Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, Chairperson of the independent advisory board, thank you for the work that has been done in the nomination process.
We have a number of reasons to be pleased today with this nomination. First, this is a woman, bringing the number of women on the Supreme Court to four. Second, this is the first indigenous woman to be appointed to the highest court in the land. She is also a Franco-Ontarian and fully bilingual. Finally, she is a legal expert in mental health rights.
As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, I am pleased to note that the judge has a master's degree and a PhD, and that she has extensive knowledge and expertise in mental health rights.
Mr. MacLauchlan, you mentioned during your remarks that the chief justice was giving you guidance or direction as to what expertise is needed in court.
What is the weight of a candidate's legal and parallel skills?