Minister LeBlanc announces advisory group to assist with the selection of the next Governor General

OTTAWA, ON, March 12, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to finding and selecting a candidate to fill the office of Governor General who represents the very best of our country.

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, announced the establishment of the Advisory Group on the Selection of the Next Governor General to assist with the identification of potential candidates to fill the vacant office. The group is mandated to deliberate and submit a shortlist of outstanding Canadians for the Prime Minister's consideration.

Minister LeBlanc will co-chair the group, alongside Janice Charette, Interim Clerk of the Privy Council and former High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

The Advisory Group also includes:

• Daniel Jutras: Rector of the Université de Montréal;
• Judith LaRocque: Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Museum of Nature, former senior public servant and former Secretary to the Governor General;
• Natan Obed: President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami; and
• Suromitra Sanatani: Interim Chair of the Board of Directors of Canada Post and an experienced corporate director.

Members were selected for the diverse perspectives they bring to the work, as well as their expertise on issues relating to government and the Crown in Canada.

While there is no formal application process, comments and suggestions can be submitted for the Advisory Group's consideration to: [email protected].

Quote

"Recognizing the unique nature of the situation and understanding that the position of Governor General needs to be filled on an expedited basis, the members of the Advisory Group have agreed to work quickly. Together, the Advisory Group will endeavour to make the best possible recommendations to the Prime Minister."

– The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Quick Facts

• The Governor General of Canada is the representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Canada.
• The next Governor General of Canada will be the 13th Governor General appointed by Her Majesty during her 69 years on the throne.

Related Product

• Biographical notes: Advisory Group members

Associated Links

• The Governor General

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The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Co-chair
First elected in 2000 and re-elected six times since, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc is President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and the chair of the Cabinet Committee on the federal response to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). He has represented the riding of Beauséjour for more than 20 years. He has served as Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. He previously served as Deputy Government Whip, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence. Minister LeBlanc attended the University of New Brunswick, University of Toronto (Trinity College) and Harvard Law School. Prior to holding elected office, Minister LeBlanc was a Senior Advisor to former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and a lawyer with Clark Drummie in Shediac and Moncton, New Brunswick.

Janice Charette, Co-chair
Janice Charette recently began serving as Interim Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, following a five-year tenure as High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Prior to this, Mrs. Charette served as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet from October 2014 to January 2016. Previously, she held a variety of senior leadership positions with the federal government including Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council, Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Deputy Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Associate Deputy Minister of Health Canada.

Daniel Jutras, Member
Daniel Jutras is Rector of the Université de Montréal. A graduate in law from the Université de Montréal and Harvard University, he taught at the Faculty of Law of McGill University from 1985 to 2020, where he held the Wainwright Chair in Civil Law for 10 years. From 2002 to 2004, Professor Jutras served as executive legal officer for the Chief Justice of Canada, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin. He sat on the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments from 2016 to 2018 and has acted as an ethics consultant to the Canadian Judicial Council. 

Judith LaRocque, Member
Judith LaRocque has broad and varied experience with the Canadian government. From 1990 to March 2000, Ms. LaRocque served as Secretary to the Governor General and Secretary to the Order of Canada, serving three Governors General. Following this, she was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of the Department of Canadian Heritage in 2000 and Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage in 2002. From 2011 to 2015, Ms. LaRocque served as Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation in Paris, France. From December 2016 to May 2017, she served as Vice-Chair, Broadcasting at the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) and as Interim Chair of the CRTC from June 2017 to September 2017.

Natan Obed, Member
Natan Obed is the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national representational organization for Canada's 65,000 Inuit. He is originally from Nain, the northernmost community in Labrador's Nunatsiavut region, and now lives in Ottawa. He lived in Iqaluit, Nunavut, for 10 years, where he worked as the Director of Social and Cultural Development for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., an organization representing the rights of Nunavut Inuit. He has devoted his career to working with Inuit representational organizations to improve the well-being of Inuit in Canada.

Suromitra Sanatani, Member
Suromitra Sanatani is currently Interim Board Chair of Canada Post, a director of Purolator Holdings Ltd, and a director of Travel Alberta. She is also a member of the Royal Bank GAM Independent Review Committee. Previously, she served on various boards including Edmonton International Airport, Canadian Blood Services, and as chair of the Royal BC Museum. Ms. Sanatani began her career in litigation before transitioning from the practice of law to senior corporate positions in the non-profit, public and private sectors. She has served as BC and Yukon Vice President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and as Vice President, Corporate and Government Relations at Partnerships BC, a Crown corporation, which specializes in public-private partnerships.  

SOURCE Minister for Democratic Institutions

(media only), please contact: Corinne Havard, Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, 343-551-9740; Media Relations, Privy Council Office, 613-957-5420