New Appointments to the Senate: Ian Shugart and Flordeliz (Gigi) Osler, each an advocate for EDI.

On September 26, 2022, Justin Trudeau “announced that the Governor General appointed Flordeliz (Gigi) Osler and Ian Shugart as independent Senators to fill vacancies for Manitoba and Ontario.”^[1]

Ian Shugart has a long history of public service, including his appointment as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to Cabinet from April 19, 2019 until May 27, 2022. During his time as Clerk, on January 22, 2021, Shugart released a Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service. You can read my blog about Shugart’s Call to Action here.^[2]

Trudeau doesn’t mention Shugart’s commitment to Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the senate appointment announcement. Nor is this commitment mentioned in Shugart’s biography linked on the same page.^[3]

However, Trudeau introduces Osler as a “a dedicated advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion.”^[1] As noted in her biography,^[4] “In 2018, Dr. Osler became the first woman surgeon and the first racialized woman elected President of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), where she led the development of the CMA’s first ever policy on equity and diversity.” Osler is also a recipient of the “Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada May Cohen Equity, Diversity and Gender Award.”

Resources

[1]Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, “The Prime Minister announces the appointment of two senators,” Canada, September 26, 2022, https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2022/09/26/prime-minister-announces-appointment-two-senators, accessed September 28, 2022.

[2]Pamela Lindsay, “Ian Shugart’s Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service. And SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR’s answers,” August 18, 2022, https://keepinganeyeonedi.wordpress.com/2022/08/18/ian-shugarts-call-to-action-on-anti-racism-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-federal-public-service-and-sshrc-nserc-and-cihrs-answers/

[3]Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, “Ian Shugart,” Canada, September 26, 2022, https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/backgrounders/2022/09/26/ian-shugart, accessed September 28, 2022.

[4]Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, “Flordeliz (Gigi) Osler” Canada, September 26, 2022, https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/backgrounders/2022/09/26/flordeliz-gigi-osler, accessed September 28, 2022.