En 1972, comme l'a dit mon leader, le sénateur Cowan, j'ai été secrétaire parlementaire auprès du secrétaire d'État aux Affaires extérieures et vice-premier ministre, l'honorable Mitchell Sharp. À ma nomination, ce dernier m'a dit : « Pierre, tous mes secrétaires parlementaires sont devenus ministres.
I served, in 1972, as parliamentary secretary, as my leader, Senator Cowan said, to the Secretary of State for External Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Mitchell Sharp, who told me when I was appointed, " Pierre, all of my parliamentary secretaries have become ministers, so I want you, every day, to attend, at nine o'clock, my daily meeting with my deputy, Ed Ritchie, who just arrived from Washington, where he was Canada's ambassador.