MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

I am very proud to present the final report of the External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation. I accepted the invitation to chair this Committee a little over a year ago because I was convinced that there is a connection between regulation and the high quality of life enjoyed by Canadians and yet, at the same time, I observed an increasingly profound disconnect between the regulatory system and 21st century reality. I was deeply concerned that without rapid and significant change, Canada’s ability to innovate and provide citizens with high levels of protection would be impaired.

The Committee and I brought to the task a strong commitment and a huge desire to be agents of change. Change must be anchored within a solid value system. As a Committee, we spent considerable time defining the vision and principles underpinning the value system of Smart Regulation, an approach which remains the foundation of the report’s recommendations. Our definition of success as a Committee included not only developing innovative recommendations but also facilitating profound change in the practices and culture of regulatory departments. We are pleased to report that we have already begun to witness this change and it is our hope that this report will help to accelerate and sustain it.

Over the last year, as I was talking about the work of the Committee, I was often told — although not cynically — that I was an idealist. I admit that the bar we are setting in this report is high. However, anything lower would imply that we do not trust in the ability of the government and federal public servants to take up this challenge, and we have no reason to believe that they are not up to it.

To meet this challenge, strong leadership at the senior political and public service levels will be required. Regulation is an important and powerful government intervention and must receive the attention it deserves.

Regulation is not only the business of government. Committee members are convinced that the transformation of the regulatory system will be realized only through increased cooperation among governments, industry, non-governmental organizations and interested citizens. Committee members believe that the principles of cooperation, timeliness and transparency should be embraced by all of these partners in the regulatory process. It is, therefore, our sincere hope that they, too, will be influenced by the work of the Committee.

Committee members want to thank the federal officials involved in regulation for the continuous support and openness they have shown us and our staff from the outset of this project. Our thanks also go to the different representatives from industry and non-governmental organizations, as well as the citizens who care about the regulatory system in Canada, for taking the time to share their experiences and perspectives on regulation with the Committee. We also appreciate the creativity and support of our Secretariat, whose dedication and enthusiasm have benefited the Committee’s work over these past 15 months. All this support was necessary for the Committee to accomplish its mandate. I also want to express gratitude to my colleagues on the Committee who brought energy, generosity and respect to the task and made our work a learning experience.

Finally, it has been a privilege to serve my country as Chair of this Committee. The Committee hopes that its work will contribute to a permanent legacy that will improve the quality of life of all Canadians.

Gaëtan Lussier

External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation

Chair

Mr. Gaëtan Lussier 
Corporate Director
Brossard, Quebec

Members

Ms. Rita Burak 
Chair, Hydro One Inc. 
Toronto, Ontario

Mr. Bernd S. Christmas 
Chief Executive Officer, Membertou First Nation 
Membertou, Nova Scotia

Dr. Robert B. Church 
Professor Emeritus, Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 
Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary 
Airdrie, Alberta

Mr. Richard Drouin 
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Abitibi Consolidated 
Québec City, Quebec

Mr. Scott H. Jacobs 
Managing Director, Jacobs and Associates Inc. 
Former Head of the OECD Programme on Regulatory Reform 
Washington, D.C.

Ms. Louise Rozon 
Director, Option Consommateurs 
Candiac, Quebec

Mr. David Runnalls 
President, International Institute for Sustainable Development 
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Mr. Raymond I. Woods 
Corporate Director 
Calgary, Alberta

Mr. Robert J. Wright, C.M., Q.C. 
Deputy Chairman, Teck Cominco Limited 
Toronto, Ontario