Minister Clement Introduces Members of the New Regulatory Advisory Committee

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sept. 25, 2013) - The Honourable Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board, is pleased to introduce the members of the new Regulatory Advisory Committee, a key pillar of the Government of Canada's Red Tape Reduction Action Plan.

The Regulatory Advisory Committee's main task will be to provide the President of the Treasury Board with unvarnished advice on the fairness and reliability of the Government's Annual Scorecard. The first edition of the Scorecard, expected this fall, will track the Government's progress in cutting red tape for Canadian business.

"I deeply appreciate the dedication of the members of this new committee, who are volunteering their time and energy to participate in this crucial initiative," said Minister Clement. "I look forward to the insight the Committee members will provide in holding the Government to account for implementing the Action Plan's systemic regulatory reforms."

The five Committee members, who will each serve an initial term of two years, are Vic Young, Chair of the Committee; Eve-Lyne Biron, President and CEO of Biron Groupe Santé Inc.; Bruce Cran, President of the Consumers' Association of Canada; David Fung, Chairman and CEO of ACDEG Group; and Laura Jones, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

"By striking this committee, the Government of Canada is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in implementing its systemic regulatory reforms," added Minister Clement. "The Scorecard and the Committee's views on the Government's progress will be provided to the Auditor General each year."

The Red Tape Reduction Action Plan, one of the most ambitious red tape-cutting initiatives in the world today, frees business to innovate, grow, and create jobs, and it underscores Canada's reputation as one of the best places in the world to do business and invest. It eliminates business irritants in areas ranging from tax and payroll to labour and trade, and introduces time-saving measures like single windows and electronic submissions.

For more information, please see the Regulatory Advisory Committee page.

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Backgrounder

Regulatory Advisory Committee

Cutting red tape and making the regulatory process as pain-free as possible is one of the most important initiatives government can undertake to help business thrive. For this reason, in October 2012, the Government of Canada launched the Red Tape Reduction Action Plan, one of the most ambitious red tape-cutting initiatives in the world today.

The Role of the Regulatory Advisory Committee

The Regulatory Advisory Committee is a key pillar of the Government of Canada's Red Tape Reduction Action Plan. The Committee will play a fundamental role in holding the Government to account for implementing its systemic regulatory reforms and it will provide the President of the Treasury Board with unvarnished advice on the fairness and reliability of the Government's Annual Scorecard.

The Annual Scorecard

The first Annual Scorecard, which will track the Government's progress in cutting red tape for Canadian business, will be delivered in fall 2013. The Scorecard will report on system-wide changes to the federal regulatory system, particularly on implementing the One-for-One Rule, service standards, and the Small Business Lens. The Regulatory Advisory Committee will review the Scorecard before it is made public. The Scorecard and the Committee's views on the Government's progress will be provided to the Auditor General each year.

Members of the Committee

The Committee is made up of five members, including the Chair. Each member will serve an initial term of two years. The members are:

• Vic Young, Chair of the Committee
  
  
• Eve-Lyne Biron, President and CEO, Biron Groupe Santé Inc.
  
  
• Bruce Cran, President, Consumers' Association of Canada
  
  
• David Fung, Chairman and CEO, ACDEG Group
  
  
• Laura Jones, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
  
  

Biographies of Committee Members

Vic Young, Chair of the Committee

Vic Young has extensive experience in the private and public sectors. He worked in Treasury Board with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1968 to 1978 serving as an Officer, Assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister. In 1978, Mr. Young was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro Group of Companies and held this position for six years. In 1984, he became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fishery Products International and held this position for 17 years. Mr. Young currently serves on a number of boards, including Royal Bank, Imperial Oil, and McCain Foods. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario. Mr. Young received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Memorial University and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Eve-Lyne Biron, President and CEO, Biron Groupe Santé Inc.

Eve-Lyne Biron heads a privately owned company, founded in 1952 by her father, Denis Biron, that provides diagnostic services and medical treatments. The company employs more than 600 employees and has become the industry leader in Quebec. In 2004, Ms. Biron created the firm's Soins du sommeil™ division, which focuses on the treatment of sleep apnea. In 2010, she was named one of the top-100 most influential women in Canada in the entrepreneur category by the Women's Executive Network. An MBA graduate, Ms. Biron was a director of the Laurentian Bank of Canada from 2003 to 2012, and is currently a director of the Longueuil Symphonic Orchestra, among other community organizations.

Bruce Cran, President, Consumers' Association of Canada

Bruce Cran is the president of The Consumer's Association of Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing consumer protection. He was recently elected to his fourth term as national president and had previously served the Association in many capacities. Mr. Cran is a native of Australia and was educated at Scott's College, Gatton Agricultural College, and the University of Queensland. He emigrated to Canada in 1962, bringing with him a sustained interest in consumer protection. Since retiring from a career in international trade in 1987, Mr. Cran has devoted himself to the consumer cause in Canada.

David Fung, Chairman and CEO, ACDEG Group

David Fung is the chairman and CEO of the ACDEG Group of companies, a global technology integrator, with business partnerships in forest products, clean technologies, specialty chemicals, renewable energy, agri-foods, marine equipment, OEM parts manufacturing, and packaging wastes recycling in North America, Europe, and Asia. His latest projects include the integration of technologies from Canada, France, Belgium, and Japan for sustainable shrimp farming in China. He is an "investment champion" for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and a member of the Gateway Performance Table of Transport Canada. Dr. Fung's credentials include bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from McGill University in Montréal. He is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Program at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Laura Jones, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Laura Jones is the Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). In this position, Ms. Jones is responsible for the Federation's legislative (Ontario, Atlantic, and Western Canada), communications, research, economics, and IT functions. She has led high-profile CFIB campaigns, including "Park the Tax" in British Columbia and Red Tape Awareness Week in Canada. Prior to joining CFIB, Ms. Jones worked for the Fraser Institute as the Director of Environment and Regulatory Studies, where she authored a number of public policy studies. Ms. Jones received her B.A. in economics from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and her M.A. in economics from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

For more information

To learn more about the Government's regulatory reforms, visit the Red Tape Reduction Action Plan.