Niels Veldhuis has been appointed president of the Fraser Institute.
Formerly the Fraser Institute’s vice-president of Canadian policy research, Veldhuis will now oversee all aspects of the think-tank’s operations.
Veldhuis joined the Fraser Institute in 2002 and has served as its senior economist and director of fiscal studies. He is the author or co-author of six books on economics and public policy, including Learning from the Past: How Canadian Fiscal Policies of the 1990s Can Be Applied Today. In addition, he has written more than 250 articles that have appeared in Canadian newspapers, as well as The Wall Street Journal and The Economist. He also regularly appears before both House of Commons and Senate committees as an expert witness on economic public policy. In 2011, he led a discussion between former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush at the Surrey Economic Forum.
“Niels Veldhuis is one of the most pre-eminent economists and trusted policy analysts in Canada. He brings the intelligence, the experience and the guts necessary to lead the country’s No. 1 think tank,” said Peter M. Brown, chair of the Fraser Institute board of trustees.
“Since 1974, the Fraser Institute has been educating Canadians about the effects of government intervention and competitive markets. Our mission is now more important than ever,” said Veldhuis. “As president, I will ensure that Fraser Institute research is at the forefront of the Canadian, and global, policy debate.”