Rogers names former Liberal minister to executive role, raising influence concerns – National | 24CA News
Former Liberal {industry} minister Navdeep Bains is becoming a member of Rogers as the corporate’s new chief company affairs officer, pushing critics to sound the alarm on a perceived politics-to-industry pipeline.
Rogers introduced a number of new appointments to its govt management workforce on Thursday, together with Bains and a former Shaw govt.
“This is a terrific opportunity to build on my commitment to champion critical issues facing both Canada and Canadians,” Bains mentioned in a press release.
“It’s an exciting time to join the company and to work with Tony and the team to help grow the digital economy and deliver more choice, more value and more connectivity for consumers.”
Bains served in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cupboard as federal {industry} minister from 2015 till early 2021, and selected to not run for re-election that 12 months.
The {industry} minister is chargeable for overseeing the nation’s nationwide industrial technique, together with regulating nationwide sectors akin to telecommunications.
Bains is becoming a member of Rogers after serving as a vice chair of worldwide funding banking at CIBC.
He is simply the newest instance of an ex-elected official acquiring a high-profile company job in an {industry} associated to their former portfolio.
Ben Klass, a PhD candidate at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communications and a telecommunications researcher, mentioned the news of Bains’s appointment evoked emotions of “disappointment” and “resignation.”
Klass testified earlier than MPs on the House of Commons {industry} committee about final summer season’s Rogers outage, the place he referred to as for higher regulation of the telecom {industry}.
“To see our leaders moving seamlessly between government — where they essentially represent the interests of the people — and the industry … it’s hard to overstate how disappointing that is,” Klass mentioned.
NDP {industry} critic Brian Masse referred to as the Bains’s appointment “incredibly concerning.”
“This hiring raises questions, especially after the government green-lit the Rogers-Shaw merger, benefiting Rogers at the expense of Canadian consumers,” Masse mentioned in a press release.
“Canadians have questions — they want to ensure Rogers now has no easy access to cabinet with this hiring.”
The Rogers-Shaw merger was first proposed in March 2021, after Bains left the {industry} minister position. It was authorized final month by present Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne with a set of situations.
Bains is just not the one former Liberal minister to carry a senior place within the {industry}.
Earlier this 12 months, John Manley was named the chair of the board of administrators for Telus.
Manley was a member of Parliament for seven years and crammed a number of totally different roles in former prime ministerJean Chretien’s cupboard, beginning out as {industry} minister and finally touchdown in finance. He left federal workplace in 2004.
There aren’t any prohibitions on elected officers taking roles within the personal sector after leaving workplace, as long as they continue to be compliant with the Lobbying Act.
According to the act, an elected official is just not permitted to have interaction in lobbying actions for 5 years after leaving public workplace.
A Rogers spokesperson mentioned a part of Bains’s duty might be to guide the corporate’s public coverage and environmental, social and governance efforts.
His position will contain overseeing authorities affairs, however the spokesperson mentioned he won’t talk with the federal government on behalf of Rogers, in order to stay criticism with the Lobbying Act.
The Rogers rep mentioned that “out of an abundance of caution, Navdeep proactively reached out to the ethics and lobbying commissioners and was provided clearance to join Rogers.”
Rogers has discovered itself within the political highlight a number of instances over the previous 12 months. The July 8 outage final summer season left thousands and thousands of Canadians with no web or cell service, and critics have raised issues about competitors after the just lately authorized Shaw acquisition.
Given the vital position of presidency in such points, Klass mentioned the appointment of Bains begs the query: “Is it the government telling Rogers what to do, or is it Rogers telling the government what to do?”
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