An Innovative Economy Needs An Innovative Government.

Senator Colin Deacon

What motivates our office

We are dedicated to finding creative ways for government to empower Canada’s entrepreneurs and innovators to solve important national problems and implement globally competitive solutions. We believe that by addressing certain challenges, Canada can begin to unlock the ability of Canadian innovators to improve the quality of life and prosperity of all Canadians. Click here to read our full mission.

  • Climate Innovation.

    Senator Deacon is committed to championing policies that catalyze groundbreaking technologies and processes designed to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

  • Digital Government.

    Digital Government—a new frontier in value creation for individuals and institutions around the world. Innovative technologies enable individuals to unlock capabilities and benefits as they interact with governments, the private sector and society.

  • Regulatory Modernization

    Regulatory stagnation stifles innovation, competition, and productivity in our economy. Senator Deacon advocates for a whole-of-government approach to an agile, modernized regulatory system that accelerates a pro-competitive, innovative, economy while still protecting consumers from risks and harms.

  • Senate Net Zero Project.

    The Senate of Canada is committed to reduce the Senate's carbon footprint to net-zero by 2030 and to implement sustainable practices in its operations.

  • Open Banking.

    Senator Deacon is a strong advocate for the adoption of open banking - a regulatory and systemic change that shifts control and ownership of data from institutions to consumers - in Canada.

  • Other Projects.

    Interested in learning more? Click here for detailed information about our other projects, including past projects.

The Latest.

See the latest from Senator Colin Deacon, including his most recent interviews, speeches, special project updates, and all other endeavours.

  • May 7th, 2025

    In this two-part series with the Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC), Senator Deacon speaks about the causes of Canada’s economic declines. He provides ideas on incentives for growing Canadian companies and how to rethink an industrial policy that reflects the reality of a knowledge and data-driven economy.

    Click here to listen to Part 1 of the conversation.

    Click here to listen to Part 2 of the conversation.

  • May 1st, 2025

    This report highlights the use of regulatory sandboxes in Canada and other jurisdictions. It also highlights the benefits and limitations of using this regulatory instrument. Click here to learn more.

  • February 8th, 2025

    Senator Deacon joins Hashtag Trending podcast host Jim Love to discuss the challenges facing Canada as it transitions into the AI age. They discuss current economic threats, the need for a digital and AI-driven transformation, the importance of regulatory reform, innovation, and the role of digital government in tackling future challenges. Click here to listen to this episode.

  • December 17th, 2024

    Senator Deacon joins The Carbon Curve podcast to share his thoughts on how government policy can empower entrepreneurs, encourage investment in carbon removal technologies, and enable regulatory agility to adapt to the fast evolving needs of carbon removal and climate solutions more generally. Listen to the entire conversation here.

  • December 10th, 2024

    Canadians all around the country are struggling with cost-of-living. Bill C-78 (Tax Break for All Canadians Act) seeks to provide an exemption to GST & HST for two months (until Feb 2025) in order to provide relief to Canadians. Senator Deacon rises in the Chamber to speak against this Bill, highlighting its  negative impacts on provinces, small businesses, and Canadians who are struggling the most. Click here to see the full speech.

  • October 3rd, 2024

    This discussion paper aims to map out the range of innovation-funding programs offered by the Canadian federal government and identify key questions and observations to guide discussion on this crucial economic policy lever. This document is a starting point – one that we hope will drive further conversation.

    Click here to read the discussion paper.