Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association October 2014 Maple Leaf Strategies Vancouver Calgary Toronto Ottawa
Introduction Maple Leaf Strategies is a boutique government relations and public affairs firm with a national reach. With offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver Maple Leaf is able to provide clients with access to governments across the country and provide sound strategic advice delivered by seasoned experts with decades of experience. Maple Leaf strategists handle complicated and often controversial issues on a daily basis providing clients with sound advice to help navigate the many political issues that often come with large projects with overlapping jurisdictions. Unlike larger firms, principals at Maple Leaf work in close one-on-one cooperation with a client s senior management, delivering compelling, cost-effective and results-oriented campaigns in Canada and the US. We have an experienced track record based on innovation and a results driven approach to government relations. CESA - Situational Analysis CESA has expressed interest in retaining a full service government relations firm to provide on the ground monitoring of waste diversion and waste related policy developments across the country. In addition we understand that CESA will require intervention and advocacy efforts periodically when policy developments arise. Waste diversion provincial policies have been changing rapidly across the country as provinces wrestle with landfill capacity constraints, cost increases associated with land filling waste, climate change challenges and a trend towards producer pay models. All of this uncertainty as given industry cause for concern and policies shift and the burden shifts to producers of waste. Maple Leaf Strategies has been at the forefront of some of these policy developments and we believe it is critical to engage government at every stage of policy development to ensure a successful outcome. Ontario, British Columbia and now Alberta have shown a willingness to work with industry; however, these jurisdictions are committed to shifting the burden to producers which will require constant engagement. CESA has an opportunity to take a leadership role in Ontario and Alberta using its experience in BC to get the policies right. We believe CESA should take that opportunity be engaging other provinces early in the policy development process. 2
Relevant Experience Maple Leaf Strategies is ideally suited to assist CESA in shaping waste diversion policies. Maple Leaf partners bring unprecedented experience and reach to this challenge including; Representing waste related industries across Canada Long standing relationships with all level of government contacts associated with the Environment and waste diversion. A proven track record on shaping environmental policies. Stakeholder relations and coalition building expertise. Maple Leaf Strategies has extensive experience developing, branding and managing successful stakeholder coalitions. Media Relations expertise Maple Leaf Strategies has provided media relations advice to a variety of clients from the renewable fuels industry to the mining industry. The Maple Leaf Team Bliss Baker, Partner (Toronto) Over the past 25 years, Bliss has been an innovator, practitioner and commentator in the Public Affairs arena both domestically and internationally. He has been an advisor to two Prime Ministers, Ministers, and Members of Parliament. Bliss' private sector experience includes acting as Vice President of Public Affairs for the Canadian Bankers Association, President of a national industry association in the energy sector and Vice President of Canada's largest biofuels producer. As a former Board Member of the Sierra Club, Bliss has had a lifelong passion for promoting public policies that protect the environment. Bliss is the founder of the Political Risk Advisory Group that provides private sector clients with political risk analysis on foreign investments. Bliss was a senior advisor in the Premier s war room in 2003, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines in 2003/04 and continues to act as a senior strategist to the provincial government on a variety of issues. His clients include a variety of energy related companies, land developers, financial services, agriculture, 3
manufacturing, clean technology providers, healthcare stakeholders, entertainment industry and infrastructure related firms. Bliss completed his undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Economics in Canada and his post-graduate degree at the London School of Economics in 1992. Bliss is the founding partner of Maple Leaf Strategies. Ian Todd, Partner (Calgary) For over twenty years Ian Todd has distinguished himself as a public affairs expert at the most senior corporate and political levels in Canada. He has extensive leadership experience in public policy development, government relations, media and stakeholder relations, issues and crisis management, and complex tour logistics and event management. Prior to joining Maple Leaf as a Partner, Ian most recently served as a VP Government Relations and Media for a large Alberta utility, and previously as a Chief of Staff to key Cabinet Ministers both provincially and federally. He first entered federal politics as a volunteer and after successfully building the federal party organization in British Columbia, Ian was assigned to the role of Executive Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff to Mr. Preston Manning, a position he held for almost a decade. In 2000, Ian was appointed Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Official Opposition. In British Columbia, he has served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Provincial Revenue and Small Business, and under the Premier s Office, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. In 2006, Ian returned to Ottawa and served as Chief of Staff to two federal Ministers, in three different portfolios Citizenship and Immigration, Human Resources and Skills Development, and Canadian Heritage. Ian has senior national campaign experience serving on the Leader s Campaign Tour for five federal elections. Most recently in the war room acting as a Co-Director of the Prime Minister s Tour, for the 2008 and 2011 federal elections. Ian moved to the corporate sector in early 2009 as Vice President, Government and Media Relations, an Officer of the company, and a member of the Executive Committee for ENMAX, Alberta s largest utility company. As a proud fourth generation Albertan, Ian and his wife Dawn reside in Calgary. 4
Dimitri Pantazopoulos, Partner (Vancouver) Dimitri has spent his career in politics and public policy, providing communications and strategic advice based on sound public opinion research. Dimitri provided public opinion research and managed direct voter contact for the 2013 BC Liberal election campaign and received national accolades as the only pollster to accurately predict the outcome of the provincial election. Dimitri s extensive research into public attitudes guided the formulation of the strategy and messaging that contributed to the successful election of Premier Christy Clark. Dimitri previously served in several senior roles for BC Premier Christy Clark. After joining Ms. Clark s successful leadership campaign team, Dimitri served as Principal Secretary, working on long-term issues and priorities on behalf of the Premier. Dimitri later assumed the title of Assistant Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Relations and Trade where he managed relationships with domestic and international governmental officials and oversaw trade missions on behalf of the Premier. Dimitri established his early credentials in politics with the Reform Party from 1991-1993 where he worked in a public policy research capacity for Preston Manning. Based out of Washington, DC from 1994 until 1999, Dimitri served as Partner with the Republican polling firm Market Strategies where he advised clients including Edison Electric Institute, PhRMA, and The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Upon his return to Ottawa in 2000, Dimitri led the influential public opinion research firm Praxicus Public Strategies where he advised clients including Stockwell Day (2001-02) and Stephen Harper (2002-07). Dimitri is a native of Ottawa, Ontario and graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. Dimitri is a partner of Maple Leaf Strategies. Phil von Finckenstein Partner Phil is a public affairs expert who is well known for developing innovative approaches to getting results. He specializes as strategic counsel to c-level executives of some of the world's leading and most innovative companies. In that role he has developed a track record of success in building and delivering clear, concise and compelling campaigns in Canada and the U.S. 5
In over twenty years as a public affairs professional, Phil has served national leaders in areas as diverse as biotechnology, education, energy, environment, finance, films, renewable energy, mining, media, public policy, and softwood lumber. He also counsels leading federal and provincial elected officials on policy, strategic communications, media management and crisis management. Formerly the Director of Communications for Canada's Leader of the Official Opposition, Phil developed his leadership skills in senior roles on Parliament Hill and national marketing experience as a senior campaign aide in two federal election campaigns. As the son of a Canadian diplomat, Phil was educated on four continents. He holds a degree in History & Political Science from McGill University, and has completed Executive Education courses at Harvard Business School and Stanford University's Graduate School of Business Executive program. He is a member of the Board of the Ronald McDonald House of Ottawa, the Ashbury College Foundation and the Rideau Club of Ottawa. Phil is a founding partner of Maple Leaf Strategies. Phil has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Lobbyists in Canada (Hill Times) since 2006. Phil and his wife Vanessa have five children. Gordon Quaiattini Partner For nearly 20 years Gordon Quaiattini has been one of Canada's leading government relations specialists and a veteran political insider at the federal and provincial levels of government. Most recently, Gordon was President of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA) - acting as both the lead lobbyist and national media spokesperson for the renewable fuels industry in Canada. Gordon was instrumental in successfully advocating for a national renewable fuels strategy for Canada that included the passage of legislation mandating the use of ethanol and biodiesel, the development and implementation of renewable fuels regulations and the establishment of capital and producer incentive programs valued at nearly $3 billion at the federal and provincial levels of government in Canada. Prior to joining the CRFA, Gordon was a founding partner of The Wellington Strategy Group, a boutique Ottawa government relations firm. Mr. Quaiattini also previously worked in federal and provincial politics as well as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Political Science from Laurentian University and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Carleton University. Gordon has represented a variety of corporate clients in a variety of industries including 6
Agriculture and Agri-Food, Aquaculture, Biotechnology, Broadcasting, Cultural Industries, Energy/Renewable Energy, Healthcare, Information Technology, Infrastructure, Intellectual Property, Public-Private Partnerships, Telecommunications amongst others. Gordon has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Lobbyists in Canada (Hill Times) in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Gordon is a founding partner of Maple Leaf Strategies. Hon. Rick Bartolucci Outside Advisor Rick joined Maple Leaf Strategies in June 2014 as an outside advisor to the firm. Rick will provide the firm and its clients with outstanding advice based on an exemplary career with an unblemished record of public service. As an elected official Rick served as a Minister in the McGuinty government for over 10 years and served as Chair of Cabinet for three years between 2010-2013. Rick Bartolucci was re-elected into the riding of Sudbury in 2011 for a fifth consecutive term, and has served as Minister of Northern Development and Mines and Chair of Cabinet since 2011 until the recent provincial election. Bartolucci first served as MNDM Minister from 2003 to 2007. During that time he initiated an overhaul of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to focus on job creation for northerners. As Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing from 2010-2011, Bartolucci introduced Ontario s first-ever Affordable Housing Strategy, and passed supporting legislation that received all-party endorsement in the Legislature. Bartolucci served as Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services from 2007 to 2011, during which time he oversaw the revamping of Ontario s death investigation system to ensure stronger accountability to Ontarians. Also during his tenure at MCSCS, the strongest animal welfare legislation in the country, the Provincial Animal Welfare (PAW) Act, became law. Prior to entering provincial politics, Bartolucci served at the municipal level as Sudbury s deputy mayor and as chair of the City of Sudbury Budget Committee and Grievance Committee, and the Sudbury Regional Police Services Board s Complaint Committee. He was an educator for 30 years. Political Career Highlights: MPP Sudbury, 1995 June 2014 Chair of Cabinet 2011-2014 Minister of Northern Development and Mines 2011-2014 Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 2010 2011 7
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, 2007 2010 Minister of Northern Development and Mines, 2003 2007, Municipal Politics: Ward Councillor, Deputy Mayor, Sudbury, Chair of Police Services Board Proposed Fee Structure I have broken the fee structure into two parts given CESA s priorities and objectives. Base Monthly retainer of $5,500 per month o Includes monitoring all provincial policies and initiatives to provide on the ground intelligence to assist CESA in anticipating policy changes and activities. This base retainer also may include periodically setting up meetings where required in any province. An additional retainer of $5,500 for advocacy efforts and intervening at the provincial level for Alberta. Should CESA require significant intervention and advocacy efforts in other provinces such as Ontario we can revisit the terms of engagement at that time. Media relations activity will be an additional budget item if required. Media relations activity will be billed at $250 per hour. 8