Ottawa: On May 18, shortly after the federal election of May 2, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed newly-elected member of Parliament Joe Oliver as Minister of Natural Resources. Mr. Oliver will be the primary member of the federal cabinet responsible for energy policy.
Representing the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, Oliver is a Harvard MBA graduate and former President of the Investment Dealers Association.
Mr. Oliver began his investment banking career at Merrill Lynch, and served in senior positions at other investment dealers and as Executive Director of the Ontario Securities Commission. He was then appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada. He also played a prominent role as Chair of the Advisory Committee of the International Council of Securities Associations and as Chair of the Consultative Committee of the International Association of Securities Commissions. A graduate of the Directors Education Program at the Rotman School of Management, he was also a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators and sat on the board of the Canadian Securities Institute Research Foundation.
Mr. Oliver is an active member of his community and volunteers for various charities in Canada and abroad. He served as Chair of the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada for four years and continues to be an active volunteer at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Mr. Oliver obtained both his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Civil Law at McGill University. He was called to the Quebec Bar and later graduated with an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.
Oliver is bilingual, and has a wealth of industry and business experience. Oliver also represents the City of Toronto in cabinet. Oliver defeated former senior Liberal MP Joe Volpe. He was elected to the House of Commons for the first time in May 2011.