I think I've learned overall that integrity matters, that it's important for each of us to speak up lest others be harmed. When I was in the midst of the difficulties at Health Canada, with senior people who were quite willing to let other people die, I really felt that it was probably time for me to leave. I said to my mother, who had had a number of strokes because of all this stress, that I would leave, not wanting to lose her in order to fight these battles. Her answer to me still rings in my ears. She said, “Michèle, if for one moment I thought that on my account you would fail to do the thing that you know to be the right thing to do, that surely would kill me.”
Those were my marching orders. That's the lesson that stays with me throughout all of this. I keep encouraging friends and neighbours and anyone who will listen to speak up and not accept what you feel is not right.