Hon. Wanda Elaine Thomas Bernard: Honourable senators, I join you today from East Preston, Nova Scotia, unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Today, in honour of National Social Work Month and International Women’s Day, I pay tribute to the late Alexa McDonough, an influential social worker, politician and dear friend. Alexa was a courageous and passionate social worker who became the first woman leader of a major federal party.

Alexa inspired and encouraged all women, including me, to get involved in politics. She died earlier this year, having lived a life advocating for equity and justice.

This year’s National Social Work Month theme, announced by the Canadian Association of Social Workers, is “In Critical Demand — Social Work is Essential,” which invites us to recognize the profession’s essential role during COVID-19 and the work we must do as we build back better.

Alexa’s life and work are shining examples of social workers as essential in bringing about meaningful change. Alexa spoke on unpopular issues with conviction. As a teenager, she engaged in positive disruption, using her own privilege to effect change in Halifax. She valued the voices and experiences of those who lived outside the margins.

Alexa taught me that being born into privilege is not a problem. It’s what you do with that privilege that can influence a positive shift. She led by example, using her platforms to highlight the inequities that were revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, like anti-Black racism and workers’ rights. Alexa also encouraged social workers to move away from Band-Aid solutions and to move toward equitable policy development.

Honourable colleagues, Alexa McDonough’s legacy reminds us that social work is a profession where both advocacy and the development of social policy are essential and that social workers are leaders who are in critical demand.

Thank you, asante.