Posted on Feb 12, 2019
Guest Speaker:  Friday, March 1, 2019
Location:  Fairmont Royal York, Imperial Room
Topic:    The Rohingya Refugee Crisis:
 Why It’s Still Happening and What We Can Do About It”
Host:   Robert O’Brien, Club President 1998-99
The Honourable Bob Rae, PC, CC, O.Ont,QC, Ontario’s 21st Premier
 
The Honourable Bob Keith Rae served as Ontario’s 21st Premier from 1990-1995 and Interim Federal Leader of the Liberal Party in 2011-2013 during which time he played a significant role in the rebuilding of the federal party and its return to power in October 2015. 

 
Between 1978 and 2013 Mr. Rae was elected eleven times in federal and provincial politics and served in Parliament and at Queens Park.     He was named Queen’s Counsel in 1984, appointed to the Privy Council in 1998, named as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000, received the Ontario Order of Ontario in 2004 and Companion of the Order of Canada in 2015.  
 
Mr. Rae led a major independent inquiry and landmark report into the Air India bombing which took place on June 23, 1985, which was one of the worst terrorist incidents in Canadian history and he made recommendations to the Minister of Public Safety which proved important to safety of Canadians in travel today. 
 
Mr. Rae teaches at the University of Toronto as a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the School of Public Policy and Governance.   He has written five books most recently What’s Happened to Politics in 2015 and has a regular column in the Toronto Star.  
 
Mr. Rae is a senior partner of Olthius Kleer, Townsend LLP where he works with First Nations across Canada as legal counsel, advisor and negotiator.   In October 2017 his considerable skills were employed when he was appointed Canada’s special envoy to Myanmar to review and report on the Rohingya refugee crisis and the serious crimes against humanity and genocide unfolding in that region .   He is a leading  and respected spokesman on humanitarian and social rights and has been recognized as a  Senior Fellow to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.