Senator Colin Deacon

In this statement, Senator Deacon raises issues concerning Canadian intellectual property rights and protections. Despite being a nation of innovators with a globally competitive research engine, far too much of Canada's IP is commercialized elsewhere. Over the past 20 years, the number of Canadian-invented patents transferred to foreign firms has tripled from 18% to 56%.

Senator Deacon rises in the Chamber to speak on Bill S-236, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Employment Insurance Regulations (Prince Edward Island). If passed, Bill S-236 would set out a structure to make the province of PEI one zone to ensure equity across EI claimants. Senator Deacon argues that this Bill is critical in correcting a longstanding unfair treatment of PEI citizens based on their place of residence,  and will assist with labour shortages currently affecting the province. Click here to see more.

Ukraine has managed to implement an astonishingly comprehensive set of digital government services, with 70 key public services available, half the adult population participating, and a goal of digitizing all government services by 2024 – despite the fact that the country is fighting for its very existence in a war with Russia. This remarkable achievement was presented to a special meeting of the CIO Strategy Council, a group of Canada’s leading CIOs and industry leaders.

In this piece by Kelsey Rolfe, Senator Deacon joins finance industry voices  to discuss the benefits of Open Banking, which would allow individuals and businesses to have control over their own financial data. These benefits include increased competition among financial institutions, lower fees for consumers, and better services for underbanked and marginalized populations. Read the full article here.

Budget 2022 promises to deliver "targeted and responsible investments to create jobs and prosperity today, and build a stronger economic future for all Canadians." Senator Deacon speaks at third reading to the Budget Implementation Act, stressing the importance of government's role as catalyst for private investment and innovation, the need for greater competition, and regulatory modernization for our collective prosperity. Click to see the full speech.

In a rapidly evolving world, Canada's regulations need the agility to deal with disruptions and new developments head-on. The current status quo governing regulations impede catalytic market activity, creates unnecessary, cumbersome burdens for Canada's firms, and leaves little opportunity for innovation. In his second speech on the importance of regulatory modernization in Canada, Senator Deacon reiterates the importance of broader consultations from diverse stakeholders and advocates for industry-led standards to complement the regulatory modernization process. Click here to see his full remarks.

Pervasive systemic barriers have prevented Black entrepreneurs from accessing capital, building and scaling their businesses in Canada. In this opinion piece, Senators Gerba, Deacon and former Senator Oliver opine what it would take to reimagine support programs for Black entrepreneurs in order to accelerate their success in Canada. Click here to see more of the article.

In June 2022, the federal government announced the nomination of Mr. Philippe Dufresne as the next Privacy Commissioner of Canada. At his nomination hearing in the Senate, Senator Deacon asked Mr. Dufresne how he intends to fulfill his mandate of balancing the need to protect consumer data rights and Privacy, while enabling globally competitive innovation in Canada. Click here to see his question and Mr. Dufresne's full answer.

In this Ministerial Question Period, Senator Deacon asks the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship about the government's strategy in leveraging immigration for Canada's innovation sector. Senator Deacon asks about whether the government will simplify the Global Talent Stream and update the Startup Visa program in order to attract the best tech talent to Canada. Click here to see the question and Minister's response.