David Pratt (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
David Pratt, PC
(born January 3, 1955) is a former Canadian
politician
. He was the Member of Parliament for Nepean—Carleton
from 1997 until 2004.
City Council. His re-election in 1991 also gave him a seat on the Ottawa
Carleton Regional Council. In the municipal election of 1994, his candidacy was uncontested and he was acclaimed. On Nepean Council, Pratt served a term as Deputy Mayor and chaired the committees of Public Works and Parks and Recreation. On Regional Council, he worked on transportation and environment issues and was a member of the Ottawa-Carleton Police Services Board and the OC Transpo
Commission. He served for five years on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
where he was involved in community safety and crime prevention issues as well as district energy.
, Pratt was directly involved in several major procurement projects totaling $7 billion including the Maritime Helicopter Program to replace the aging Sea King fleet, the Mobile Gun System and a new fixed wing search and rescue aircraft. He also obtained federal cabinet approval for the Joint Support Ship program to provide new supply ships for the Canadian Navy. As the local Ottawa
cabinet minister, he worked with provincial and municipal officials to assemble $600 million in funding for a proposed light rail
transit system – a project that was subsequently cancelled by the City of Ottawa.
As Chair of the Commons Defence Committee, he was a strong advocate for increased military spending both before and after the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001. Under his leadership, the defence committee released a report entitled: “http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=226&Lang=1&SourceId=129917Facing Our Responsibilities: The state of readiness of the Canadian Forces
]” which called for substantial new investments in Canada’s military capabilities. As committee chair, Pratt also argued strongly for a more bi-partisan approach to defence issues and for regular reviews of Canadian foreign and defence policy. He successfully sponsored a resolution in Parliament to declare the first Sunday in June “Canadian Forces Day” and contributed to policy debates on defence and security matters with two papers: “Fostering Human Security: A Joint Canada-US Brigade,” (October 2000) and “Does Canada Need A Foreign Intelligence Agency?” (March 2003).
In 1999, Pratt served as a Special Envoy for Lloyd Axworthy
, Minister of Foreign Affairs to Sierra Leone
and performed the same role for Axworthy’s successor, John Manley
. He visited the war torn country on several occasions. He met and held talks with the former Sierra Leonean President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, and former President Charles Taylor of Liberia
, President Lansana Conte
of Guinea
, and other senior officials and diplomatic representatives including Revolutionary United Front
leader Foday Sankoh
. He wrote two reports - “The Forgotten Crisis” (April 1999) and “Sierra Leone: Danger and Opportunity in a Regional Conflict” (July 2001). His recommendations called for more Canadian aid to Sierra Leone and more direct Canadian involvement to bring peace to the region. He also suggested that Liberian President Charles Taylor be investigated by the Special Court for Sierra Leone
for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in prolonging the regional conflict. Pratt also introduced the first legislation in Canada to certify diamonds under the United Nations
sanctioned Kimberley Process
to stop the trade in blood diamonds and to protect the integrity of the Canadian diamond industry. Similar government sponsored legislation was eventually passed by Parliament.
A strong advocate of physical fitness, in July 2003, he completed the grueling four-day 160 kilometer International Four Days Marches Nijmegen
with members of the Canadian Forces
– the first Canadian Member of Parliament to do so. In the 2004 federal election
, he lost his seat to the Conservative candidate, forcing his departure as Defence Minister three weeks later.
as a Special Advisor in November 2004. He has worked in the area of conflict prevention, small arms and light weapons and international humanitarian law
. In 2006, he helped initiate the Canadian Red Cross’s Auxiliary to Government project. The project sought to improve the cooperation between the Canadian Red Cross and governments at all levels in Canada, especially in the area of emergency management
. It emphasized the special and distinct role that Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have under domestic and international law and the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The project also sought to obtain new legislation to replace the outdated The Canadian Red Cross Society Act, 1909. As the project leader, Pratt authored a discussion paper entitled: "Toward a Renewed Canadian Red Cross – Forging Stronger Partnerships In Support of a Humanitarian Agenda" and the project’s interim report entitled: "Revitalizing the Framework of Cooperation with Public Authorities".
In July 2008, Pratt left the Canadian Red Cross and ran as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean
where he faced incumbent minister John Baird
. He received 20,161 votes or 36.1 percent compared to Baird’s 25,109 votes and 44.9 percent of the vote. Following the election, Pratt worked as a consultant. In 2009 and 2010, he spent over five months in Baghdad, Iraq employed by AECOM
on the USAID sponsored Iraq Legislative Strengthening Program. Pratt was responsible for organizing an orientation and training program for newly elected Iraqi MPs. He also provided teaching material on legislative committees, the concept of parliamentary privilege and codes of ethics for parliamentarians. In August 2009, a three vehicle convoy in which Pratt and four other colleagues were travelling was hit by an IED. The explosion, which occurred in the Red Zone in Baghdad, caused significant vehicle damage and blew out windows in the surrounding area, but no one was hurt.
In January 2011, Pratt accepted the position of Vice President of Public Affairs with GCI Canada, a public relations and public affairs company with offices in Toronto and Ottawa. GCI Canada is owned by WPP plc, a global media communications services company with its main management office in London, United Kingdom and its executive office in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. WPP is the world's largest advertising group by revenues, and has over 2,400 offices in 107 countries. It owns a number of advertising, public relations
and market research
networks, including Grey
, Burson-Marsteller
, Hill & Knowlton
, JWT
, Ogilvy Group
, TNS
and Young & Rubicam
.
Pratt is a director of the Conference of Defence Associations of Canada
, a fellow and member of the advisory board of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute. He is also an honorary member of the Royal Military College of Canada
and serves on the board of directors of Serenity House, a residential substance abuse treatment centre in Ottawa.
He has authored several papers and lectures including: “Re-tooling for New Challenges: Parliaments as Peace-builders”, (June 2005), “Is There a Grand Strategy in Canadian Foreign Policy” Ellis Lectures, University of Calgary, Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, (June 12–14, 2007) and “Canadian Grand Strategy and Lessons Learned” (April 2008), Journal of Transatlantic Studies
, United Kingdom
). More recently, (March 2011) he authored a paper on Canada’s Reserve Forces entitled “Canada’s Citizen Soldiers: A Discussion Paper” for the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born January 3, 1955) is a former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was the Member of Parliament for Nepean—Carleton
Nepean—Carleton
Nepean—Carleton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988 and since 1997....
from 1997 until 2004.
Early political career
Before Pratt was elected federally, he served in public office municipally. In 1988, he won a seat on NepeanNepean, Ontario
- Recent quantity of snow :- History :Nepean Township, originally known as Township D, was established in 1792 and originally included what is now the central area of Ottawa west of the Rideau River. Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, is believed to have been the first person to settle in Nepean...
City Council. His re-election in 1991 also gave him a seat on the Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
Carleton Regional Council. In the municipal election of 1994, his candidacy was uncontested and he was acclaimed. On Nepean Council, Pratt served a term as Deputy Mayor and chaired the committees of Public Works and Parks and Recreation. On Regional Council, he worked on transportation and environment issues and was a member of the Ottawa-Carleton Police Services Board and the OC Transpo
OC Transpo
OC Transpo is the urban transit service of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. An integrated hub-and-spoke system of services is available consisting of: regular buses travelling on fixed routes in mixed traffic, typical of most urban transit systems; a bus rapid transit system — a high...
Commission. He served for five years on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is a civic advocacy group representing many Canadian municipalities. It is an organization with no formal power but significant ability to influence debate and policy, as it is main national lobby group of mayors, councillors and other elected municipal...
where he was involved in community safety and crime prevention issues as well as district energy.
National politics
As Minister of National DefenceMinister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
, Pratt was directly involved in several major procurement projects totaling $7 billion including the Maritime Helicopter Program to replace the aging Sea King fleet, the Mobile Gun System and a new fixed wing search and rescue aircraft. He also obtained federal cabinet approval for the Joint Support Ship program to provide new supply ships for the Canadian Navy. As the local Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
cabinet minister, he worked with provincial and municipal officials to assemble $600 million in funding for a proposed light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
transit system – a project that was subsequently cancelled by the City of Ottawa.
As Chair of the Commons Defence Committee, he was a strong advocate for increased military spending both before and after the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001. Under his leadership, the defence committee released a report entitled: “http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=226&Lang=1&SourceId=129917Facing Our Responsibilities: The state of readiness of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
]” which called for substantial new investments in Canada’s military capabilities. As committee chair, Pratt also argued strongly for a more bi-partisan approach to defence issues and for regular reviews of Canadian foreign and defence policy. He successfully sponsored a resolution in Parliament to declare the first Sunday in June “Canadian Forces Day” and contributed to policy debates on defence and security matters with two papers: “Fostering Human Security: A Joint Canada-US Brigade,” (October 2000) and “Does Canada Need A Foreign Intelligence Agency?” (March 2003).
In 1999, Pratt served as a Special Envoy for Lloyd Axworthy
Lloyd Axworthy
Lloyd Norman Axworthy, PC, OC, OM is a prominent Canadian politician, statesman and University President from Manitoba. He is best known for having served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien...
, Minister of Foreign Affairs to Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and performed the same role for Axworthy’s successor, John Manley
John Manley
John Manley may refer to:* John Manley , English soldier, MP and Postmaster General* John Manley, Canadian politician* John Manley , British archaeologist* John H. Manley, American nuclear physicist...
. He visited the war torn country on several occasions. He met and held talks with the former Sierra Leonean President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, and former President Charles Taylor of Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, President Lansana Conte
Lansana Conté
Lansana Conté was the second President of Guinea from 3 April 1984 until his death. He was a Muslim and a member of the Susu ethnic group.-Early life:...
of Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, and other senior officials and diplomatic representatives including Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
leader Foday Sankoh
Foday Sankoh
Foday Saybana Sankoh was the leader and founder of the Sierra Leone rebel group Revolutionary United Front in the 11-year-long Sierra Leone Civil War, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002...
. He wrote two reports - “The Forgotten Crisis” (April 1999) and “Sierra Leone: Danger and Opportunity in a Regional Conflict” (July 2001). His recommendations called for more Canadian aid to Sierra Leone and more direct Canadian involvement to bring peace to the region. He also suggested that Liberian President Charles Taylor be investigated by the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...
for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in prolonging the regional conflict. Pratt also introduced the first legislation in Canada to certify diamonds under the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
sanctioned Kimberley Process
Kimberley Process
Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is the process designed to certify the origin of rough diamonds from sources which are free of conflict funded by diamond production....
to stop the trade in blood diamonds and to protect the integrity of the Canadian diamond industry. Similar government sponsored legislation was eventually passed by Parliament.
A strong advocate of physical fitness, in July 2003, he completed the grueling four-day 160 kilometer International Four Days Marches Nijmegen
International Four Days Marches Nijmegen
The International Four Day Marches Nijmegen is the largest marching event in the world. It is organised every year in Nijmegen in mid-July as a means of promoting sport and exercise. Participants walk 30, 40 or 50 kilometers daily, and, on completion, receive a royally approved medal...
with members of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
– the first Canadian Member of Parliament to do so. In the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, he lost his seat to the Conservative candidate, forcing his departure as Defence Minister three weeks later.
Career after politics
Following his electoral loss, Pratt joined the Canadian Red CrossCanadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society is a Canadian humanitarian charitable organization and one of 186 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies....
as a Special Advisor in November 2004. He has worked in the area of conflict prevention, small arms and light weapons and international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
. In 2006, he helped initiate the Canadian Red Cross’s Auxiliary to Government project. The project sought to improve the cooperation between the Canadian Red Cross and governments at all levels in Canada, especially in the area of emergency management
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
. It emphasized the special and distinct role that Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have under domestic and international law and the Statutes of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The project also sought to obtain new legislation to replace the outdated The Canadian Red Cross Society Act, 1909. As the project leader, Pratt authored a discussion paper entitled: "Toward a Renewed Canadian Red Cross – Forging Stronger Partnerships In Support of a Humanitarian Agenda" and the project’s interim report entitled: "Revitalizing the Framework of Cooperation with Public Authorities".
In July 2008, Pratt left the Canadian Red Cross and ran as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 112,509.-Geography:...
where he faced incumbent minister John Baird
John Baird (Canadian politician)
John Russell Baird, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
. He received 20,161 votes or 36.1 percent compared to Baird’s 25,109 votes and 44.9 percent of the vote. Following the election, Pratt worked as a consultant. In 2009 and 2010, he spent over five months in Baghdad, Iraq employed by AECOM
AECOM
AECOM Technology Corporation is a professional technical and management support services firm. The company is ranked as the number one design firm for 2010 and 2011 by Engineering News-Record and number one by Architectural Record. It provides services in the areas of transportation, planning,...
on the USAID sponsored Iraq Legislative Strengthening Program. Pratt was responsible for organizing an orientation and training program for newly elected Iraqi MPs. He also provided teaching material on legislative committees, the concept of parliamentary privilege and codes of ethics for parliamentarians. In August 2009, a three vehicle convoy in which Pratt and four other colleagues were travelling was hit by an IED. The explosion, which occurred in the Red Zone in Baghdad, caused significant vehicle damage and blew out windows in the surrounding area, but no one was hurt.
In January 2011, Pratt accepted the position of Vice President of Public Affairs with GCI Canada, a public relations and public affairs company with offices in Toronto and Ottawa. GCI Canada is owned by WPP plc, a global media communications services company with its main management office in London, United Kingdom and its executive office in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. WPP is the world's largest advertising group by revenues, and has over 2,400 offices in 107 countries. It owns a number of advertising, public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and market research
Market research
Market research is any organized effort to gather information about markets or customers. It is a very important component of business strategy...
networks, including Grey
Grey Global Group
Grey Group is a global advertising and marketing agency, whose slogan is providing solutions - with headquarters in New York City, and 432 offices in 96 countries, operating in 154 cities — organized into four geographical units: North America; Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin...
, Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller is a global public relations and communications firm headquartered in the United States. Burson-Marsteller operates 67 wholly owned offices and 71 affiliate offices in 98 countries across six continents...
, Hill & Knowlton
Hill & Knowlton
Hill & Knowlton is a global public relations company, headquartered in New York City, United States, with 79 offices in 44 countries. Hill & Knowlton was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1927 by John W. Hill and is today led by Chairman & CEO, Paul Taaffe...
, JWT
JWT
JWT is one of the largest advertising agencies in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world. It is one of the key companies of Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP Group and is headquartered in New York. The global agency is led by Worldwide Chairman and Global CEO Bob Jeffrey who took over the...
, Ogilvy Group
Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is an international advertising, marketing and public relations agency based in Manhattan and owned by the WPP Group. The company operates 497 offices in 125 countries with approximately 16,000 employees.-History:...
, TNS
Taylor Nelson Sofres
Taylor Nelson Sofres is a leading market research and market information group. Formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, the firm was acquired by WPP Group in October 2008 for 1.6 billion pounds.-History:...
and Young & Rubicam
Young & Rubicam
Y&R is a marketing and communications company specializing in advertising, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting.-History:...
.
Pratt is a director of the Conference of Defence Associations of Canada
Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute
The Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute was incorporated as a charitable organization in 2001. CDFAI is an independent “research institute/think tank” based in Calgary. It pursues new ideas to focus the national debate and understanding of Canada’s international policies with the ultimate...
, a fellow and member of the advisory board of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute. He is also an honorary member of the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
and serves on the board of directors of Serenity House, a residential substance abuse treatment centre in Ottawa.
He has authored several papers and lectures including: “Re-tooling for New Challenges: Parliaments as Peace-builders”, (June 2005), “Is There a Grand Strategy in Canadian Foreign Policy” Ellis Lectures, University of Calgary, Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, (June 12–14, 2007) and “Canadian Grand Strategy and Lessons Learned” (April 2008), Journal of Transatlantic Studies
Journal of Transatlantic Studies
The Journal of Transatlantic Studies is a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed academic journal that covers all aspects pertaining to transatlantic relations....
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
). More recently, (March 2011) he authored a paper on Canada’s Reserve Forces entitled “Canada’s Citizen Soldiers: A Discussion Paper” for the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute.