Rideau Hall, Monday, December 16, 2013

Thank you for being here for this important celebration of excellence in public service.

The presentation of the Vanier Medal is one of those occasions with a deep connection and relevance to this office.

This honour has existed for more than 50 years and is awarded in the name of my predecessor, Georges Vanier, one of the truly great governors general in the history of Canada.

Famously, those who have the privilege of occupying the position I do are sometimes well advised to stick to “governor-generalities” in their public remarks.

But I would like to take this opportunity, as we celebrate the remarkable career of Jocelyne Bourgon—one of our country’s finest public servants—to talk about a very specific and important issue.

That issue is trust, particularly as it relates to public governance—not just in Canada, but around the world.

According to the Gallup World Poll, the average confidence in national governments in OECD countries—including Canada—stood at 40 percent in 2012, down from 45 percent in 2007. To quote the OECD, the loss of trust “is especially true for young people who feel their voices are not being heard and fear their future is being jeopardized.”

The crisis of trust in our governance is widely acknowledged, and the fact that it is accelerating should concern us: as the saying goes, trust arrives on foot and goes out in a Ferrari.

Madame Bourgon is well aware of the gravity of this challenge and others we face related to governance and public service.

She has therefore dedicated herself to improving and modernizing our structures and institutions for the 21st century.

During a long career in public service, Madame Bourgon has distinguished herself here in Canada and internationally.

She has brought great credit to the profession of public service, and to Canada in the eyes of the world.

She is also a trailblazer, having served as clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the Cabinet—the first and only woman to have served in that role in Canada or in a G7 country.

Madame Bourgon is an officer of the Order of Canada, who not only desires a better world, but understands that good governance and strong institutions are essential to the smarter, more caring Canada to which we aspire.

This is particularly true in a country as geographically vast and culturally diverse as Canada. Without healthy and robust national institutions, we might be forgiven for asking: what is Canada?

Our institutions are a reflection of the democratic values that bind us as Canadians. They are therefore infinitely precious.

On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to thank you, Madame Bourgon, for your dedication to service and the public good.

You are a worthy recipient of this prestigious honour. Congratulations on all you have achieved.