Parliamentary Committee Notes: Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence (SECD)

Independent Senators Group

Chair

Name:       Tony Dean
Province:  Ontario

Appointed on the advice of Justin Trudeau in 2016

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Senator an was appointed to the Senate of Canada on November 10th, 2016.  Prior to his appointment, Senator Dean was a professor at the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto and continues his association with the School as a Distinguished Senior Fellow.  He has advised governments and international organizations on public service reform and building capacity for policy-making and delivery.

From 2002 to 2008, Senator Dean was Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Ontario Public Service. He also served as Deputy Minister of Labour, and as the Deputy Minister in the Cabinet Office responsible for cross-government policy coordination. In his role as a public servant, he provided non-partisan advice to NDP, Progressive Conservative and Liberal governments in Ontario.

Senator Dean has written on public sector leadership and co-authored a Mowat Centre report on pathways to fiscal sustainability in Canada. In 2012 he authored a report on integrated public service delivery in Commonwealth countries.  Dean has chaired expert advisory panels on teachers’ benefit plans (2014), Occupational Health and Safety in Ontario (2010), and Business and Human Resource Planning in Canada’s public service (2008).  He has also acted as an independent expert advisor on public sector pension plan governance. Dean has written for the Toronto Star and the UK-based Guardian newspaper. His book, Building Better Public Services, was published in 2015.

Canadian Senators Group

Deputy Chair

Name:       Jean-Guy Dagenais
Province:  Quebec
Senatorial Designation: Victoria

Appointed on the advice of Stephen Harper in 2012

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Influenced by his father, who served 30 years on the Montreal police force, Jean-Guy Dagenais worked as a peace officer from 1972 to 2011 at the Sûreté du Québec. He held various positions, including patrolman, investigator, team leader, and education relations officer with schools. He also worked in the communications division and the VIP security service.

His involvement with the Association des policières et policiers provinciaux du Québec began in 1984. He served successively as delegate, regional director and vice-president of finance. He was elected president in 2004.

Mr. Dagenais has been a guest speaker at the Fédération québécoise des municipalités conference and has participated in many public security committees. He has also been a board member of both the École nationale de police and the Canadian Police Association. He was made Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, which recognizes citizens from diverse sectors who have shaped Quebec’s development or contributed to its success.

Mr. Dagenais ran as the Conservative candidate in the electoral district of Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot in the 2011 general election.

Independent Senators Group

Name:       Peter M. Boehm
Province: Ontario

Appointed on the advice of Justin Trudeau in 2018

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Senator Peter M. Boehm holds a Ph.D in History from the University of Edinburgh, a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from Wilfrid Laurier University.

He was Deputy Minister for the G7 Summit and Personal Representative of the Prime Minister (Sherpa) from July 2017, until his retirement from the public service in September 2018. Peter Boehm had previously been Deputy Minister of International Development, Associate, and, subsequently, Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 2013 to 2017, he concurrently served as Sherpa for the G8 and subsequent G7 Summits, as well as the Nuclear Security Summit.

A former career foreign service officer, he served as Ambassador to Germany from 2008 to 2012 and previously as Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas, North America and Consular Affairs. Abroad, he was Minister (political and public affairs) at the Embassy of Canada to the United States in Washington and Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States. He has held a variety of diplomatic positions including assignments in Cuba and Costa Rica.

He was National Summit Coordinator for the Santiago and Québec Summits of the Americas, Special Envoy for the Organization of American States Democratization Mission in Peru and Personal Representative (Sherpa) of the Prime Minister for the Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata in 2005. From 2005 to 2008, he was the senior official responsible for the annual North American Leaders’ Summit.

He is a recipient of the Public Service of Canada Outstanding Achievement Award and the Canadian Foreign Service Officer Award for his contribution to advancing peace in Central America.

Independent Senators Group

Name:        Donna Dasko
Province:  Ontario

Appointed on the advice of Justin Trudeau in 2018

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Senator Dasko is a respected national pollster, media commentator, and private sector business leader with considerable public policy experience. She holds a Ph.D. and MA from the University of Toronto and a BA (Hons) from the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Dasko was formerly Senior Vice-President of Environics Research Group Ltd, and built the firm from a small consultancy into one of Canada’s leading research firms. During her career, she led major research studies for federal and provincial departments and agencies, private sector clients, and NGOs, in areas including the economy, budget priorities, tobacco control, health promotion, national unity, and many others. She was a leader in developing media-sponsored polling including the Globe-Environics Poll and election and special feature polling for the CBC.

As a community volunteer, she served in many roles including President of St. Stephen’s Community House, Director of the United Way of Greater Toronto, Governor of the Canadian Unity Council (devoted to Canadian unity and federalism), Chair of the National CEO Roundtable for the Alzheimer Society, and Advisor to GreenPac (which promotes environmental leadership).

Dr. Dasko’s passion for the promotion of women in politics has guided much of her advocacy. She is a Co-Founder and former National Chair of Equal Voice, a non-partisan organization aimed at electing more women in Canada. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), which promotes equality rights for women. In 2015, she co-founded the Campaign for an Equal Senate for Canada, an initiative to promote a gender-equal Senate. She works with National Democratic Institute on issues related to women in politics internationally.

She is a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and taught in its Master’s program before her Senate appointment. She is a member of Statistics Canada’s Advisory Committee on Social Conditions.

Independent Senators Group

Name:       Marty Deacon
Province:  Ontario
Senatorial Designation: Waterloo Region

Appointed on the advice of Justin Trudeau in 2018

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Prior to serving in the Senate, Senator Deacon completed a 35-year career in Education. As an Educator with a Masters of Education (Western University) she taught (Physics, Science, Physical & Health Education) in Secondary Schools (Waterloo Region District School Board), at two Universities (University of Toronto, Western University), was a Consultant, and an Administrator at the Elementary and Secondary School level.  Deacon finished her career in Education as Superintendent. Following this career, Senator Deacon consulted across sectors with a focus on organizational excellence.

Senator Deacon is most passionate about the physical and mental well-being of all Canadians.  She is an advocate for the future of women and young girls and children worldwide.  She has mentored and supported leaders in developing countries with a belief that sport, the arts and education can build better communities, one community at a time.

Senator Deacon is dedicated to ensuring organizations can thrive and function at optimal levels.  She has assisted with developing governance and policy that allows this to happen in a meaningful, purposeful and respectful way. Senator Deacon will use all of her skills and experiences to ensure an inclusive. inviting meaningful connection for all Canadians.  All perspectives need to be heard and understood. Senator Deacon understands the importance of taking risks, participating in courageous conversations and learning every day.

Senator Deacon has been recognized through a variety of awards including: The Women of Distinction and Lifetime Achievement Award (YWCA), Waterloo Region, The International Olympic Committee, Education and Youth Award, the Jules Nisse “Playground to Podium” award, the Queen Diamond Jubilee Medal, Induction in the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame and the Cambridge Hall of Fame.

Independent Senators Group

Name:       Hassan Yussuff
Province:  Ontario

Appointed on the advice of Justin Trudeau in 2021

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

In 1988,  Senator Yussuff joined the Canadian Auto Workers union as the National Staff Representative, and later became their first Director of Human Rights. In 1999, he became Canadian Labour Congress’s first person of colour elected to an executive position, as Executive Vice-President. He went on to be elected as Secretary-Treasurer for three terms, from 2002 to 2014, before being elected President in 2014. He was re-elected in this role in 2017.

In addition to his work in Canada, Mr. Yussuff is a prominent international activist. In 2016, he was elected for his second term as President of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas, an organization uniting 48 national organizations and representing more than 55 million workers in 21 countries. He was also a member of the Executive Bureau and General Council of the International Trade Union Confederation and a member of the Ministerial Council of the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Mr. Yussuff served on the Government of Canada’s NAFTA Council and its Sustainable Development Advisory Council. He also contributed to numerous other task forces and organizations, including as co-chair of the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Disability Management and Research. He was recently appointed to the Net-Zero Advisory Body by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. He has recently been part of the Industry Advisory Roundtable on COVID-19 Testing, Screening, Tracing and Data Management and the COVID Communications Partners Roundtable.

Mr. Yussuff and the Canadian Labour Congress, with their tripartite partners, are recipients of the 2021 Canadian Freedom of Association Award for their instrumental collaboration in Canada’s 2017 ratification of the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 98. Mr. Yussuff has been a recent recipient of the Pearson Centre Progressive Leadership Award. He has also received honorary Doctorate of Laws from Brock University and Ryerson University.

Independent Senators Group

Name:       Yuen Pau Woo
Province:  British Columbia

Appointed in 2016

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Appointed to the Senate of Canada in November 2016, the Honourable Yuen Pau Woo sits as an independent representing British Columbia. He served as Facilitator of the Independent Senators Group from 2017 to 2021.

Senator Woo has worked on public policy issues related to Canada’s relations with Asian countries for more than 30 years. From 2005-2014, he was President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, during which he also served on the Standing Committee of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) and as Chair of PECC’s State of the Region Report. He is a Senior Fellow at Simon Fraser University’s Graduate School of Business, and a member of the Trilateral Commission. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of the Mosaic Institute and the Canadian Ditchley Foundation.

Senator Woo is a joint chair of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations and a member of the following Senate Standing Committees: Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Banking, Trade and Commerce; and Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament.

Conservative Party of Canada

Name:       Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu
Province:  Quebec
Senatorial Designation: La Salle

Appointed on the advice of Stephen Harper in 2010

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

He worked for more than 30 years in Quebec’s public service as a senior official and deputy minister. In June 2002, his eldest daughter was murdered by a repeat offender; it is then that he began championing the rights of the families of murdered or missing individuals, so that the justice system grants them the same rights as criminals. In November 2004, Senator Boisvenu and three other fathers founded the Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association (MMPFA). This association, which supports and advises families who have suffered the sudden loss of a loved one, now has more than 600 member families. Through sustained media presence and the numerous talks he continues to give, Senator. Boisvenu has helped to increase awareness of the rights of victims of crimes among the Canadian public. He also created the Isabelle Boisvenu Fund, which provides scholarships for students in the field of victimology.

In November 2005, Senator Boisvenu was awarded the Government of Quebec’s Prix de la justice. This award recognizes a citizen’s significant contribution to the promotion of justice in the province.

Senator Boisvenu is co-founder of Le Nid, a shelter for abused women in Val-d’Or, and was a member of several boards and humanitarian organizations in the Eastern Townships. He was chair of the United Way of the Eastern Townships from 2006 until March 2010.

As a senator, he has worked to strengthen victim legislation and victims’ rights in Canada’s judicial system. He succeeded in passing the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights during his term in office. He sponsored several government and private Members' bills: Bill C-23A (Eliminating Pardons for Serious Crimes Act), Bill C-310 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code-trafficking in persons), Bill C-316 (An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act-incarceration), Bill C-293 (An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act-vexatious complainants), Bill C-37 (Increasing Offenders' Accountability for Victims Act), Bill C-452 (An Act to amend the Criminal Code-exploitation and trafficking in persons) and Bill C-479 (An Act to Bring Fairness for the Victims of Violent Offenders).

Conservative Party of Canada

Name:       Victor Oh
Province:  Ontario

Appointed in 2013

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Mr. Oh was born in Singapore. In 1978, he immigrated to Canada. In the following years, Mr. Oh became a successful entrepreneur and an active community leader in the Greater Toronto Area. Much of his volunteer work focused on building bridges of understanding and collaboration across cultures as well as to helping newcomers from all over the world establish themselves and start their own businesses.

Since his appointment to the Senate of Canada in January 2013, Mr. Oh has been committed to advancing the interests and rights of vulnerable groups, including seniors, youth and migrants, and to promoting economic growth and job creation for generations to come. He has also been involved in various initiatives that celebrate the rich ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity of Canada.

Mr. Oh is the Vice-Chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association and of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group in addition to a member of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas and the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. He has also held executive positions in a number of parliamentary friendship groups including Canada-Bulgaria, Canada-Indonesia, Canada-Malaysia, Canada-Nordic-Baltic, Canada-Peru and Canada-Singapore.

In 2016, Senator Oh was the head of the Canadian parliamentary delegation at the 24th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) held in Vancouver, British Columbia. On this same year, he joined the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank & International Monetary Fund, which provides a platform for parliamentarians from over 140 countries to advocate for increased accountability and transparency in International Financial Institutions and multilateral development financing.

Canadian Senators Group

Name:       David Richards
Province: New Brunswick

Appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2017

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Senator David Adams Richards is an acclaimed Canadian novelist, essayist, screenwriter and poet, whose commitment to the Miramichi River valley, his province, and the country is reflected in his body of work. His writings, through which he gives voices to the marginalized and helps to deepen the reader’s understanding of the human experience, have been translated into 12 languages, and are part of the curriculum of Canadian and U.S. universities.

Mr. Richards has been a writer-in-residence at several universities and colleges across Canada and has received honorary doctorates from three New Brunswick universities and the Atlantic School of Theology. He is one of only three writers to have won in both the fiction and non-fiction categories of the Governor General’s Literary Award. He was a co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize for his novel Mercy Among the Children and has received numerous other prestigious awards, including the Canada-Australia Literary Prize, two Gemini Awards for scriptwriting, the Alden Nowlan Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Canadian Authors Association Award and the 2011 Matt Cohen Award for a distinguished lifetime of contribution to Canadian literature.

In 2007, he was awarded the regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize award. He is a member of the Order of New Brunswick and the Order of Canada. The Writers’ Union of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University have established annual awards in Mr. Richards’ name.

Progressive Senate Group

Name:       Andrew Cardozo
Province:  Ontario

Appointed on the advice of Justin Trudeau in 2022

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Mr. Cardozo is a recognized expert on public policy, a columnist, and an artist. His policy areas of expertise span Canadian government and politics, broadcasting and cultural policy, skills development especially the future of work, multiculturalism and diversity.

Over the past decade he worked to elevate open public policy dialogue by bringing together thought leaders from all political backgrounds, from business, labour, NGOs and the broader public to address the major challenges facing Canadian society.  Prior to that he has been Executive Director of the Alliance of Sector Councils working on skills development across some 30 economic sectors, and Executive Director of the Canadian Ethnocultural Council, where he worked on policies and legislation in employment equity, immigration, multiculturalism and the Canadian constitution.

Senator Cardozo has been a columnist for the Toronto Star and Broadcast Dialogue, and since 2014, a regular contributor to the Hill Times.  He was also an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University.

He has served as a Commissioner of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) where he championed Canadian content, diversity in broadcasting, and played a key role in the licensing of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).  Since then, he has volunteered as an adjudicator for the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

Mr. Cardozo was a stay-at-home dad when his children were young. An immigrant from South Asia, with origins in Goa, India and Karachi, Pakistan, he has worked on the successful integration of diversity issues in the mainstream of Canadian public policy.  He was a board member of the Catholic Centre for Immigrants (Ottawa), the YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region, Media Awareness Network, the Institute of Media Arts, Policy and Civil Society (Vancouver) and has been active with Big Brothers Big Sisters (Ottawa).

Guardian Angel Award (Toronto), le Prix annuel du Centre de recherche-action sur les relations sociales, CRARR (Montreal), and Big Brother of the Year (Ottawa).

Mr. Cardozo holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science from York University and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Carleton University. He has also studied art at the Ottawa School of Art and is an accomplished artist, generally of abstract landscapes and has been featured in several art shows in the Ottawa area, while his art hangs in many countries. He has two adult children who live and work in Ottawa.

Progressive Senate Group

Name:       Margaret Dawn Anderson
Province:  Northwest Territories

Appointed on the advice of Justice Trudeau in 2018

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

Ms. Anderson has a Bachelors of Child & Youth Care from University of Victoria. She has more than 20 years of experience as a public servant, working with communities and Indigenous peoples across the Northwest Territories. She served in various roles with the Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Justice. Notably, she was the Director of Community Justice and Policing, and Assistant Director, Corrections Services, where she implemented positive changes to the territorial justice system. She was involved in the feasibility study, development and implementation of the NWT Wellness Court Program, a therapeutic program that attempts to reduce recidivism by treating underlying issues like mental health, addictions, and cognitive challenges.

Ms. Anderson continues to pursue a MA in Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria. Prior to her appointment, and to prepare for the defense of the Community Governance component of her Masters studies, Ms. Anderson worked as a Policy Analyst with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation where she participated in Inuvialuit self-government negotiations with the Government of the Northwest Territories, and the Government of Canada.

Ms. Anderson’s dedication to her community and to improving the lives of others is best displayed through the development, implementation and facilitation of the Planning Action Responsibly Toward Non-violent Empowered Relationships (PARTNER) program, a northern-based program for low to medium risk domestic violence offenders that is a central component to the NWT Domestic Violence Options (DVTO) Court. She also was an active member of the Working Group for DVTO Court. In addition, Ms. Anderson also worked with restorative justice initiatives across the NWT and conducted a review of the N.W.T.’s community justice program through consultations, which resulted in a report with several recommendations to improve community-based programming.

Ms. Anderson is a two-time recipient of the territorial Premier’s Award for Excellence for her leadership and commitment to improving her community. She resides in Yellowknife, NT.

Date modified: