December 7, 2016
Premier Announces Members of Advisory Panel on Fiscal Performance
Members of the Manitoba Government’s Advisory Panel on Fiscal Performance, which will review the advice of Manitobans, members of the civil service and front-line workers throughout the pre-budget consultation process, as well as the both KPMG reports on health-care innovation and sustainability, and tasked with assessing value-for-money within core government programs and services, have now been finalized Premier Brian Pallister today announced, adding the panel’s work will result in recommendations to the minister of finance as part of the development of Budget 2017.
“Our government has committed to ensuring a strong financial foundation for growth involving prudent financial management, investments in front-line services and value-for-money across government departments and agencies,” said Pallister. “Manitobans have been engaged in an unprecedented way throughout our pre-budget consultation process, and their suggestions and recommendations will form a solid foundation from which Budget 2017 will develop.”
The Panel will be co-chaired by Janice MacKinnon, former Saskatchewan finance minister, and Dave Angus, former Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. MacKinnon was a cabinet minister in Saskatchewan between 1991 and 2001, holding various portfolios including social services, economic development and government house leader. It was during her time as finance minister that Saskatchewan became the first government in Canada to balance its budget in the 1990s. Currently an advisor to the Eco-Fiscal Commission and a professor of fiscal policy at the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan, MacKinnon provides commentary and analysis on Canadian fiscal issues, health policy and politics. She was a member of the National Task Force on Financial Literacy, chair of the board of the Institute for Research on Public Policy, served as chair of Canada’s Economic Advisory Council from 2010 to 2015, and was chosen as one of Canada’s top 25 Women of Influence in 2013.
Angus spent 17 years as the president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, increasing the organization’s membership to the highest level in its history and gaining recognition from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives as one of its top 10 chambers for membership growth. Prior to joining the Winnipeg Chamber, he worked for private companies including a family business. Actively involved with both business and charitable organizations, Angus is past-chair of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, co-chair of the board of the World Trade Centre Winnipeg, co-chair of the Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council, a member of the board of governors of The Manitoba Museum, the CentrePort Advisory Committee and the Yes! Winnipeg Investor Council.
Additional panel members include the following:
- Mike Sykes is retired after more than 27 years with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. He has played keys roles across nearly every sector of Manitoba’s agriculture industry, was a policy analyst for the 2011 Manitoba Flood Appeals Commission, and worked as a private consultant specializing in agricultural programs and production practices. He currently serves on the Hearthstone Community Group Board and is the City of Selkirk’s representative to the board of the East Interlake Conservation District.
- Ardith Sigurdson has more than three decades of experience in both the private and public sectors as the administrator of a successful farm business, and as a nurse in the Interlake region providing direct service in the areas of emergency/acute care, community mental health, long-term care and public health. Sigurdson’s management experience includes work as an education co-ordinator, a director of care and as a continuous improvement manager.
- Joanne Sullivan has an extensive volunteer and charitable background with organizations including the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba and the Lions Prairie Manor Foundation Board. An active member of her community of Portage la Prairie, Sullivan works with seniors and active older adults through the Minds in Motion program of the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba.
“Our government is preparing a transparent and accountable budget for Manitoba – one that holds the line on taxes, invests in improvements to infrastructure and front-line services, and identifies areas for savings,” added the premier. “We have great confidence in the expertise of the members of this new panel and look forward to reviewing its recommendations.”
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