EXTERNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Dean Beeby is the Halifax bureau chief for The Canadian Press. He is a user of the Access to Information Act. Mr. Beeby has written scholarly articles, and is a frequent speaker on access issues. He has participated in numerous panel discussions for groups such as the Canadian Newspaper Association, University Kings College Journalism School, and the Canadian Association of Journalists.

Paul-André Comeau is a professor at the École nationale d’administration publique in Montreal. From 1990 to 2000, Mr. Comeau was President of the Quebec Access to Information and Privacy Commission. A former journalist, he was a correspondent for Radio Canada in London and in Brussels before he was the editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Le Devoir. He is the author of numerous works on issues of access and privacy and his expertise is sought in Canada and abroad.

Norman Hillmer is Professor of History at Carleton University and Editor-at-Large of International Journal. He was Senior Historian at the Department of National Defence from 1981 to 1990. He has won a number of research and teaching awards and sits on the board of Carleton’s Centre for Security and Defence studies. Professor Hillmer’s eighteen books employ extensive archival research and focus attention on Canadian foreign and defence policy, war and national politics.

Arthur Kroeger is Chancellor of Carleton University. He began his career as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of External Affairs. From 1975 until 1992, he served as Deputy Minister to six federal departments including Indian and Northern Affairs, Transport and Employment and Immigration. After leaving the federal government, Mr. Kroeger became a visiting Professor at the University of Toronto and a Visiting Fellow at Queen’s University. He was Chair of the Public Policy Forum from 1992 to 1994, and is currently Chair of Canadian Policy Research Network. Mr. Kroeger was recently invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Aldéa Landry, Q.C., is a lawyer and president of Landal Inc., which offers integrated services in human resources development and community development, and international co-operation. Mrs. Landry is a director of the Bank of Canada, the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, as its immediate past Chair, and the Council for Canadian Unity, and she chairs TVA National Television Network Advisory Group. From 1987 to 1991 Mrs. Landry held various positions in the Government of New Brunswick, as Deputy Premier, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, International Co-operation and Regional Economic Development. Mrs. Landry is a past member of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission and past chair of the New Brunswick Branch of the Canadian Bar Association.

Gaétan Lussier, formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of Culinar inc., a Montreal-based company, is now a consultant for various companies and organizations. Mr. Lussier served as Deputy Minister, Employment and Immigration Canada and Chairman of the Unemployment Insurance Commission from 1982-1988. He was also the federal Deputy Minister of Agriculture and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture for the Government of Quebec. In 1988 Mr. Lussier left the Public Service to become President, Weston Bakeries Limited. He is Director of the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, past Chairman of Food and Consumers Products Manufacturing of Canada and past member of the Advisory Committee on senior-level human resources strategies and policies in the federal Public Service. A recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, Mr. Lussier is a frequent speaker on issues of public management. He was named to the Order of Canada in 1981.

Wayne MacDonald is the Project Manager for the Access and Privacy Administration Certificate Program and an instructor with Government Studies, Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta. Mr. MacDonald has led a team of curriculum experts that developed and delivered Canada’s first online Information Access and Protection of Privacy Foundations course offered at a University level. He is currently working to establish a full Access and Privacy Administration Certificate Program with the Faculty of Extension which will be offered online through distance education.

Paul Thomas is a Professor of Government at the University of Manitoba. Professor Thomas has been a consultant to several royal commissions and task forces. In 1994, Professor Thomas was awarded the Manitoba Lieutenant Governor's medal for Excellence in Public Administration for his outstanding contributions to this field of study. Professor Thomas co-authored the well known textbook Canadian Public Administration and has authored over fifty journal articles on topics such as parliamentary reform, crown corporations, regulation, organizational change, ministerial responsibility and performance measurement tools.

Roger Tassé, Q.C., is a partner at the law firm of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in Ottawa. Mr. Tassé served as constitutional advisor to the Government of Canada from 1986 to 1990 (Meech Lake Accord and Charlottetown Accord.) In 1991-92, he served as a member of the Citizens’ Forum (Spicer Commission) and was the principal constitutional advisor to the Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons on a Renewed Canada (Beaudoin-Dobbie). He served as Co-chair of the Task Force on the Canadian Magazine Industry in 1994 and, in 1995, he was a member of the federal review panel looking at Direct-to-Home Satellite Broadcasting Services.

Mr. Tassé was Deputy Solicitor General (1972-1977) and Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy-Attorney General of Canada (1977-1985). As Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. Tassé acted as legal advisor to the Government of Canada at the time of the patriation of the Canadian Constitution, and he played a substantial role in the development of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and oversaw the work leading to the Access to Information Act. Mr. Tassé is a recipient of the Order of Canada.

Mr. Tassé will facilitate the Committee’s meetings.