Peter Stoffer, Ryan Cleary Share Touching Moment In Front Of Cameras

The sweeping victory of Justin Trudeau's Liberals last week has meant that many respected members of Parliament won't be returning to Ottawa when business resumes in December.

Among them: 18-year NDP MP Peter Stoffer, who was beaten by Liberal Darrell Samson in the Nova Scotia riding of Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook.

Stoffer's colleagues chose him as Maclean's magazine's Parliamentarian of the Year in 2013, and he repeatedly won the most congenial MP award. He was even knighted by the Netherlands this past spring.

Stoffer made headlines this week, first by recommending that his New Democratic Party drop the word "new," and then by welcoming journalists into his Parliament Hill office that is covered, wall to wall, in 8,000 hats and other memorabilia from nearly two decades of public life. There's also a pool table, dart board, and fridge in there.

On Tuesday, CBC's Rosemary Barton filmed a "Power & Politics" segment with Stoffer just before he started packing everything up. The outgoing MP says he will donate the collection to charity.

A day later, CBC Politics' Facebook page shared a candid clip of another outgoing NDP MP Ryan Cleary popping in to say a quick hello. Cleary was defeated last week by Liberal Seamus O'Regan in the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of St. John's South-Mount Pearl.

Stoffer paused the interview so he could embrace his friend.

"I just totally photobombed you," Cleary said.

"No problem, buddy," Stoffer replied.

"You look like you've lost some weight," Cleary said.

"Yeah. About 20 pounds," Stoffer responded.

Stoffer turned to the camera to say Cleary, like him, was defeated. Then he quickly corrected himself.

"Never defeated," Stoffer said. "The voters made a decision and we respect that decision."

"I wasn't defeated, man. No, man, a great big tsunami hit me," Cleary said.

"Yeah, I know. It hit me too. Hit us all."

The brief exchange ends with a promise to play some pool and drink a few "Dark 'n Dirty cocktails" – a drink made with cola and Newfoundland Screech rum.

Stoffer said Cleary, first elected in 2011, was a great MP and, much like defeated high-profile incumbents Megan Leslie and Paul Dewar, exactly the type of person you want in Ottawa.

"It's just that the people of Canada decided to go to a different direction. That's all," he said. "You have to respect that because I've always said that the only people on election day who are wrong are those who don't vote."

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