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Video Stories - Anne McLellan - Transcript

Hello everyone. I'm Anne McLellan and I had the honour of being Minister of Natural Resources in the Government of Canada from November 1993 till June of 1997, and, obviously during that period of time I had the opportunity to get to know the National Energy Board, work with the National Energy Board and get to know some of the people who were working there at that time, and some of whom like Ken Vollman, who continue to work for the National Energy Board.

First of all, I was thinking about my very first meeting after becoming Minister and it was all a bit of a whirl, and coming to Calgary to meet Mr. Priddle and he gave me a tour of what were then the new National Energy Board headquarters in the city of Calgary because the move really was still brand new and I remember Roland walking me around introducing me to various people who, obviously had moved from Ottawa, and talking about, you know, whether the move was, if you like, working out for some of the people who had moved West, what the transition was like for people and their families. One of the things I was struck by was in fact how concerned Roland was about the people who had moved from the East to the city of Calgary, how they and their families were making the transition, and working to make sure that those who had moved felt that it was the right thing for them and their families and they were settling in. And I think it's fair to say looking back now some almost 20 years at least, I guess 18 or so since the move to the city of Calgary, that it was the right thing to do and I think it's obviously a smart thing to bring your regulator as close as possible to the industry they're regulating and hence, even though dare I say the decision was made by a Conservative government, it was very much the right thing to do and I think the history of the National Energy Board and the city of Calgary has been a very positive one, not only for the province of Alberta but for our entire country. And I know in what high regard the National Energy Board is held not only here at home but around the world, and one of the things I always heard when I travelled as Minister to other countries, was the high regard in which the National Energy Board was held and the professionalism they displayed, the outstanding quality of the work they did, the research they did, the hearings, the processes they put in place to bring about transparency and accountability long before those words became buzz words in the world of governance.

So I just want to say congratulations to everybody at the National Energy Board, everyone who has been involved with this remarkable organization for 50 years. I have had the honour of knowing only a handful of the people who have worked so diligently on behalf of the Board over these 50 years but let me say that the people I have had the opportunity to work with and to get to know have always impressed me with their dedication, their diligence, commitment to purpose and they exemplify the very best of professional public servants. So again a heartfelt congratulations to you all, and happy 50^th birthday.

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Date Modified:

2011-10-26