OTTAWA — Pierre Poilievre is betting that a new council of heavy hitters can find the fix for Canada’s economic slowdown. The Conservative leader announced the Economic Growth Council this week, a body designed to hunt down the roots of stagnation and sketch out ways to bring back prosperity.
The group is co-chaired by Calgary MP Greg McLean, Quebec MP Gaétan Malette, and former Nova Scotia MP Rick Perkins. Their mission: pull together voices from business, labour, Indigenous communities, non-profits, and the innovation world, and hammer out policies aimed at creating jobs, attracting capital, and lifting Canadians’ standard of living.
The council gathered for the first time on September 12, meeting virtually to kick off what’s pitched as a wide-ranging consultation process. Poilievre, in a message to members, urged them to focus on policies that “reverse the flow of investment capital back to our country” and chart a path toward “better outcomes for all Canadians.”
Beyond the launch fanfare, the council is expected to hit the road. Members will consult with local leaders across the country, an effort meant to ground their eventual recommendations in real-world experience rather than think-tank theory.
The timeline is tight by Ottawa standards: an interim report is due in January 2026, with the potential to spark debate in Parliament soon after. Whether the findings end up as a blueprint for Conservative policy or another shelf-bound report is the open question.
Membership Highlights
Greg McLean
McLean, Conservative MP for Calgary Centre, is a veteran of the finance and energy sectors. First elected in 2019, he has served as the party’s critic for natural resources and as a member of the House of Commons finance committee. He brings experience in investment management and business development to the Council.
Gaétan Malette
Malette, MP for Nipissing–Timiskaming, has worked extensively in Northern Ontario economic development. He has served on parliamentary committees related to industry and regional growth, with a focus on policies that support resource communities and small businesses.
Rick Perkins
Perkins, a former Conservative MP for South Shore–St. Margarets, has a background in the fisheries sector, telecommunications and business strategy. During his time in Parliament, he served as critic for innovation, science and industry. He is returning to public policy work as a co-chair of the Council.
Michael Rose
Michael Rose, a veteran geologist, brings more than four decades of experience in Canada’s oil and gas sector. He started his career with Shell Canada in 1979, working across exploration, production, and research for 14 years. In 1993, he founded Berkley Petroleum, which became one of the country’s top exploration companies in the 1990s before being sold to Anadarko Petroleum for $1.6 billion. Rose went on to launch Duvernay Oil Corp. in 2001, helping to pioneer development in the Alberta Deep Basin and British Columbia’s Montney formation. Shell Canada purchased the company in 2008 for $5.9 billion.
Christie Love Thomas
Christie Love Thomas serves as Vice President of Strategy and sits on the board at Jona Capital. Her portfolio spans asset allocation, oversight of external managers, and private equity investments. Before joining Jona, she worked in institutional equity sales with UBS in Paris and London. She holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, a BA (Hons.) from Huron University College, and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Barry Appleton
Barry Appleton is managing partner at Appleton & Associates International Lawyers in Toronto, co-director of the International Law Center at New York Law School, and a fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. A specialist in international economic law, he has advised governments and institutions for more than three decades. Appleton served on Ontario’s cabinet committee during NAFTA negotiations and represented the Vancouver Board of Trade in Washington, D.C. He is the author of two books on NAFTA and numerous publications on trade and digital sovereignty. A frequent media commentator in Canada and the United States, his work has appeared in outlets including the National Post.
This report by TrendingPolitics.ca was first published Sept. 16, 2025.
