New Finance Minister: Who is Joe Oliver?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper made it official this morning, and swore in Joe Oliver as the new Finance Minister, following the resignation of Jim Flaherty. Flaherty was on the job for eight years, the third-longest serving minister in history. At 73-years-old, Oliver is one of the oldest cabinet ministers, and he comes with a long list of experience. Here’s a look at some background on Oliver:
- Graduate of Harvard School of Business
- Worked at Merrill Lynch early in his career
- Was Executive Director of the Ontario Securities Commission
- Was Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Dealers Association of Canada (IDA)
The Harper government has a clear agenda as set out in the last budget, so the change in leadership is unlikely to lead to any abrupt changes in policy,” said Craig Alexander, chief economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank. (Financial Post)
Prime Minister Harper said on Twitter earlier today, “[Joe Oliver] will continue to strengthen the economy and balance the budget by 2015.” Flaherty had always said he would not step down until the federal budget was balanced, so Oliver is stepping into an ongoing economic challenge, but the feeling seems to be that this is a step in the right direction.
