5 March 2010
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the appointment of Bob Dechert, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Erindale, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice.
“Our government is serious about getting tough on crime. Since we were first elected, we have made it one of our highest priorities. There are still law and order measures that are urgently needed and Bob brings the right combination of skill and experience to help our Government continue its efforts to bring criminals to justice, keep Canadians safe and support the innocent victims of crime,” said the Prime Minister. “I am confident that Bob will be an excellent and indispensible member of our House leadership team.”
Parliamentary secretaries are responsible for assisting members of the Cabinet with their parliamentary responsibilities. As part of these responsibilities, parliamentary secretaries frequently represent their minister in parliamentary committees and work closely with members of Parliament in the House of Commons.
Mr. Dechert’s biography is attached.
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA
Bob Dechert was elected to the House of Commons in 2008, representing Mississauga – Erindale (Ontario). He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada in March 2010. Mr. Dechert has served as a member of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics and the Standing Committee on Finance.
Mr. Dechert is a former senior partner with the law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, and a former president of the Empire Club of Canada.
Mr. Dechert has lived in Mississauga for many years with his wife Ruth Clark.
