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Michael Wilson Confirmed as Ambassador to The U.S. |
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Written by Wire Services
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Thursday, 16 February 2006 |
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today confirmed the appointment of Mr. Michael Wilson as Ambassador of Canada to the United States of America. Mr. Wilson will succeed Mr. Frank McKenna in Washington, D.C.
“Strong Canada-US relations are a priority for my government. Mr. Wilson’s in-depth knowledge and experience in the financial sector and in government will make him a strong advocate for Canada in negotiations with our most important bilateral partner” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to Mr. McKenna for his contribution to strengthening our representation in the United States and helping Canada maintain strong bilateral relations. He also thanked Mr. Rock for the exemplary work he accomplished during his diplomatic tenure at the United Nations.
The 68 year-old new ambassador was elected in 1979 as a Progressive Conservative MP for Etobicoke Centre, and was appointed Minister of State for International Trade by Prime Minister Clark.
In 1984, he became Finance Minister under former Prime Minister Mulroney and was instrumental in introducing the much-maligned Goods and Services (GST) tax during his tenure.
In 1991, after seven years as Minister of Finance, Mr. Wilson became Minister of Industry, Science and Technology and Minister for International Trade. In that role, he participated in negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.
During his tenure as a member of the Cabinet, Mr. Wilson also represented Canada at the IMF, IBRD, OECD, GATT and the G-7 Ministers meetings. Mr. Wilson is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has honorary degrees from the University of Toronto and York University. Mr. Wilson is active in a number of professional and community organizations, including NeuroScience Canada Partnership, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships and the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance.
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