Canadian MPs pay tribute to Nelson Mandela

Employment Minister Jason Kenney was the first MP to tweet about Nelson Mandela’s death. “RIP Nelson Mandela, great champion of human dignity,” he wrote at 4:46 p.m., minutes after the world learned of the former South African leader’s passing.

In relatively short order, an all-party tribute ensued in the House of Commons. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal MP Irwin Cotler and Green Leader Elizabeth May each spoke passionately about Mandela’s impact on the world. For those few minutes, partisanship was nowhere to be found in the chamber, as a few parliamentarians noted.

Tweeted tributes poured in from MPs who represent every region. Browse our interactive map to read them all (click on ridings shaded red), and scroll through a slideshow of tweets beneath. We’ll add tributes as they’re published.