PRIME MINISTER NAMES MEMBERS OF EXTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SMART REGULATION
May 1, 2003
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today named the members of the External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation. This announcement follows the appointment of Mr. Hugh MacDiarmid as chair of the Committee.
The External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation (EACSR) will provide an external perspective and expert advice to the Government of Canada on regulatory issues spanning economic and social policy objectives, as outlined in the Speech from the Throne. EACSR members, which have been drawn from the business, non-governmental and academic communities, will work with Mr. MacDiarmid to fulfill the Committee's mandate within12 to 15 months.
Background information on the EACSR and biographical notes on the newly appointed members are attached.
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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Rita Burak, who is currently President and CEO of Network Executive Team, Management Consultants, retired from the Ontario Public Service in 2000 as Secretary of the Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council, a position she had held since 1995. During her public service career, she held positions of diverse scope and increasing responsibility including Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Assistant Deputy Minister of Housing. Ms. Burak was the 2001 Winner of the Ontario Lieutenant Governor's Medal of Distinction in Public Administration, and she is a member of the Order of Ontario. Her volunteer work includes: President of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships; Vice-Chair of the University of Guelph and member of the Ontario Government Panel on the Future Role of Government. She currently also serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Hydro One Inc. Ms. Burak was born in New Jersey, U.S. and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from York University.
Bernd S. Christmas is Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel of Membertou Band and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Membertou Development Corporation. Previously, he practised law with Lang Michener where he implemented the firm's aboriginal law practice group and specialized in Corporate/Commercial and Aboriginal law. He served on a number of boards and advisory bodies including, the Board of Governors for Nova Scotia Community College, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and was a past director of Aboriginal Legal Service of Toronto and the Ministerial Advisory Committee for Amendments to the Indian Act. Mr. Christmas, who is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society and the Indigenous Bar Association, received his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.
Dr. Robert B. Church is Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary. He also owns and operates the Lochend Luing Ranch in Alberta and is President of Church Livestock Consultants. Dr. Church's research has focussed on developmental genetics, genome organization and gene expression. He has published widely and has been invited to present his findings at numerous international conferences. Dr. Church has been a consultant on medical technologies, biotechnology, embryo manipulation and livestock management. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Science & Technology Growth Fund Inc., Chairman of the Alberta Science and Research Authority and as Director of AVAC Ltd., CV Technologies Inc. and PENCE (Protein Engineering National Centres of Excellence). Dr. Church has received many awards and honorary degrees, including the Order of Canada and an LL.D. from the University of Lethbridge.
Richard Drouin is current Chairman of the North American Electric Reliability Council. He is also Chairman of Abitibi Consolidated, the largest newsprint manufacturer in the world, and a counsel in the law firm of McCarthy Tetrault. Previously, he was the Chairman and CEO of Hydro-Québec. Mr. Drouin sits on numerous boards including, Acres International, American Superconductor Corporation, Gesca (French daily newspapers), Provigo, Nstein Technologies, Stelco and the Sustainable Technologies Foundation of Canada. He is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, l'Université Laval. He received his law degree from l'Université Laval in Quebec City. He is an Honorary Consul for Great Britain in Québec.
Scott H. Jacobs is Managing Director of Jacobs and Associates, an international American/European/Asian consulting firm specializing in regulatory reform. He is among the leading international experts working in the area of regulatory reform. Working with 30 countries, he developed and directed the Program on Regulatory Reform in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) from 1995 to 2001. At the OECD, he wrote the first international standard on regulatory quality and led multi-disciplinary teams into numerous countries to produce influential country reviews of regulatory practices, together with policy options for improving regulatory and economic performance. His work in regulatory reform began in 1985 in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in the Office of the President. He is widely published and has spoken at conferences worldwide. He received his graduate degree from Princeton University.
Gaétan Lussier is currently a consultant to agricultural and food processing industries and Chairman of the Board of Directors of BioEnvelop, a corporation in the agro-food industry. From 1994 to 1999, Mr. Lussier was President and Chief Executive Officer of Culinar Inc., and was President of Weston Bakeries Quebec from 1988 to 1994. In addition to his executive level experience in the private sector, Mr. Lussier enjoyed a long and influential career as a senior public servant with both the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec. Mr. Lussier was appointed Deputy Minister of Agriculture for the Government of Quebec in 1971, at just 29 years of age. Lussier was Deputy Minister of Agriculture Canada and of Employment and Immigration Canada, as well as President of the Unemployment Insurance Commission. Mr. Lussier has received numerous honours, including an honourary doctorate in agricultural sciences from McGill University (1979), and the Ordre de Mérite Agronomique de l'Ordre des Agronomes du Québec (1977). Mr. Lussier sits on the board of directors of numerous companies and associations.
Louise Rozon has been with Option Consommateurs since 1985 and in 1989 was appointed Director. Ms. Rozon is a member of la Commission de l'éthique de la science et de la technologie. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Office of Consumer Protection. Ms. Rozon has been a member of a working group which examined disciplinary processes in l'Office des professions du Québec. She has served on many other organizations related to consumer protection within the Province of Quebec. She has participated as a panellist at many conferences and her views are often sought by the media. Ms. Rozon obtained a degree from Université de Montréal in social services as well as a degree from the Université de Québec à Montréal in legal sciences. She became a member of the Quebec Bar in 1999.
John David Runnalls is President of the International Institute of Sustainable Development and also serves as Co-Chair of the China Council Working Group on Environment and Trade. Mr. Runnalls has served as Senior Advisor to the President of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Ottawa, and to the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. Previously, Mr. Runnalls was Director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Programme at the Institute for Research on Public Policy in Ottawa. He worked with Barbara Ward to found the International Institute for Environment and Development and directed both its London and Washington offices. Mr. Runnalls was the Canadian Board member of IUCN-the World Conservation Union for six years and the Chair of the Committee for the World Conservation Congress in 1996. He is a member of the Boards of the World Environment Center (New York), IIED (London) and Pollution Probe (Toronto). He received his B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1966 and his M.I.A. from Columbia University in 1968.
R.I. (Ray) Woods joined Shell Canada in 1968 as an Exploration Geophysicist. He progressed through various management positions in Shell's Exploration and Development functions and in 1990, was appointed Vice President, Development, and in 1993, Senior Vice President responsible for Research, Engineering and Construction, Information Technology and Health, Safety and Environment. In 1994, Mr. Woods accepted an assignment with Shell International Petroleum Company in London, England as Area Co-ordinator, Middle East and South Asia, and later moved to Stavanger where he served as Managing Director of Shell Norway. He returned to Canada and in 1998, as Senior Operating Officer, Resources for Shell Canada. In 2001/02, Mr. Woods served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). In September 2002, Mr. Woods retired from Shell Canada. He lives in Calgary and continues to serve on the Boards of various industry and not for profit organizations. Mr. Woods graduated from the University of Toronto in 1968 with a degree in Engineering Physics.
Robert J. Wright is currently the Deputy Chairman of Teck Cominco, a diversified mining and refining company. Previously, he was Chairman of the Board of Teck Corporation. He was Chairman of the Ontario Securities Commission from 1989 until 1993. He was also Chairman and Director of the Toronto Port Authority, and was a Director of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation. As a partner with the firm Lang Michener, Mr. Wright practised law from 1964 to 1989. Mr. Wright has been a member of the boards of numerous corporations. Currently, he is a Trustee of Fording Canadian Coal Trust, a Director of the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada and a member of the Investment Committee of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. Mr. Wright graduated from Trinity College, University of Toronto, with a B.A., and received his LL.B from Osgoode Hall Law School.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION EXTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SMART REGULATION
Canada has a strong system of regulatory governance that has proven to be a solid foundation for effective regulation. However, as the policy environment continues to evolve, the Government of Canada, working with stakeholders, needs to anticipate how change affects our approach to regulation. Issues that must be considered include, for example: an increase in scientific and technological advances; greater mobility of people and skills; growing empowerment of citizens through enhanced access to information; global cooperation on economic, political and security matters; and, cross boundary health and environmental risks.
In the Speech from the Throne in September 2002, the Government of Canada made a commitment to move forward with a smart regulation strategy "...to accelerate reforms in key areas to promote health and sustainability, to contribute to innovation and economic growth, and to reduce the administrative burden on business."
To ensure that the regulatory system continues to provide Canada with a strategic competitive advantage, there is a need to rethink conventional assumptions. Regulations need to be looked at from the perspective of the contribution they can make to spur innovation for the social and economic interests of Canadians.
In a 12-15 month time-frame, the External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation will recommend where and how the government needs to redesign its regulatory approach to create and maintain a Canadian advantage. It will provide an external perspective and expert advice on current regulatory issues as well as on a Canadian regulatory strategy for the 21st century.