Rideau Hall, Friday, February 27, 2015

We gather here at Rideau Hall, home of the people of Canada, to celebrate a man who serves the people of Canada. Today, we present Mr. Ian Burney with the 2014 Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada.

Mr. Burney, you have done so much to promote and strengthen Canada.

It’s an impact we can feel. You are committed to advancing Canadian values, priorities and goals at home and around the world.

And what are those values? They are values of public service.

Respect for democracy.

Respect for people.

Integrity.

Stewardship.

Excellence.

A strong, merit-based, non-partisan and representative public service is essential to this country’s success—and indeed to the success of any democratic society.

That is why the first steps toward the creation of a professional, apolitical civil service came so soon after responsible government was achieved in Canada in the late 1840s. The builders of this nation understood that our democracy would require a professional organization that could provide impartial expertise and deliver services across this vast country.

Fast-forward 175 years or so and we can see they were right. The success of our public service is Canada’s success. 

Mr. Burney, Canada is a stronger country and a better international partner because of your efforts.

It’s what public servants do. They take the hopes and dreams of Canadians and turn them into reality. I see it every day, here at home and wherever I travel.

Canada’s public service is among the best in the world. It is seen as a model internationally. The expertise of Canadian public servants is frequently sought by our global partners.

But we cannot become complacent. As you all know, our public service faces significant challenges. We must strive for continuous improvement in order to meet the demands of a complex, changing world.

Doing so means asking the tough questions. How do we adapt and evolve our public service in a time of rapid, far-reaching change? How do we innovate and remain competitive? How do we maintain our good standing in the world?

These are questions for all Canadians to consider, and we look to leaders and innovators such as Ian Burney to help show us the way.

We are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated people working beside us, building a better country.

I’m inspired by the dedication of Ian Burney, who has devoted his life to strengthening Canada—particularly on the world stage.

Mr. Burney, you exemplify outstanding Canadian public service. Your commitment to this country and to increasing its prosperity has had tangible benefits.

I know you will continue to do great things as you serve the people of this country. Congratulations on this well-deserved honour.

Thank you.