DFAIT Trade Restructuring

I am pleased to provide further details regarding the restructuring of the Trade branches.

Ken Sunquist, ADM for Asia and Africa, will also serve as Chief Trade Commissioner (CTC). The CTC will provide leadership to the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), and support and coordinate the trade functions of the geographic bureaus. An Office of the Chief Trade Commisisoner will also be created.

Stewart Beck becomes Assistant Deputy Minister for International Business Development, Investment and Innovation. This new integrated-trade structure will encompass five core pillars: Economic Policy Analysis, TCS Client Services, TCS Operations, Global Business Opportunities, and Invest in Canada. The Branch will develop the agenda for the department's international commerce, investment and innovation files, and will support the overseas and domestic network of the TCS.

Don Stephenson will lead the Trade Policy and Negotiations Branch, which will retain its current structure.

Officials from all branches will collaborate on the department's trade priorities.

Under this new structure, an International Commerce Coordination Board (ICCB) will be created. The Chief Trade Commissioner and the ADM for International Business Development, Investment and Innovation will co-chair the ICCB. The Board will develop the agenda for the department's international commerce, investment and innovation issues. It will also set direction for Trade priorities, such as resource deployment, client services, event management, market plans and priorities, training, outreach and communications. The Board will be composed of directors general from the Trade Policy, Investment and Innovation, Geographic, TCS and Communications bureaus, and will meet regularly. It will report to the Deputy Minister of International Trade.

This new structure will help us deliver on our Global Commerce Strategy commitments and assist Canada's business community in its efforts to adapt to the realities of integrative trade in today's global economy.

The changes will be implemented beginning on September 1, 2008. Additional information on the new structure will be made available in the coming weeks.

Citizen Article - part 2

Part two of Donna Jacob's article in the Citizen.

There was the day he got a phone call from his Hong Kong Police Department source, who was wiretapping a Triad kingpin.

"What shocked the Hong Kong policeman was that the Triad member had phoned someone in the Canadian immigration minister's office in Ottawa," says Mr. McAdam.

"The officer commented: 'With that kind of relationship, you've got a really serious problem.' "

What shocked Mr. McAdam was what the officer said next: The Canadian reassured the Triad boss, "Don't worry about McAdam and what he's doing. We'll take care of him."

And, says Mr. McAdam, they did.

Full part 2 of Citizen article is here.

Part 1 is here.

Bwahahaha... (hat tip to Andrew Coyne)

Citizen Article - Part 1

Donna Jacobs, Citizen Special. Read it here.

The price of fighting for what you think is right.

Former diplomat Brian McAdam's investigations into corruption cost him his job, and his health.

There's a dickhead in the pool.

More News from Fort Pearson

On June 23, we announced the creation of a new geographic group. This new structure will bring Canada's bilateral and regional relations under one integrated group responsible for the full range of trade, economic and political relations for DFAIT.

Today, we are pleased to announce the assignments of the four assistant deputy ministers who will co-manage this new group:

Alexandra Bugailiskis, Assistant Deputy Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, also responsible for the Strategy and Services Bureau in support of the new Geographic Group;

Elaine Feldman, Assistant Deputy Minister for North America;

Jim Fox, Assistant Deputy Minister for Europe and the Middle East; and

Ken Sunquist, Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia and Africa, and Chief Trade Commissioner.

The ADMs will also manage horizontal teams to collaborate on both foreign policy and international trade files, such as our three key priorities (Afghanistan, Americas and emerging markets), innovation strategies, UN campaigns and G8 issues. We will be making an announcement in the coming weeks regarding the restructuring of the trade branches.

The assignments will take effect on September 1, 2008.