Prime Minister nominates first chairperson of the Public Appointments Commission

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was pleased to announce today the nomination of Gwyn Morgan as the first Chairperson of the new Public Appointments Commission.  This proposed appointment will be referred to the Standing Committee of the House of Commons on Government Operations and Estimates for review.  The Government of Canada looks forward to receiving the results of the Committee’s review as soon as possible.

“Gwyn Morgan is an outstanding Canadian and, throughout his career, has been a champion of transparency and ethics in the private and public sectors,” stated the Prime Minister.  “I am delighted that he has accepted this new challenge that will lead to more open, honest and accountable government for Canadians.  And, he has agreed to do it for $1 a year.”

Gwyn Morgan, from Calgary, Alberta, has led the building of one of the world’s leading oil and gas companies and Canada’s largest energy company, EnCana Corporation. Mr. Morgan was President and Chief Executive Officer of EnCana from 2002 until stepping down on January 1, 2006. Mr. Morgan is counted among Canada’s most respected business leaders and his accomplishments have been recognized through numerous awards and honorary distinctions, including being named Canada’s most respected CEO in 2005 in a survey conducted by Ipsos Reid. 

The mandate of the Public Appointments Commission is to oversee and report on the selection process for Governor in Council appointments to agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations. The Commission will develop guidelines, review and approve the selection processes proposed by Ministers to fill vacancies within their portfolios, and report publicly on the Government’s compliance with the guidelines.

“By establishing the Public Appointments Commission, the Government is implementing a key component of its overall plan to strengthen accountability in government as outlined in the Federal Accountability Act,” stated the Prime Minister. “The Commission will provide the necessary oversight to ensure that the selection of individuals is based on merit and is done in an open and transparent way.”

The Public Appointments Commission is provided for in the Federal Accountability Act which was tabled in the House of Commons on April 11th, 2006. 

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PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS COMMISSION

The mandate of the Public Appointments Commission is to oversee and report on the selection process for Governor in Council appointments. The Commission will ensure that competitions for government appointments are widely publicized and fairly conducted.

In carrying out its mandate, the Commission will:

establish guidelines governing selection processes for Governor in Council appointments to agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations;

approve the selection processes proposed by Ministers to fill vacancies within agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations for which they are responsible;

monitor, review and evaluate selection processes in order to ensure that they are implemented as approved; and,

provide an annual report to the Prime Minister, to be tabled in both Houses of Parliament, on the Government’s performance in following the code of practice.

Located within the Prime Minister’s portfolio, the Public Appointments Commission will be composed of a Chairperson and four Commissioners. They will be supported in their work by a small secretariat, which is currently being established.  The Secretariat will be headed by an Executive Director, Mr. Peter Harrison, an experienced Deputy Minister with considerable background in human resource management.  Biographical information on Mr. Harrison is attached. 

Guidelines governing the appointment process will be in place by early Fall. In the interim, the Government will make necessary appointments as required, ensuring that fair and open selection processes based on merit are followed.  To this end, a government website will be established to list positions that are to be filled.  The address for the website will be www.appointments-nominations.gc.ca.

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GWYN MORGAN

Gwyn Morgan, from Calgary, Alberta, is one of Canada’s most distinguished business leaders.  A petroleum engineering graduate from the University of Alberta, he led the building of one of the world’s leading oil and gas companies and Canada’s largest energy company, EnCana Corporation. Mr. Morgan was founding President and Chief Executive Officer of EnCana from 2002 until stepping down on January 1, 2006.  Mr. Morgan has been recognized through numerous awards and honorary distinctions, including being named Canada’s most respected CEO in 2005 in a survey conducted by Ipsos Reid of 250 business leaders in Canada.  An inductee to the Alberta Business Hall of Fame, he has served on the Boards of a number of organizations in the private and not-for-profit sectors, including HSBC Bank of Canada, the SNC-Lavallin Group, Alcan Inc., the Public Policy Forum, the Fraser Institute and the Calgary University Hospital.  Mr. Morgan was also the co-chair of the Calgary Fundraising Committee for the Northern Alberta Children’s Health Centre, co-Chair of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference, and is an honorary Colonel (retired) of the 410 Tactical Fighter Squadron, Canadian Air Force.

Gwyn Morgan is recognized for his self-discipline and integrity, and his strong belief that a corporation should be a positive social and ethical force.

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DR. PETER HARRISON

Date of Birth:
March 1947

Education:
B.A. (First Class Honours), Geography, London School of Economics (London, England)
M.A., Geography, University of Victoria (British Columbia)
Ph.D., Geography, University of Washington (Seattle, Washington, U.S.A)

Professional Experience

April 2003 to Present
Senior Research Fellow, Department of Industry/NRC

May 2002 to April 2003
Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

October 1999 - April 2002
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources

June 1998 - October 1999
Head, The Leadership Network

December 1995 - June 1998
Associate Deputy Minister of Human Resources Development and Vice-Chairperson of the Canada Employment Insurance Commission (On assignment as Head of the La Relève Task Force from January 1997 until June 1998)

April 1993 - December 1995
Assistant Deputy Minister, Human Resources, Revenue Canada

April 1991 - April 1993
Deputy Principal, Canadian Centre for Management Development

August 1989 - April 1991
Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Priorities and Planning, Privy Council Office

December 1987 - August 1989
Assistant Deputy Minister, Economic Development, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

April 1984 - December 1987
Director, Social Policy Division; then General Director, Economic Development Policy Branch Department of Finance

June 1981 - April 1984
Assistant Director, Minerals, Northern Development and Special Projects, Department of Finance

1973 - 1981
Assistant, then Associate Professor (tenured), Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Ottawa

1970 - 1973
Research Associate, Department of Economics, University of Washington