News Release

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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PRIME MINISTER HARPER ESTABLISHES ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE

November 21, 2006
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today established an Advisory Committee of nine eminent Canadians to advise him and the Clerk of the Privy Council on the renewal and future development of the Public Service of Canada. The Advisory Committee will also report annually as part of the Clerk’s report to the Prime Minister on the state of the Public Service, which is tabled in Parliament.

“The public service must continue to adapt to meet the changing realities of Canadian society and be well equipped to best serve Canadians in the coming years,” the Prime Minister said. “This is particularly true as the current baby boom generation retires. The future development of the Public Service requires sound advice, innovative solutions and strong support from both within and outside government.”

The Prime Minister announced that the Right Honourable Don Mazankowski and the Honourable Paul Tellier have agreed to serve as Co-Chairs of the Advisory Committee. The Prime Minister is pleased that such distinguished Canadians with longstanding involvement in both the public and private sectors have accepted this challenge.

The Prime Minister also expressed his appreciation to the following prominent Canadians who have agreed to serve as members of the Advisory Committee: Dr. Robert Lacroix, the Honourable Aldéa Landry, Dominic d’Alessandro, Barbara Stymiest, Lynton Ronald (Red) Wilson, Sheila Weatherill and Dr. Indira Samarasekera.

“Canada has been well served by its public service,” the Prime Minister stated. “The Government is committed to have a strong public service that delivers results to Canadians.”

The mandate of the Advisory Committee as well as biographical notes on the Co-Chairs and members are attached.


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ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF CANADA


Background

A strong and effective public service is an important factor in a country’s long term success. While Canada has been well-served by this national institution, the challenge now is to ensure that Canada continues to have a strong Public Service geared to excellence in the years ahead.

The challenges facing the Public Service are very real:

the Public Service is undergoing significant demographic change as an ageing Public Service workforce is more prevalent than in other sectors;

despite recent progress, continued effort is required to ensure the Public Service better reflects the growing diversity of Canada;

like all employers, the Public Service is experiencing the changing nature of work as technology is fundamentally altering how it conducts its business;

like other sectors, the Public Service faces the strongest national labour market in over 30 years, with many career options for Canada’s best and brightest;

at the same time, the Public Service is facing an ongoing shift in public expectations, with more accountability, better management of tax dollars and improved core public services at the top of the list; and

the “Public Service brand” is probably less clear and perhaps less positive in the public’s mind than in decades past.

As a result, the Public Service needs to:

rethink its recruitment model;

rethink its development model;

rethink its retention model; and

improve its human resource management toolkit.

The objective will be to launch initiatives in these priority areas in order to achieve demonstrable and consistent progress. To be successful, these initiatives will need to be targeted, pragmatic and results-oriented.

Meeting these challenges will require sound advice, innovative solutions and strong support from both within and outside government.


Committee Mandate and Terms of Reference

The main objective of the Advisory Committee on the Public Service will be to help shape a national institution, geared to excellence, which is distinguished by highly-engaged and highly-skilled people performing critical tasks with a professionalism and efficiency that rivals any organization anywhere.

The Advisory Committee will advise the Prime Minister and the Clerk of the Privy Council on matters related to the future development of the Public Service of Canada.

In particular, the Advisory Committee will advise the Clerk of the Privy Council on matters related to the renewal of the Public Service, including:

recruitment and retention principles, strategies and practices for ensuring continued capacity to deliver excellence in public policy, programs and services;

the removal of policy and legislative barriers to ensuring a diverse, flexible and adaptable workforce;

improved development programs for ensuring excellence, leadership and teamwork;

effective human resource management policies and practices; and

branding the Public Service as a trusted and innovative institution of national importance.

The Committee will meet twice a year, and will produce a report annually which will be annexed to the Clerk’s Annual Report to the Prime Minister, which is tabled in Parliament.

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The Right Honourable Donald F. Mazankowski, P.C., O.C., A.O.E., L.L.D.

Don Mazankowski, born in Viking, Alberta, is Senior Advisor to the firm of Gowlings Lafleur Henderson LLP. Prior to becoming actively involved in political activities, he operated an automobile and machinery dealership business. Mr. Mazankowski was first elected to the House of Commons in June, 1968 and continued to serve the Vegreville Federal Constituency through to October, 1993. While in opposition, he served in a number of opposition critic roles and also served as caucus chairman. In 1979, he was appointed Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, and was reappointed as Minister of Transport in 1984. In 1986, he was named Deputy Prime Minister, President of the Privy Council and Government House Leader. During that period, he held a number of other ministerial portfolios. He continued to serve as Deputy Prime Minister until his retirement in June 1993. In January, 2002, he was named chairman of the Alberta Premier’s Advisory Council on Health. He has served as a member of the University of Alberta’s Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the School of Business Business Advisory Council and chaired both the Institute of Health Economics and the Canadian Genetics Network. He also serves on a number of corporate boards involved in international trade and commerce. He received an Honorary Doctor of Engineering Degree from the Technical University of Nova Scotia and an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Alberta. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada on July 14, 2000; a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in July, 2002; and one of Alberta’s 50 most influential people by Alberta Venture Publishing in September 2002. He is the recipient of a number of other awards and honours, including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal; the Alberta Order of Excellence and the Alberta Centennial Medal. He has also been honoured by the Public Policy Forum of Canada for his distinguished contribution to the quality of public policy and management in Canada.

The Honourable Paul Tellier, P.C., C.C., Q.C.

Paul M. Tellier was President and Chief Executive Officer and Director of Bombardier Inc. in 2003 and 2004. Prior to this, Mr. Tellier was President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Canadian National Railway Company (CN), a position he held for 10 years. From August 1985 until he took up his post at CN in 1992, Mr. Tellier was Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet of the Government of Canada, the top public servant in the country. Mr. Tellier has received many awards including Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year 1998, and Canada’s Most Respected CEO, KPMG/Ipsos-Reid Survey, 2003. Mr. Tellier has served in many positions in the public sector, including as Deputy Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1979 and as Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources in 1982. He is a graduate of the universities of Ottawa and Oxford, England, and was admitted to the Québec Bar in 1963. Mr. Tellier is a director of several corporations including Alcan, Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), Bell Canada and Telesat Canada, Canadian Forest Products (CANFOR), GM Canada and McCain Foods Ltd. He is also Strategic Advisor to Société Générale, a global bank headquartered in France. He is a Board member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR). In 1995, he co-chaired Centraide Campaign of Greater Montreal. Mr. Tellier was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada in 1993. He joined the McGill Desautels Faculty of Management Advisory Board in September 2006.

Dr. Robert Lacroix

Robert Lacroix holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Louvain (Belgium), and has been a Professor in the Department of Economics at the Université de Montréal since 1970. He has held various administrative positions at the University, including Chairman of the Department of Economics and Director of the Centre for Research and Development in Economics (CRDE). From 1987 to 1993, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and from, 1994 until 1998, he was President and Executive Director of CIRANO (Centre for Interuniversity Research and Analysis on Organizations). Dr. Lacroix served as Rector of the Université de Montréal from 1998 to 2005. He has done extensive research into the economics of labour and human resources, as well as the economics of technological progress and innovation. Dr. Lacroix is Member of the Order of Canada, Officer of the Order of Quebec, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Member of the Académie des Grands Montréalais and has received the award for Exceptional Career of the National Policy Research Initiative (2001) and the Prix Armand-Frappier for outstanding achievement in the development of research activities (2002). He was awarded honorary doctorates by the Université Lyon 2, McGill University and the University of British Columbia. Dr. Lacroix chaired the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada from 2001 to 2003 and the Board of Directors of the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities from 2003 to 2005.

The Honourable Aldéa Landry

Aldéa Landry is a lawyer and business woman who has been a civil servant with the New Brunswick Department of Justice, a legal practioner in a law firm that she co-founded, and Cabinet Minister and Deputy Premier of New Brunswick. Mrs. Landry is currently President of LANDAL Inc., a consulting firm based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Recognized for her involvement in the community and in business, Aldéa Landry, a past Chair of the Board of Governors of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, sits on the board of directors of several companies as well as regional and national community organizations. Her contribution has been recognized on many occasions. In 2006, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. She holds honorary degrees from the University of New Brunswick, the University of Mount St-Vincent, and from the Université de Moncton. In January 2003, she was chosen by Progress Magazine as one of 20 Atlantic Canadians who represent the spirit of progress in Atlantic Canada. Very interested in public policy, Mrs. Landry has, over the years participated or led numerous studies, commissions and advisory committees dealing with legal, social and economic matters and co-chaired the Downey-Landry New Brunswick Commission on Excellence in Education.

Dominic D’Alessandro

Dominic D’Alessandro has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Financial since January, 1994. A graduate of Loyola College with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics, Mr. D’Alessandro qualified as a chartered accountant in 1971. Early in his career he worked with Coopers & Lybrand and Genstar Ltd. He went on to join the Royal Bank of Canada in 1981 where he held a number of positions including Executive Vice-President, Finance. In November 1988, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Laurentian Bank of Canada, a position he held until December, 1993. Mr. D’Alessandro was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in August 2003, “Canada’s Most Respected CEO” for 2004 and “Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year 2002”. He is the recipient of Honourary Doctorates from York University and Concordia University. He also received a Lifetime Management Achievement Award from McGill University, Concordia University’s Loyola Medal and the University of Toronto’s Arbour Award. He is a Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and a director of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.

Barbara Stymiest

Barbara Stymiest is currently Chief Operating Officer of RBC Financial Group. As a member of RBC’s Group Executive, she is one of seven executives responsible for the overall performance of Canada’s largest bank and one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies. Prior to joining RBC, Ms. Stymiest was Chief Executive Officer of TSX Group and, earlier, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer for Bank of Montreal’s investment banking division. Ms. Stymiest is a member of and has served on committees for a number of professional and charitable organizations, including: the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research; the Royal Ontario Museum; Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Foundation; Hincks-Dellcrest Children’s Centre; and the United Way Campaign Cabinet. She obtained her degree in Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.

Lynton Ronald (Red) Wilson

Lynton Ronald (Red) Wilson has been Chairman of the Board of CAE Inc. since June 1999. Mr. Wilson is also Chairman of the Board of AllerGen NCE Inc. and Founding Co-Chairman of the Historica Foundation of Canada. He is a graduate of McMaster and Cornell Universities, where he received an Honours B.A. and M.A. A former Deputy Minister of Industry and Tourism for Ontario, Mr. Wilson also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Redpath Industries Limited; Managing Director, North America, of Tate & Lyle PLC; Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Nova Scotia; and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of BCE Inc. He has served on the boards of various companies and is a member of the of the Supervisory Board of DaimlerChrysler AG. In 1997, Mr. Wilson was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is the recipient of honorary degrees from the Université de Montréal; McMaster University; Bishop’s University; University College of Cape Breton; Mount Allison University and Brock University.

Sheila Weatherill

Sheila Weatherill is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Health in Edmonton, Alberta, which is one of Canada’s largest regional academic health systems and received the first-ever Conference Board/Spencer Stuart National Award in Governance in the not-for-profit category in 2001. Ms. Weatherill’s career has included executive positions as Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Community Care and Public Health for Capital Health and President and Chief Executive Officer, Capital Care Group. She was named one of the country’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 by the Women’s Executive Network and was selected as one of Alberta's 50 Most Influential People in 2002 and 2004 by Alberta Venture. She is active in the community and professionally, currently serving on the Boards of EPCOR, Conference Board of Canada, Canadian Institute for Health Information, and the Association of Canadian Academic Healthcare Organizations. She is also a past Board member of the Institute of Health Economics and the Edmonton YMCA. Ms. Weatherill holds a B.Sc. in Nursing and a diploma in Public Health from the University of Alberta.

Dr. Indira Samarasekera

Dr. Indira Samarasekera became President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta in July 2005. She previously served as Vice-President (Research) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she was also a professor in the University’s Department of Metals and Materials Engineering, served as the Director of the Centre for Metallurgical Process Engineering and was the first incumbent of the Dofasco Chair in Advanced Steel Processing at UBC. She received a B.Sc (Honours) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ceylon; a M.Sc., as a Hayes Fulbright Scholar, in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of California (Davis) and a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Dr. Samarasekera is an Officer of the Order of Canada; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. Other honours include the E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship; the British Columbia Science Council New Frontiers in Research Award, the Dofasco Award, the Golden Jubilee Medal, the UBC Killam Research Prize and an Honourary Degree from UBC. Dr. Samarasekera has and continues to serve as a director and member of various boards, councils and technical societies. She is currently a member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology and of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. She also sits on the boards of the Public Policy Forum of Canada, the Conference Board of Canada, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research and on a Visiting Committee for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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