Thank you to our Dean of Arts, Dr. Brebner. On behalf of St Francis Xavier University, I

The Institute is founded upon two main principles: to explore pressing issues that policymakers face in government and to provide interdisciplinary training to students committed to civic engagement and the pursuit of leadership in the fields of public policy and governance. [...] It is a gift to be entrusted with engaging and inspiring the next generation of young leaders and intellectuals; and this year’s students have arrived and are now in the care of our fine professors within these splendid halls. [...] The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government is now poised to join the Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership, the Gerald Schwartz School of Business, and the renowned Coady Institute to set a new international stage for academic programming and events which will transform our ideas about leadership, about public policy, about community engagement and development. [...] In the process, he established the most generous scholarships and bursaries offering in this country, to ensure that the very best education remained accessible to those who may not have the financial means, in the most magnificent academic building. [...] Well, you will hear it from this man, this graduate of StFX – his love for the University and what it did for him; his commitment to post-secondary education and the unique leadership opportunities it creates for its students; and, moreover, his desire to make StFX the very best institution in the country.