[5] Having led the party out of almost 20 years in the political wilderness, it initially seemed that Carstairs had a strong opportunity to lead the Liberals to victory in the following election.
[2] On September 15, 1994, at the recommendation of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn appointed Carstairs to the Senate of Canada.
She held the position of Leader of the Government in the Senate from January 2001 to December 2003,[1] and also served as Minister with Special Responsibility for Palliative Care in Chretien's cabinet.
From April 2006 until December 2009, Carstairs continued her earlier work in cabinet by serving as chairperson of the Special Committee on Aging which issued a report that helped get palliative care added to the core curriculum in Canadian medical schools.
Carstairs became chair of the board for a network centre of excellence on caring for the frail elderly, pending the approval of a grant from the federal government.
[7][8][9][10] On June 30, 2016, Carstairs was made a Member of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for "her public service and her work as a champion of palliative care.