David Emerson

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David Emerson, PC, MP, MA, Ph.D (born September 17 1945 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian politician, businessman and civil servant. Emerson is Minister of International Trade in the Canadian Cabinet.

Emerson is the Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected in the 2004 election as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry. He was re-elected in the 2006 federal election and was featured in televised Liberal election ads promoting the party in British Columbia as the best choice for voters. Fourteen days later, on 6 February 2006, he crossed the floor and joined Stephen Harper's Conservative Cabinet on the day of its creation. Emerson now serves as Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics. ^{[{{fullurl:}}#endnote_cbc20060206a]} He is the first Canadian MP to cross the floor after being officially elected, but before being officially sworn in.

1 Early life and business career
2 Political career
3 References
4 External links

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Early life and business career

David Emerson attended the University of Alberta and obtained his Bachelor of Economics degree in 1968 and his Master of Economics degree in 1970. He then went on to Queen's University where he received his Ph.D. in Economics.

In 1975, after working as a researcher for the Economic Council of Canada, he moved to British Columbia and joined the public service. In 1984, he became Deputy Minister of Finance.

In 1986, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Western and Pacific Bank of Canada. He transformed it into the Western Bank of Canada- the only regional bank to survive and prosper. Four years later, he returned as Deputy Minister of Finance and was quickly promoted to Deputy Minister to the Premier and President of the British Columbia Trade Development Corporation.

From 1992 to 1997, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the newly created Vancouver International Airport Authority, transforming the airport from one of Canada's most congested to one of the most modern and efficient in the world. Today, the airport is a major economic generator for the province due to his vision and expertise.

In 1998, Emerson was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Canfor Corporation, a leading integrated forest products company and Canada's largest producer of softwood lumber. With 8,100 workers and annual revenues of $3.2 billion servicing 10 % of the U.S. market, Canfor operates pulp and paper mills as well as 19 sawmills across B.C., two in Alberta and one in Quebec. Despite US duties and a higher Canadian dollar, Emerson managed to increase profits and raise share prices through a major acquisition deal and efficiency upgrades, which increased capacity by 30% while reducing production costs by 24%.

Emerson's directorships included: Terasen Inc; Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada; Vice-Chairman of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives; Chair, British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.; and Chairman and Director of Genus Resource Management Technologies Inc.

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Political career

Emerson was elected in the riding of Vancouver-Kingway during the 2004 Canadian federal election. He served as Minister of Industry in Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government.

He ran again as a Liberal in the 2006 Canadian federal election. He attracted some media attention with a comment that NDP leader Jack Layton had a "boiled dog's head smile". While the term is translated from the common and mild Cantonese insult "烚熟狗頭", Emerson said that he believed it to be a humourous phrase indicating a person with an "overextended grin". Emerson said that his wife, a Cantonese speaker, used the phrase to describe him when he posed for pictures. ^{[{{fullurl:}}#endnote_cbc20051229a]}.

On Election Night, January 23, 2006, Emerson was quoted as saying "I'm going to be Stephen Harper's worst enemy,"..."We're going to stir the pot and you better believe we are going to make a heck of a lot of noise."

On January 26, 2006, Emerson was interviewed in a newspaper discussing the rebuilding the Liberal Party needs to perform and his role in creating a new Liberal Party.

On February 6, 2006, less than two weeks after Emerson was re-elected as a Liberal, he accepted an offer by Stephen Harper to become the Minister of International Trade in Stephen Harper's Conservative government.

Emerson also does not live in the district he represents.

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Cabinet Post
28th Ministry - Government of Stephen Harper
Predecessor	Office	Successor
Jim Peterson	Minister of International Trade (2006–present)	incumbent
27th Ministry - Government of Paul Martin
Cabinet Post
Predecessor	Office	Successor
Lucienne Robillard	Minister of Industry (2004–2006)	Maxime Bernier