The Bible says, "We are to give honour to whom honour is due." As our nation mourns the sudden passing of our recently retired Finance Minister, we, the members of the Christian Heritage Party, want to add our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to Jim's wife Christine Elliott and their three sons, John, Galen, and Quinn. It’s hard to believe that shortly after tabling his 2014 Budget in the House of Commons, he would announce his retirement from cabinet; a scant three weeks later we received news of his unexpected death from a massive heart attack.

Again we read in the Bible, "life is like a vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." Since I am two years older than Mr. Flaherty, I think that 64 is too young to die, but again this news reminds us that we are not in control of the "length of our days," nor should we be. Only God has the ultimate authority to determine how long a person lives and He is the giver and taker of life. We choose to submit to His authority – the Supremacy of God in all things. What is most important is that while we enjoy our life on this earth, we are ready to die when it is our time. Every day is a gift from God and we must be thankful for His blessing and give Him the glory that is due Him.

Jim Flaherty is credited with dropping the GST by two percentage points as one of his tax cutting initiatives. He introduced the registered disability savings plan to help Canadians with disabilities and their families save money. He wept openly as he made the announcement, as one of his triplet sons has a mental disability. Although short in stature, Mr. Flaherty leaves a large imprint on the Canadian economy through his eight years as Finance Minister and his ten federal budgets.

We are grateful that the Lord provided Jim Flaherty’s leadership for Canada.

It is our hope and prayer, as we read the fond reminiscences of both Conservative and opposition MPs, that his family would find comfort in the friends he made on both sides of the House of Commons. As our country takes time to reflect on the life of a great servant, we remind ourselves that we will each give an account of our use of the opportunities the Lord placed in our path.

The Christian Heritage Party in all of our policies acknowledges that we are ultimately servants of the Most High. We are each stewards of one vote and we are responsible for voting according to principles that transcend earthly values.

Jim Flaherty will be remembered for his role as Finance Minister; those who aspire to cabinet posts certainly need to give serious attention to fiscal policies and budgets. CHP Canada will always support sound fiscal policies, balanced budgets and prudent planning to reduce debt. However, we recognize that there are other issues even more critical to the future of the nation. CHP Canada will always present to the electorate a platform that values innocent human life from conception to natural death, that supports traditional marriage and that protects freedom of speech and religion. Anything less, and we have failed in our responsibility to God and to our fellow man.

Let this reminder of our human frailty and the brevity of life spur us on to focus our energies on the eternal issues that will affect our children and the generations to come. In our efforts to leave a moral legacy for our children, we in the CHP have determined to set aside expedient values and return to a defined, unchanging standard of right and wrong. We need your help. If you’re not already a member, join CHP Canada today!

Together we stand on guard for Canada!

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