Navdeep Singh Bains PC FCPA (born June 16, 1977) is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry from 2015 to 2021.
Bains unexpectedly retired from politics in January 2021 and joined CIBC as Vice-Chair, Global Investment Banking in September 2021.
[2][13] In October 2005, Bains also became a member of the Red Ribbon Task Force that released a 2006 report on revitalizing the party organization.
[16] Because of his position in the Party and the roles he has been given, Bains was seen as a rising star, and had been selected three years in a row in the Hill Times survey as the best up and comer.
[18] In the 39th Parliament, Bains held Official Opposition critic portfolios for Public Works and Government Services, the Treasury Board and International Trade, respectively.
[19] In January 2007, he was appointed to the National Election Readiness Committee as a Caucus Representative and in March 2007 served as the Youth Liaison to the Young Liberals of Canada.
[18] During the 40th Parliament, Bains held Official Opposition critic portfolios for Natural Resources and Small Business and Tourism.
[24] He also served on the Ontario Provincial Board of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, including a stint as Vice Chair starting December 2014.
[32] The next day, Bains announced that the mandatory long form census would be restored for 2016, after it was removed from the 2011 edition under the Harper government.
Based on the consultations, the Bains identified three priority areas for Canada's Innovation Agenda: finding better ways for more Canadians to get the skills the global economy demands (People), harnessing emerging tech that would create industries and jobs that never existed before as well as reinvigorate existing ones (Technology), and encouraging more Canadians to start and grow companies that are competitive in the global economy (Companies).
[37] In December 2016, he also launched Connect to Innovate, a program that will invest $500 million to bring high-speed Internet to rural and remote communities across Canada.
Bains locked in the manufacturing of the C-Series in Montréal, protecting 6,000 direct jobs in Ontario and Québec in the aerospace industry.
[42] In August 2020, amidst a review of an August 2019 decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to reduce capacity rates by up to 43% and access rates up to 77%, Bains released a statement saying that the government shared the fears of Canada's big telecommunication corporations that it went too far and would disincentivize investment in communication networks, especially less profitable rural and remote areas.
[43] In August 2020, Bains and Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand, announced major steps towards securing COVID-19 vaccine and therapies.
[44] Potential members of the Joint Biomanufacturing Subcommittee of the COVID‐19 Vaccine Task Force and Therapeutics Task Force Meeting began meeting on June 22, 2020, to examine initial proposals from Laval, Quebec-based-Biodextris, Calgary, Alberta-based-Providence Therapeutics, Edmonton, Alberta-based-Entos Pharmaceuticals, Montréal-based Glycovax Pharma, Vancouver-based-Precision Nanosystems, Vancouver-based Symvivo Incorporated, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia-based IMV, Quebec City-based Medicago Inc., and Maryland-based Novavax.
In the same Parliamentary session, Bains introduced bill C-36, intended to enhance, reinforce and protect the independence of Statistics Canada, fulfilling a campaign promise from the Liberals 2015 election platform.
[51] On April 7, 2017, CFIB's Executive Vice-President and Chief Strategic Officer Laura Jones[52] presented Bains with a Golden Scissors Award"[53] as a symbolic gesture of cutting through red tape shortly after Bains announced the interprovincial legislation entitled the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA).