The Frontier Centre for Public Policy, an independent Western Canadian think tank with offices in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, has appointed policy commentator, author and the policy director of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association Dr. Robert Murray as its new Vice-President of Research effective October 1, 2013. He will be based in Edmonton, Alberta’s capital city. Dr. Murray replaces Dr. Marco Navarro-Genie, who has been recruited by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, a sister think tank based in Halifax, Nova Scotia to be its new president.
“Robert has been deeply involved in the policy development process as policy director for one of the most important organizations in the education industry in Ontario” said Frontier President Peter Holle. “He also shares our organization’s passion to up the quality of public policy thinking in Canada in general. For example, he recently wrote a commentary which highlights the troubling retreat of our political parties from thinking and implementing innovative policy in general” In particular, he observes “we have leaders elected who stand for nothing and make policy decisions based on what the latest polls tell them is fashionable or expedient. “ (His article can be read here.)
The Frontier Centre has had a local presence in each of the three Prairie Provinces since 2008. “We have been expanding our footprint in Alberta for the last few years, and Robert’s appointment will further build and continue our work in Canada’s most dynamic province, the prairies and Canada in general. There is continued opportunity for improving public policy in Alberta across many areas, particularly healthcare, smart green environmental policy as it affects cities and the energy industry, and placing public services on a more performance oriented and results based foundation,” Holle said. “Robert’s experience in the education field will also complement Frontier’s high profile presence as one of Canada’s leading commentators on innovative education policy.”
While Frontier plans to maintain a policy presence in Calgary his relocation to Edmonton, achieves the organization’s goal of being the only independent think tank with offices in the capital city and seat of government of each of the Prairie Provinces.
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy (www.fcpp.org) was established in 1999 in Winnipeg to create an independent forum for results-focused public policy thinking, broaden the debate on important topics that affect Canadians and profile cutting-edge public policy thinking from around the world. It has ten staff, a budget of 1.5 million dollars, and operates a broad range of publishing and outreach activities across nine project areas including healthcare, education, the environment, aboriginals, rural policy, equalization, housing, cities and poverty. To guarantee its independence Frontier is one of a handful of registered charitable think tanks in Canada that neither seeks nor accepts grants from government.
Robert W. Murray will be the Vice-President of Research at the Frontier Centre, effective October 1. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta, a blogger for e-International Relations and a Columnist for Troy Media. He holds a BA (Hons.) in History from Brock University, an MA in Political Science from Brock University, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Alberta. Prior to joining the Frontier Centre, he served in a variety of policy leadership and academic roles such as the Director, Legislative and Political Affairs for the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA), as an academic faculty member at both the University of Alberta and Brock University, and as a Member Scholar at the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology. He has published numerous books, academic journal articles, editorials and appeared in local, provincial, national and international media outlets as a respected voice on political and policy issues. His accomplishments have been recognized by prestigious bodies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Rotary Club, the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Education Foundation of Ontario.
For more information contact:
Peter Holle
President
Frontier Centre for Public Policy
204 479 0096
