Rideau Hall, Tuesday, September 10, 2013
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It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada.
I would like to begin today’s ceremony on a solemn note, however.
I have just learned of a helicopter crash in Canada’s north involving a helicopter flying from the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen; three people were killed.
As we await details on this accident, I ask that we observe a moment of silence to hope and pray for those involved.
Thank you.
Let us turn now to today’s celebration, and recognize some of our finest public servants.
My predecessor, the Right Honourable Vincent Massey, once said that “a most important index of the quality of any country is the standard of its Public Service.”
Centuries earlier, St. Augustine put it a little differently, when he wrote: “If you wish to judge the quality of a society, look to see what it cherishes.”
Well, through the decades, Canadians have cherished the public good, and the work that you do as public servants is fundamentally important to our collective well-being.
Our public service is engaged in virtually every sphere of our national life, and the values by which you are guided—respect for democracy and for people, integrity, stewardship and excellence—are vitally important statements of our values as Canadians.
In addition to our recipients I am delighted to be joined by the Clerk of the Privy Council for this special ceremony. Briefly, I would like to draw from his most recent report to the Prime Minister on the state of Canada’s Public Service.
Of the changing world in which we live and work, he writes:
“These are remarkable times to be a public servant. As a nation, we are living through a period of significant transformation. Internationally, we are witnessing the emergence of a new, more complex global architecture, as traditional economic and political power wanes and re-forms around emerging nations and alliances.”
“Canada’s role and influence in these changes,” he concludes, “cannot be taken for granted.”
As recipients of the Public Service Award of Excellence, you know that we cannot afford to be complacent in today’s world.
You understand that, as public servants, your work is essential to the smarter, more caring Canada of which we dream.
You are talented and you are dedicated, and that is why you are being recognized today with these awards of excellence.
Together, you have excelled in so many categories—too many, in fact, for me to list here. The common thread is your commitment to innovating, collaborating and delivering results—all with the aim of serving Canadians.
Whether you are being recognized today for your role in a specific project or for excellence throughout your entire career, be proud of your achievement as a public servant.
Each of you serves Canadians very well and, in so doing, you have brought great credit to your profession in a time of significant challenge and change.
Thank you all for your service to Canada, and congratulations on this most deserved honour.
