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WHO WOULD TRUDEAU’S ECONOMIC MINISTERS BE?

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April 3, 2015

WHO WOULD TRUDEAU’S ECONOMIC MINISTERS BE?

By Andrew Cardozo

NEW COMMUNICATIONS

Trudeau attracting a strong economic team, has some stars

By ANDREW CARDOZO |
Published: Monday, 03/30/2015 12:00 am EDT
Last Updated: Monday, 03/30/2015 12:18 pm EDT

OTTAWA—Some say they want to vote Liberal, but aren’t sure Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has the right people around him. It’s a concern I have heard from people all over the country. But as far as I can tell, Trudeau draws people to the Liberal Party like no other Liberal and it’s not just his looks and parentage. He has a message of being different, less cynical, and more hopeful of being Canadian.

Trudeau is attracting a strong team but the message doesn’t seem to be getting out. What soft Liberals want to see is a team of senior economic ministers to run the economy. After talking to the chattering class in various cities, here are some of the popular choices I found of who would be senior economic ministers if the Liberals won, in Finance, Industry, International Trade, Transport, Treasury Board, Natural Resources.

Bill Morneau, nominated in Toronto Centre, Ont., is a Bay Street fixture. Executive chairman of Morneau Shepell, a major national human resources and management consultancy with more than 3,000 employees, he is past chair of the business-oriented C.D. Howe Institute, and is currently also pension investment adviser to the Ontario finance minister.

Jim Carr, nominated in Winnipeg South Centre, Man., has been president of the Business Council of Manitoba for the last 16 years and is a former provincial MLA in the days of Sharon Carstairs.

Francois-Philippe Champagne, nominated in Saint-Maurice-Champlain, Que., is an international entrepreneur, currently VP of Bionest Technologies, involved in various international companies and ventures such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Banff Forum and Centre for Excellence in Energy Efficiency.

Currently in the small but feisty caucus are:

Ralph Goodale, who represents Wascana, Sask., the only former finance minister in the House—serving in that portfolio under Paul Martin. As deputy leader he has been writing weekly poignant columns in things economic—which need more circulation.

Scott Brison, who represents Kings-Hants, N.S., currently the Liberal finance critic and co-chair of Trudeau’s Economic Council of Advisors, he served as minister of Public Works in Martin’s Cabinet.

Chrystia Freeland, who represents Toronto Centre and who will run in University-Rosedale, is critic for international trade and co-chair of the Economic Council of Advisors. She has been a senior business reporter and editor in papers such as The Globe and Mail, the Economist and Thomson Reuters.

Marc Garneau, who represents Westmount-Ville-Marie, Que., is a former astronaut and a former head of the Canada Space Agency, and is the party’s foreign affairs critic. He did a fine job when he was formerly industry critic, as he brought a sense of science and innovation to the file.

Geoff Regan, who represents Halifax West, N.S., is currently natural resources critic and holding the government to account effectively on issues like Keystone-XL. He was Fisheries and Oceans minister in Paul Martin’s government.

Other effective economic critics include Judy Sgro, who represents York West, Ont., and the current critic for industry who has a particular interest in innovation, and John McCallum, former Royal Bank chief economist and minister in the Chrétien and Martin Cabinets.

The crop of nominated candidates shows a number of other economic types:

Denis Paradis, nominated candidate in Brome-Missisquoi, Que., is a former MP and minister of state for financial institutions.

Peter Fonseca, nominated in Mississauga East-Cooksville, Ont., is a former Ontario minister of labour and of tourism and recreation.

Robert Morrissey, nominated in Egmont, P.E.I., a businessman and former P.E.I. minister for Transport and of Economic Development,

Navdeep Bains, nominated in Mississauga Malton, Ont., former MP and Parliamentary secretary, currently a visiting professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University and former Ford Motor Company executive.

Marwah Rizqy, nominated in Hochelaga, Que., an international tax law expert and professor who has worked with various major companies and banks.

Eleanor Olszewski, nominated in Edmonton Strathcona, Alta., lawyer and businesswoman, named by Wanderer Online as an Edmonton Top Women in Business in 2013.

Alaina Lockhard, nominated in Fundy Royal, N.B., businesswoman and recipient of the Chamber of Commerce Woman Entrepreneur Award in 2010.

Jacques Turgeon, nominated in Bellechasse-les Etchemins-Lévis, Que., a businessman and executive in the film production business in Quebec, and has been in senior roles at the National Film Board and the Bureau du film de Québec.

Jean Côté, nominated in Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Que., business marketing and strategic planning expert runs a major consultancy in the region, CôtéTonic inc.

Bob Bratina, nominated in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, Ont., has been mayor of Hamilton since 2010 having a number of economic achievements including job creation, bringing in manufacturing and R&D companies.

Louis De Jaeger, nominated in Chilliwack-Hope, B.C., a restaurant and hospitality businessman and owner, also focuses on getting young aboriginal people into business.

Steven Kou, nominated in Vancouver Kinsway, B.C., a former executive director at the Bank of Montreal (BMO), founder and president of Ekon Wealth Management, and VP of Canada Chinese Investors and Entrepreneurs Association.

Jean-Claude Poissant, nominated in La Prairie, Que., a major figure in the agriculture and milk producing industry in Quebec, where he has played key roles with the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec and the Union des producteurs agricoles.

There are actually many more who have considerable economic and business background as entrepreneurs or executives and seemingly more than enough for economic-oriented Cabinet spots and House committees.

Who woulda thunk?

Andrew Cardozo is a regular columnist and president of the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy, a progressive liberal-oriented think tank.

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