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Hon. Brian Tobin, former federal Minister of
Industry and former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, has
joined The Fraser Institute as a Senior Fellow.
"As a nation, Canada is well positioned to be a leader across
many sectors of the global economy, in particular the energy
sector," said Tobin, who today remains active in the Canadian
business community. "That is why we need to create an environment
that encourages investment and rewards entrepreneurial spirit,
something long advocated by The Fraser Institute."
Earlier this year The Fraser Institute opened its Calgary-based
Centre for Energy Policy Studies to conduct research on national
energy issues. Tobin will work closely with Centre staff on
developing a continental energy strategy for North America.
"During my time as Premier of Newfoundland, I saw how the proper
development of energy resources can bring tremendous economic
benefits to our communities," Tobin said. "Canada has the
resources and expertise to become a world energy power and I
relish the opportunity to help make that goal a reality through
The Fraser Institute's Centre for Energy Policy Studies."
Tobin was first elected to the House of Commons in 1980 and was
appointed Fisheries Minister following Jean Chrétien's election
as prime minister in 1993. He gained a reputation as a passionate
defender of Canada on the international stage during a
high-profile dispute with Spain and the European Union regarding
over-fishing off the coast of Newfoundland.
In 1996, Tobin resigned from federal politics to take over the
leadership of the Liberal party in Newfoundland and quickly won
election as premier. After several years in office during which
Newfoundland rode an economic boom, Tobin stepped down as premier
to again run for a seat in Ottawa during the 2000 federal
election. Following the election, he was appointed Industry
Minister. He retired from political life in 2002.
Today Tobin is senior business advisor at Fraser Milner Casgrain
LLP and serves on a number of public company boards. He is
chairman of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd. and New Flyer
Industries Inc.
"We are delighted to welcome Brian to The Fraser Institute. He
joins Senior Fellow Wilf Gobert, former top-ranked Peters and Co.
oil sector analyst, and our other staff in building a global
energy policy capacity that will be second to none. The centre is
part of The Fraser Institute's 50 full-time staff and 20 Senior
Fellows and others located across three Canadian offices," said
Mark Mullins, Fraser Institute Executive Director.
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