Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

[English]

Senator Tannas: On behalf of my colleagues in the Canadian Senators Group, I welcome Senator Oudar to the Senate as the fourteenth senator from the senatorial division of La Salle. For over three decades, Senator Oudar has been a notable public sector leader and lawyer with an expertise in labour laws in Quebec.

We now have 17 lawyers or legal scholars in the Senate, with a range of expertise from constitutional to corporate to administrative and from human rights to now labour law with Senator Oudar’s arrival. If the Senate ever wanted to form its own law firm, it would likely have one of the most diverse ranges of legal fields, legal scholars and notables in Canada.

Senator Oudar, your expertise, which was a missing piece of our firm, will be of great benefit to us as senators. I look forward to the contributions that you will make in our debates.

We in the CSG are paying close attention to the appointment process. It is just like watching the time go down on the scoreboard. We see the number of vacancies also go down towards the ultimate goal of a full chamber where each region has its full complement of senators with no provinces left behind. We are encouraged, and we look forward to more appointments.

To our new senator — Senator Oudar — and to those who have arrived here recently, I have a few pieces of advice.

Number one: You know that feeling of awe and wonderment the first time you walk into this place? Hold on to it for as long as you can, since it will help you during the long sittings. To sit in this place is not only a privilege, but a responsibility.

Number two: Pace yourselves. Legislative and policy changes are marathons, not sprints. All good things take time. Our system is designed for thorough review and debate so that good ideas can be refined into better ideas.

Number three: Find good staff. Surrounding yourself with bright minds will help you achieve your goals. Your challenge is balancing experience with bringing in fresh perspectives and youthful enthusiasm.

Number four: Never disregard sleep. Contrary to the opinions of some outside this chamber, we work very long hours. Emotions can run high, and a sound mind is a must to navigate numerous political obstacles that will be put in front of you. A good night’s sleep is the cure to a cluttered mind full of burdens.

Finally, number five: Always be wary of long-time senators offering unsolicited advice.

Some Hon. Senators: Oh, oh!

Senator Tannas: Senator Oudar, your skills and perspectives are both needed and wanted here, and we — in the Canadian Senators Group — look forward to working with you.

Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Honourable senators, as the new representative of the Progressive Senate Group, I am pleased to join the other leaders in welcoming Senator Manuelle Oudar. What is more, the first welcome I am extending in this new position is to a colleague with a remarkable career in my province’s public service.

An accomplished jurist, she held legal affairs management positions at various Quebec ministries, including the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Family, the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sport, and the Ministry of Culture, Communications and Status of Women. In Quebec, we like ministries with long names. Over the years, she also demonstrated management skills that earned her positions such as Assistant Deputy Minister of Networks at the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sport and Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Labour.

In 2016, she became the president and CEO of the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec. She then oversaw its merger with two other commissions, when it became the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, or CNESST, an organization made up of about 5,000 people.

In 2022, CNESST received a United Nations award for its efforts in favour of gender equality, economic justice, equity in the labour market, empowering women and reducing inequality and wage gaps.

It’s no surprise, then, that last year our colleague was awarded the Prix Femmes de mérite by the Women’s Y Foundation of Montréal, in the public service sector. I should also point out that our colleague is an accredited mediator, which is likely to prove a very useful quality when it comes to building consensus in committee.

On a personal note, she is also the co-CEO of a family of seven children, along with Pierre Reid, who is here with us today and who is also a Quebec lawyer and senior civil servant.

[English]

In conclusion, our new colleague brings a wealth of experience that we will soon have the opportunity to share.

Welcome, Senator Oudar, to your new home — the upper house of Parliament — where you will work for the well-being of Canadians along with talented colleagues representing the rich diversity of our country.

[Translation]

Welcome, senator.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Pierre Reid, spouse of the Honourable Senator Oudar, her children Yarie Oudar Conte Reid and Samuel Reid, her parents Simone Pietri and Gérard Oudar, and her sisters Elisabeth and Valérie. They are accompanied by other members of the Honourable Senator Oudar’s family.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, senator.

I’ve been advised that the Treasury Board employs what is called the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, which brings together key economic, social and environmental datasets to support the measurement of Canadians’ quality of life and help drive evidence-based budgeting and decision making at the federal level. Specifically, the Quality of Life Framework for Canada consists of a set of 84 indicators, organized into a series of domains, including health, society, prosperity, environment and good governance.

That is a lens through which the Treasury Board does evaluate policies and decision making within its ambit.

Senator Osler: Health is complex, and the health care crisis has been called a “wicked” problem, meaning that there are multiple interdependencies, multiple causes and no single, clear solution. While I’m pleased to see that the federal government now has bilateral health care agreements signed with seven provinces and territories, I’m concerned that, once all the agreements are in place, the federal government will simply sit back and say, “job done.” Money alone will not fix Canada’s antiquated health care system.

Beyond the funding agreements, what is the federal government’s vision and long-term plan for health care?

Hon. René Cormier (The Hon. the Acting Speaker): Is leave granted, honourable senators?

The Hon. the Acting Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.