Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the illustrious career of Quebec's chief scientist, Rémi Quirion, who will be retiring in the spring.
He was appointed in 2011 when this role was initially created. As Quebec's first chief scientist, he laid the foundations for the role, defined its areas of focus and built its credibility both in Quebec and abroad. Thanks to his vision and his gift for bringing people together, he has forged lasting bonds between the areas of research, education, innovation and public policy. While serving successive ministers and governments over the years, he has remained true to the fundamental principle of decision-making based on science, fact and the search for truth.
We wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement. May his legacy inspire future generations, and may our public policy remain grounded in the values he cherished: rigour, curiosity and scientific integrity.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I extend my thanks to Rémi Quirion for all he has done.