Government appoints Citizen�s Representative

Premier Roger Grimes announced today the appointment of Fraser March as the Citizens� Representative for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Citizens� Representative is an officer of the House of Assembly. The appointment is effective February 1, 2002 and the Citizens� Representative office will officially open March 1, 2002.

"I am very pleased to announce that Fraser March will take the position of Citizens� Representative with all powers of an ombudsman," said Premier Grimes. "Yet another piece of this administration�s openness and accountability package has been put in place for the benefit of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. We now have in this province an individual, empowered by the people�s House of Assembly, whose mandate is to address needs relating to government accessibility and personal privacy."

The Citizens� Representative is appointed as an impartial officer of the House of Assembly for a period of six years. The Citizens� Representative Act, passed in the Spring 2001 sitting of the House of Assembly, along with the Child and Youth Advocate Act and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act represent three new pieces of legislation introduced in this session of the House which improve accessibility to government while protecting the rights and privacy of individuals.

As a former president of the Newfoundland Association of Public Employees, Mr. March represented the interests of the public and participated in public policy development for more than a decade. Mr. March was also a teacher in the school system and the adult vocational system. In recent years, he has been a self-employed labour consultant where he has applied negotiating skills and public policy experience in representing the needs of individuals across the province. Mr. March holds a B.A. and B. Ed. From Memorial University of Newfoundland with a major in History and minors in Sociology and Political Science.

"Mr. March�s qualifications and professional experiences make him an excellent candidate for this position," said the premier. "I look forward to the Citizens� Representative addressing the needs of the people of this province and I wish him well as he fulfills a very important role in the interests of public service. I think Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will see this as another positive step forward in providing open and accountable government to the people we represent."

Media contact: Carl Cooper, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3960.

Ministerial Statement

2001 12 13                           1:45 p.m.