Economic Development and Corporate Finance Branch

Economic Development and Corporate Finance Branch Organizational Structure

Assistant Deputy Minister: Richard Botham

• Associate Assistant Deputy Minister: Evelyn Dancey

Sectoral Policy Analysis

• Director General: Vacant - Evelyn Dancey (acting)

Microeconomic Policy Analysis

• Director General Greg Reade

Corporate Finance, Natural Resources and Environment

• Director General: Samuel Millar

EDCF – a snapshot

• 60 economists, policy analysts and support staff
• Providing economic and financial advice to the Minister on proposals considered by Cabinet and for the budget
• Exercising the challenge function in interdepartmental discussions on new policies and the management of large capital projects
• Policy and program development on micro-economic and sectoral issues

EDCF Policy Responsibilities

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
  • Farm Credit Corporation
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Department of Fisheries and Oceans
  • Canadian Coast Guard
• Department of National Defence
  • Communications Security Establishment
• Infrastructure Canada
  • Canada Infrastructure Bank
• Transport Canada
  • Via Rail
  • Federal Bridges (Champlain, Gordie Howe)
  • Ports & Airports
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • Parks Canada
  • Impact Assessment Agency
• Natural Resources Canada
  • Canada Energy Regulator
  • Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.
• Canada Development Investment Corporation
  
  • Trans Mountain entities
  • Canada Hibernia Holding Corporation
• Innovation, Science, and Economic Development
  • Federal Granting Councils (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR)
  • National Research Council
  • Business Development Bank of Canada
  • Regional Agencies (WED, FedDEV, FedNor, CED-Q, ACOA, CanNor)
  • Canadian Space Agency
• Certain Crown Corporations
  • Canada Post Corporation
  • Canada Lands Company Limited
  • Defence Construction Canada

EDCF – a vibrant policy shop

Analysts in the branch:

• Work closely with contacts within and outside the federal government
• Keep up with relevant economic developments, studies, and research
• Participate in interdepartmental policy review processes proceeding to Cabinet, and
• Represent Finance in consultations with other levels of government, the private sector, as well as NGOs and international organizations

Key issues we are working on

• Business competitiveness and growth
  • Improving investment and export growth despite recent trade friction with key international partners
  • Entrepreneurship and scale-up of Canadian companies
  • Regulatory modernization
• Innovation
  • Improving business-academic collaboration to translate research discoveries to commercial solutions
  • Marketplace framework (e.g. privacy, IP, competition, etc.) to enable digital and data economy
  • Promoting technology adoption by Canadian firms
  • Rural broadband program rollout
• Environment and Resource Industries
  • Environment and climate change priorities
  • Clean tech adoption and sector development
  • Environmental assessment and regulatory reform
  • Natural resource sector competitiveness
  • Ocean protection, regulation, and related economic development
• Transport and infrastructure
  • Corridors to support trade and export diversification
  • Infrastructure program roll-out and ramp up of Canada Infrastructure Bank
  • New approaches for Indigenous infrastructure
• Other issues
  • National defence and Coast Guard policy and procurement – jets and ships
  • Oversight of the Canada Development Investment Corporation (CDEV), including the Trans Mountain entities
  • Economic participation of Indigenous peoples in the Trans Mountain Expansion project
  • Work with officials in Newfoundland and Labrador on Muskrat Falls hydro-electricity project
  • Restructuring Government of Canada assets – Ridley Terminals
  • Canada Post financial sustainability
  • Managing industrial and regional adjustment pressures
  • Improving service fee implementation and modernization processes to facilitate action to reduce cost recovery gaps at key Government departments and agencies