She held the position of Leader of the Government in the Senate from January 2001 to December 2003,[REF] and also served as Minister with Special Responsibility for Palliative Care in Chretien's cabinet [REF].
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.