PM chooses senior federal Justice lawyer to be next privacy commissioner

OTTAWA – The prime minister has picked a senior Justice Department lawyer to be the next federal privacy commissioner.

The nomination of Daniel Therrien must be approved by a resolution of both the House of Commons and Senate before becoming final.

He would replace interim privacy commissioner Chantal Bernier, who stepped in when Jennifer Stoddart retired from the job last year.

Therrien, who has worked for several federal agencies, is assistant deputy attorney general for public safety, defence and immigration at the Justice Department.

He co-led negotiations on privacy principles governing the sharing of information between Canada and the United States under the new perimeter security pact.

The privacy commissioner monitors the compliance of government agencies and private companies with federal privacy laws, and handles complaints from the public about alleged violations.

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