News Release

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

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PRIME MINISTER NOMINATES NEXT PUBLIC SECTOR INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER

June 12, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is pleased to announce the nomination of Ms. Christiane Ouimet as the new Public Sector Integrity Commissioner.

Ms. Ouimet currently serves as Associate Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Throughout her 25-year career, Ms. Ouimet has gained considerable experience and expertise in the areas of audit, regulatory affairs and policing and enforcement.

"Ms. Ouimet is a strong and dedicated manager with a proven background in operations, and will be more than capable taking on these important responsibilities," said the Prime Minister. "She has a unique combination of skills and experiences which will serve her well as she leads the implementation of the new regime for the protection of whistleblowers. I am pleased that she has agreed to be nominated for this position," added the Prime Minister.

An agent of Parliament, the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner is responsible for the administration of the new Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, which protects public servants and Canadians who report wrongdoings in the federal government. The Commissioner will conduct independent reviews of disclosures of wrongdoing in an equitable and timely manner, issue reports of findings to enable organizations to take appropriate remedial action and submit annual and special reports to Parliament.

Pursuant to Standing Order 111.1, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons will table this proposed appointment for referral to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

Biographical notes attached.

CHRISTIANE OUIMET

Christiane Ouimet, a lawyer and member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, has had a twenty five year career with the federal government. Since June 2003, she has been serving as an Associate Deputy Minister – first at Public Works and Government Services Canada and more recently at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. Prior to that, she held the position of Executive Director of the Immigration and Refugee Board, the largest administrative tribunal in the country. She has worked in eight different departments and agencies, primarily in the area of audit, regulatory affairs, policing and enforcement, quasi-judicial functions and machinery of government.

A graduate of the University of Ottawa, Mme Ouimet has an Honours degree (French letters) and two Bachelors Degrees in Law; one from the Faculty of Civil Law, where she taught part-time early in her career, and the other from the Faculty of Common Law. She is a member of the Ontario Bar.

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