Government of Canada announces Murielle Brazeau as new Social Security Tribunal Chairperson

OTTAWA, March 13, 2013 /CNW/ - The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced the appointment of Ms. Murielle Brazeau as Chairperson of the new Social Security Tribunal (SST).

As announced in Economic Action Plan 2012, the new SST will consolidate the four existing Human Resources and Skills Development Canada tribunals for Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security appeals into a single decision-making body that ensures administrative justice for appellants and greater value for Canadians.

"The new Social Security Tribunal will continue to ensure a fair and accessible appeal process for Canadians," said Minister Finley. "Ms. Brazeau's broad knowledge of the federal courts system, her strong legal background and her significant management experience will constitute valuable assets in her new role as Chairperson of the SST."

"I am honoured to accept this important role, and I am committed to working to ensure that the appeal process is fair, transparent and impartial for Canadians," said Ms. Brazeau.

For the past five years, Ms. Brazeau was the Deputy Chief Administrator at the Courts Administration Service (CAS), where she managed all judicial and registry services to the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court and the Tax Court of Canada. Prior to joining the CAS, she held senior-level positions at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Health Canada, the Privy Council Office and the Department of Justice.

Ms. Brazeau holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a License in Law, both from the University of Ottawa. She has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1983.

In addition to Ms. Brazeau's appointment as Chairperson of the new SST, Minister Finley also announced the appointment of 33 full-time members that have been approved by Governor in Council. Members will be appointed from all regions of the country to ensure fairness and regional distribution. The SST will begin its operations on April 1, 2013.

For more information on the SST, visit servicecanada.gc.ca.

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backgrounder

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Announced in Canada's Economic Action Plan 2012, the Social Security Tribunal (SST) will eliminate duplication in appeal and tribunal services for major federal social security programs. It will be an administrative tribunal with quasi-judicial powers and will provide an independent appeal process for government decisions on Employment Insurance (EI), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS).

The new tribunal system will simplify and streamline the process for appellants by providing them with a single decision-making body for EI, CPP and OAS appeals. The SST will be led by a chairperson and three vice-chairpersons appointed by Governor in Council. The SST will comprise two levels of appeal. For the first level of appeal, a vice-chairperson will head each of the EI and Income Security (CPP and OAS) sections of the General Division. The third vice-chairperson will head the Appeal Division, which is the second level of appeal. The Appeal Division decides appeals of decisions made by the General Division.

In addition to the chairperson and vice-chairpersons, the legislation provides for up to 70 full-time members to render decisions on appeals. Members are expected to maintain the public trust and avoid any conflicts of interest. These members will be supported by advisors with legal and medical expertise and will have access to professional training.

The current tribunals will continue to hear cases until March 31, 2013. The new SST will begin its operations on April 1, 2013. The first year will be a transition period during which the SST will hear all new appeals while the four current tribunals will finalize and render decisions on cases already heard.

More specifically, the EI Boards of Referees will continue to hear appeals filed (and not decided) before April 2013. These decisions must be issued no later than October 31, 2013. The CPP/OAS Review Tribunals, the CPP Pension Appeals Board (PAB) and the EI Umpire will only continue to hear appeals scheduled until March 31, 2013. Their decisions must be issued no later than March 31, 2014.

Appeals filed with the Office of the Commissioner of the Review Tribunals (OCRT), the PAB and EI Umpire that have not been heard by April 1, 2013, will be transferred to the SST. The SST will notify appellants whose files have been transferred and provide them with additional information about the appeal process.

The transition period will be complete by April 1, 2014, at which time the SST will be the only body hearing and deciding appeals for EI, CPP and OAS. If any of the existing tribunals is unable to meet the deadlines for issuing decisions, the SST will be responsible for outstanding cases.

Key SST milestones:

• March 29, 2012 - SST announced in Economic Action Plan 2012.
• June 21, 2012 - SST receives Royal Assent.
• March 12, 2013 - Announcement of SST Chairperson.
• March 31, 2013 - Last day for the CPP/OAS Review Tribunals, the PAB and the EI Umpire to hear new cases. The Boards of Referees will continue to hear appeals filed up to this date.
• April 1, 2013 - SST begins operations.
• April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 - Four tribunals finalize cases and wind down operations; SST receives all new appeals.
• October 2013 - The EI Boards of Referees must have issued all decisions on cases filed before March 31, 2013.
• March 31, 2014 - The CPP/OAS Review Tribunals, PAB and EI Umpire will have issued their decisions on all appeals heard before March 31, 2013.
• April 1, 2014 - SST becomes the only decision-making body.
  

SOCIAL SECURITY TRIBUNAL CHAIRPERSON

Murielle Brazeau, Chelsea, Quebec
Murielle Brazeau has been appointed the Chairperson of the Social Security Tribunal. For the past five years, Ms. Brazeau was the Deputy Chief Administrator at the Courts Administration Service (CAS), where she managed all Judicial and Registry services to the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada.

Ms. Brazeau has 23 years of experience in the federal public service, having held senior-level positions at the CAS, the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Health Canada, the Privy Council Office and the Department of Justice. Prior to joining the federal public service, she also practised law in the private sector for six years.

She has extensive experience in setting up new organizations and initiatives, having done so at the CAS, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Health Canada and Justice Canada, and in managing change in small and large departments as well as in regional offices.

Ms. Brazeau holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a License in Law, both from the University of Ottawa. She has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1983.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

COURTS ADMINISTRATION SERVICE - Deputy Chief Administrator, Judicial and Registry Services
May 2011 - March 2013

COURTS ADMINISTRATION SERVICE - Deputy Chief Administrator, Registry Services
January 2008 - May 2011

TREASURY BOARD SECRETARIAT - Executive Director, Policy Renewal Directorate
March 2005 - January 2008

CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - Deputy Secretary General, Operations
August 2001 - March 2005

HEALTH CANADA - Director General, Office of Consumer and Public Involvement
July 2000 - August 2001

HEALTH CANADA - Director General, Strategies and Systems for Health
December 1998 - July 2000

PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE - Policy Analyst
February 1998 - December 1998

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE - Team Leader/General Counsel, Child Support Initiative
April 1996 - February 1998

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE - Senior Counsel, Family, Children and Youth Section
September 1994 - March 1996

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE - Legal Counsel, Family, Children and Youth Section
May 1989 - September 1994

CURRENT SST MEMBERS

Joanne Blanchard, Saint-Bruno, Quebec
Joanne Blanchard has held the positions of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees for her area and Independent Chairperson of the Disciplinary Court of Correctional Services Canada. She has training in law, as well as in translation and writing. Her experience includes Canada-wide and international work experience.

Mark Borer, Toronto, Ontario
Mark Borer is a lawyer with a wide range of experience and is a former member of the Toronto Licensing Tribunal. He is the founder and CEO of Silver Ladder Consulting, an executive-level legal recruitment firm. Prior to that, he was a Senior Legal Consultant with ZSA and David Aplin Recruiting, with a focus on partner-level opportunities. Before becoming an executive recruiter, Mark served as a Policy Advisor with the Ontario Government. A graduate of Queen's University and the University of Toronto, Mark was called to the Ontario bar in February 2002.

Alcide Boudreault, La Baie, Quebec
Alcide Boudreault has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees for his area. He has management experience in insurance, finance and real estate, and he is very involved in community and volunteer organizations in his area.

Renata Brum Bozzi, Milton, Ontario
Renata Bozzi is a former Citizenship Judge at Citizenship and Immigration Canada. She has worked as a General Manager, Researcher and Senior Associate with organizations such as the Catholic Civil Rights League, High Park Group, and for the Honourable Mr. Justice David M. Brown at the Ontario Superior Court. She participates at the community level as a Director for the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. Ms. Bozzi holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Master of Arts from the Toronto School of Theology and a Certificate in Public Relations from the University of Toronto.

Kathleen Craig, Q.C., Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Kathleen Craig, Q.C. is a practising lawyer serving clients throughout the province of PEI. She is a former Chair of the Canada Pension Review Tribunal and of the Real Property Assessment Appeal Board of PEI. Mrs. Craig obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of New Brunswick, as well as her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Dalhousie University.

Paul J. Demers, Sudbury, Ontario
Paul Demers has served as chairperson of the Board of Referees for the Ontario Regional Division since 2007. Mr. Demers has more than 11 years of experience working in public service at the provincial and municipal levels. His experience includes working for the Premier of Ontario and three Ontario Cabinet Ministers, and being the Principal Advisor to the Mayor of Greater Sudbury. He was a Vice-President with Pathway Group Consulting and has been elected twice as a School Board Trustee. Mr. Demers holds a Bachelor of Arts from Laurentian University in Economics.

Claude Durand, Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Claude Durand served as the Chairperson and a member of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees in the Mauricie region for five years. Ms. Durand has held senior positions at a number of private and public corporations, including Télé-Québec and Métro-Richelieu. She has also served as the President and General Manager of the Trois-Rivières Chamber of Commerce and as the Director of Political Operations for Quebec for the Conservative Party of Canada. Ms. Durand has been on the board of directors for a number of organizations, including the Trois-Rivières Port Authority, the Trois-Rivières municipal housing office, the Table Régionale sur L'immigration and the Artisans de la Paix en Mauricie. She holds a master's degree in public administration from ÉNAP (École nationale d'administration publique) and has also studied communications and business administration.

Connie Dyck, Steinbach, Manitoba
Connie Dyck has held the positions of chairperson for the Board of Referees and member with the Office of the Commissioner of Review Tribunals. Ms. Dyck has been teaching in primary schools for the past 10 years and has worked as a legal secretary in the areas of family, civil, real estate and criminal fields. She is active in her community, volunteering with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Mennonite Heritage Village and the Food Bank. Ms. Dyck holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba.

Jane A. Galbraith, Burlington, Ontario
Jane Galbraith has held a member position with the Canada Pension Plan Disability Review Tribunal. She began her career as a public health nurse and went on to work at the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) as a Case Manager and the Director. After the CCAC, she worked for Disability Task Matters, providing nursing assessments and reports .She currently provides expert nursing consulting and is the author of "Baby Boomers Face Grief - Survival and Recovery." Ms. Galbraith holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and has studied Business, Finance and Control at McMaster University. She is a registered nurse and has been a volunteer facilitator for support groups with Acclaim.

William James (Bill) Glover, Lethbridge, Alberta
Bill Glover has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. He is the Sales Manager at Reiter Computer Associates Ltd. Mr. Glover holds a Master of Arts in Administration from Gonzaga University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from the University of Calgary.

Valerie A. Hazlett Parker, Ottawa, Ontario
Valerie Parker has held the position of Chairperson of the Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal. She is a practising lawyer who has authored numerous law articles and papers. She is also a Chartered Mediator and Arbitrator. She holds a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario.

Pierre Lafontaine, Montreal, Quebec
Pierre Lafontaine is a former chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees in his area. Mr. Lafontaine holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the Université de Montréal and has had an independent law practice since 1992.

Leroy J. Légère, Arcadia, Nova Scotia
Leroy Légère has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees for his area. Over the course of his career, he has taken on several management positions in the school system and in education, including Chief Executive Officer of the Southwest Regional School Board and Regional Education Officer for the Nova Scotia Department of Education. Mr. Légère has also been very active in various community organizations in his province.

Gerard (Gerry) McCarthy, Lindsay, Ontario
Gerry McCarthy has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. He is currently a freelance journalist and a former publisher and editor of The Social Edge. Mr. McCarthy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History and has completed one year of the Master of Divinity program at the University of Toronto.

D. Ross McCrimmon, Waterdown, Ontario
Ross McCrimmon has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. He has held numerous senior positions in the fields of marketing, sales and personnel management in the private sector, culminating in the positions of President and CEO of Metrospan Printing and Publishing Ltd. and of Fuel Application Limited companies. He is currently self-employed, specializing in professional consulting services. Mr. McCrimmon holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University.

Normand Morin, Quebec, Quebec
Normand Morin is a former chairperson for the Employment Insurance Board of Referees for his area. Mr. Morin is a teacher with the Commission scolaire de la Capitale. He holds a master's degree in education administration and evaluation from the Université Laval, where he also completed a specialized post-graduate diploma (D.E.S.) in school management, preceded by a bachelor's degree in primary and preschool education as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree. Mr. Morin was also a founding member and chairperson of the Association de défense des jeunes enseignants du Québec.

Neil Parvaiz Nawaz, Toronto, Ontario
Neil Nawaz has held the position of Chairperson with the Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal. He is a practising lawyer who has worked at Raphael Partners LP, served as a Director of Finance and Legal Affairs at Arius Research Inc. and is currently the principal lawyer at Neil Nawaz Law Firm. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto. Mr. Nawaz obtained a Bachelor of Law from the University of Manitoba and is a member of the Law Society of Manitoba and the Law Society of Upper Canada.

John Noonan, Goulds, Newfoundland and Labrador
John Noonan has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. He is a former school teacher, former Director of Adult Basic and International Education at BC's Northwest Community College and has worked in the field of event planning for both the governments of British Columbia and of Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Noonan studied at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Eleni Palantzas, Toronto, Ontario
Eleni Palantzas has held the position of Chairperson for the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. She has spent a number of years with the College of Midwives of Ontario in a number of senior-level roles. She has also worked in various capacities for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Ms. Palantzas has played an active senior role within the Greek community of Toronto and has been elected to serve in a number of executive positions. She is also an advocate of women and awarded community volunteerism. She holds a Bachelor of Science Honours from the University of Toronto.

Takis Pappas, Pickering, Ontario
Takis Pappas has held the position of Chairperson for the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. He has served as a member for the Consent and Capacity Board for 10 years as well as with the Ontario Film Review Board. Mr. Pappas spent a number of years in business in a senior sales management capacity and is an active member of his community. He has been involved with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization for the past 12 years. He holds an Advanced Graduate Diploma in Management from the MBA program at Athabasca University.

Shane R. Parker, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Shane Parker has held the position of Chairperson of the Canada Pension Plan/Old Age Security Review Tribunal. He is a member of the Pipeline Arbitration Committee of the Pipeline Arbitration Secretariat. Prior to dedicating his focus to public service adjudication, Mr. Parker practised as a litigation lawyer with an emphasis on employment, personal injury, real estate and drug prosecutions. Mr. Parker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ottawa.

Jean Philippe Payment, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
Jean Philippe Payment is a specialist in communications and public relations with several years of experience working in the field of politics and related areas. He is currently Director General of the Association of Municipal Engineers of Quebec, and President and Senior Counsel for Acces-Com & Acces-Affaires. He has a graduate degree in public affairs and representation of the public interest from the Université Laval and a two-year advanced diploma in institutional governance from the Bordeaux Institute of Political Studies.

Liza Anne Robichaud, Bathurst, New Brunswick
Liza Robichaud has held the position of Chairperson of the Office of the Commissioner of Review Tribunals. She is lawyer formerly practising criminal law, family law, corporate/commercial law, municipal law and real estate transactions. Ms. Robichaud obtained her Bachelor of Law degree from the University of New Brunswick.

Brian Rodenhurst, Woodstock, Ontario
Brian Rodenhurst has held a member position with a number of tribunals, committees and boards including the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board, the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee and the Social Benefits Tribunal Hiring Committee. He has served as Executive Director for Law School Clinics with the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor and was a founding member of the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal. He has played an active role in municipal politics and holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor and a Bachelor of Arts Honours from the University of Guelph.

Aline Rouleau, Sainte-Françoise, Quebec
Aline Rouleau is a former chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees for her area. She has experience in integrated financial planning and in private legal practice. She has a diploma in notarial law, a Bachelor of Law degree and a financial planner designation, and she is a former member of the discipline and arbitration committees of the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

Virginia Lee Saunders, Vancouver, British Columbia
Virginia Saunders has served as Chairperson of the Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal. She was a litigation lawyer for a private practice in Vancouver and is a legal researcher and writer for Charron Favell Anctil. At the community level, Ms. Saunders is involved with Just Aid Foundation, the Girl Guides of Canada and the Vancouver Minor Softball Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Brunswick and a Bachelor of Law from the University of British Columbia.

Andrea Schloegl, Vancouver, British Columbia
Dr. Andrea Schloegl has held the position of medical member with the Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal. Dr. Schloegl holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a Doctor of Chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. She was a member of the Canadian National Swim Team.

Michael Sheffe, Thornhill, Ontario
Michael Sheffe has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. He has extensive experience in the fields of teaching and education, having held senior management positions in a variety of teaching establishments, and is the former Principal of Wales College. Mr. Sheffe holds a Master of Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and a Bachelor of Arts from York University.

Kelley Sherwood, Ottawa, Ontario
Kelley Sherwood has held a member position with the Canada Pension Plan/Old Age Security Review Tribunal. She has more than 14 years of experience in the health insurance/consulting industries. Ms. Sherwood holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University.

Roy Smith, Richmond, British Columbia
Roy Smith has held the position of Chairperson for the Board of Referees. Mr. Smith had an exemplary 31-year career with the Vancouver Police Department and was instrumental in bringing community policing to Vancouver. In 2010, he was appointed by the Minister of Defence as Honorary Colonel to the 15th Field Artillery Regiment, representing the regiment and the Canadian Forces within the community and promoting interaction between business and community leaders. Mr. Smith's 10 commendations include the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals and the Order of St John. He is a graduate of the Justice Institute of British Columbia.

Richard Wilton Edward Sterne, Brantford, Ontario
Richard Sterne has held the position of Chairperson for the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. He founded Datasym Inc. and served as its President for over 25 years and has occupied a number of senior-level positions at Sternson Ltd. Mr. Sterne sits on the board of a number of charitable foundations and community associations in the Brantford area. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Queen's University, a MBA Honours from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario as well as professional designations in engineering, management and a designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Katherine Wallocha, Coalhurst, Alberta
Katherine Wallocha has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. She is a member of the County of Lethbridge Subdivision and Development Appeals Board. She is the Partnership Manager at the Lethbridge & District YMCA. Ms. Wallocha studied Political Sciences at the University of Lethbridge and has followed training in the fields of alternative dispute resolution and program mediation.

Alyssa J. Yufe, Montreal, Quebec
Alyssa Yufe has held the position of Chairperson of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees. She is a practising lawyer currently employed with a privately held corporation based in Montréal. Ms. Yufe holds Bachelor of Law degrees from the Université de Montréal and from Osgoode Hall Law School, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Queen's University.

SOURCE Human Resources and Skills Development Canada