Former Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak was celebrated by all parties on his last day in the legislature as a dedicated advocate, a family man — and actually not a robot.

Hudak struggled for years to soften the stiff facade of his public persona, but tributes Thursday from his colleagues and his own last speech gave a glimpse into the side of himself that he wasn’t able to convey as leader in front of the cameras.

He even choked up while speaking, though he said he had told himself not to get emotional.

“I had worked hard to cultivate that hard-ass image over 21 years in this business,” he joked. “It’s just bad for the brand.”

Hudak, who is leaving politics after 21 years for a job as CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association, went on to reference the various unflattering ways in which his opponents managed to paint him.

“Over the past few decades in Ontario politics, over what I’ve said and how I’ve conducted myself, I’ve been a lot of different things to a lot of different people: an MPP — I was the kid, now I’m the veteran — the minister, leader, robot, frat boy, Bay Street stooge,” Hudak said to laughter in the legislature.

He had emerged as a stronger and more relaxed MPP after stepping down as leader following the party’s defeat in the 2014 election that included his promise to fire 100,000 public sector workers. Recently Hudak had championed the sharing economy and more liberalized liquor laws.

“Since he’s left as leader I often hear from people — and some of you may hear it too — ‘I like this new Tim Hudak,’ or, ‘Why wasn’t that Tim Hudak on the campaign trail?’” said PC colleague Lisa MacLeod. “Well, he is that Tim Hudak and he’s always been that Tim Hudak, and it’s the Tim Hudak that I like.”

As leader, Hudak called each caucus member every Christmas, sent personal notes to their staffers and remembered the names of everyone’s spouses and children, she said.

Liberal Jim Bradley, who represents a neighbouring riding to Hudak’s Niagara West-Glanbrook, said he and Hudak often worked together on area issues and considers him a friend.

“Tim is a well-rounded person,” Bradley said. “We always see him as a political guy, but Tim has other interests out there as well, and he’s a very likable individual.”

Bradley also couldn’t resist taking what appeared to be thinly veiled shots at Patrick Brown, the new Progressive Conservative leader, who has also been facing image issues. Brown has been under fire after his chief of staff distributed a letter saying the leader would “scrap” the Liberals’ sex-ed curriculum, only to have Brown deny knowledge of the letter and disavow it days later.

Hudak never “flip flopped,” Bradley said.

“One thing you knew about Tim, you always knew where he stood,” Bradley said. “He didn’t pander to the issue of the day. He didn’t pander to individual interest groups and so on.”

New Democrat Paul Miller, who also represents an adjoining riding, said Hudak is approachable, sociable and funny.

“I’ve had a real soft spot for Tim because he named one of his daughters Miller,” the New Democrat joked.

Hudak will now be able to spend more time with daughters Miller and Maitland and wife Deb Hutton, who he met at the legislature when she was a senior adviser to former premier Mike Harris.

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Nothing would make Hudak prouder than to see his daughters elected to the legislature one day, he said.

“But you know kids,” Hudak said. “With Debbie and I both being somewhat on the right, I’ve got no doubt that they’ll both be plaid-wearing, Chuck-Taylor-sporting New Democrats someday.”