Michael Binder, former assistant deputy minister of spectrum, information technologies and telecommunications at Industry Canada, has been appointed as interim president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The appointment was effective January 15.
Binder has a PhD in physics from the University of Alberta and is described as a career civil servant in a media release issued by Natural Resources. The appointment comes in the wake of the government’s firing of CNSC head Linda Keen.
The Binder appointment was described in an Ottawa Citizen article by Deirdre McMurdy as “a startling choice.” Binder dealt with the spectrum bandwidth auction prior to his new appointment. Terms for the auction, which were announced last year, include special provisions to encourage new players to enter the cell phone business.
The Citizen article states that Binder’s influence over the spectrum auction, prior to his new appointment, had diminished with the ascendancy within Industry Canada of Ron Parker. Parker is a former advisor on financial markets at the Bank of Canada who moved from the Privy Council Office to the position of visiting assistant deputy within Industry Canada.
Binder will lead the CNSC until the Conservatives find a permanent president following an open selection process.
