impact the lives of Canadians.

"So for that I think he is a right and honorable Canadian."

Was there irony in that? Probably not, it sounded pretty genuine.

But, of course, it was Hogue's former boss who prevented Manning from actually winning the title "the right honourable," the one accorded only to a prime minister.

Susan Lunn