BIOGRAPHY

The Honourable Gar Knutson practises in the area of government relations both in Ottawa and internationally for clients ranging from the oil and gas to aerospace sectors.  In addition, Mr. Knutson acts as general counsel for a number of embassies in Ottawa.  From 2004 to 2018, Mr. Knutson was counsel at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) where he led the government relations practice for the Ottawa office.

Mr. Knutson was a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1993 through 2004 for the riding of Elgin Middlesex London. During that time, he served on a number of committees including Justice, Environment, Fisheries, Scrutiny of Regulations, Immigration and Public Accounts. Mr. Knutson also served as Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien from 1999 through 2001.

In 2002 and 2003, Mr. Knutson served as a Secretary of State in the government of the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien. Mr. Knutson’s responsibilities included Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Mr. Knutson facilitated relations with several countries in Central Asia transitioning from the old Soviet Republic to independent sovereign states. He also promoted trade and investment extensively in the Middle East region.

In December 2003, Mr. Knutson was appointed by Prime Minister Paul Martin as Minister of State for International Trade for New and Emerging Markets, a role promoting trade and investments with India, China and Brazil. Mr. Knutson has been repeatedly listed in “The Top 100 Lobbyists” of The Hill Times.