Bob Rae served as Ontario's 21st Premier, and was elected eight times to federal and provincial parliaments before his retirement from politics in 1996. Following his retirement from politics he joined leading international law firm Goodmans' as a partner and continued his long career of public service.

In the spring of 2005, Mr. Rae was appointed a special advisor to the Canadian Minister of Public Safety on the Air India bombing of 1985. His report, " Lessons to be Learned" was published in November of 2005 and led to his further appointment as Independent Counsellor to the Prime Minister of Canada and Chair of the Air India Inquiry and review. In 2006 Mr. Rae campaigned for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, a post won by the Hon. Stephane Dion.

Mr. Rae recently completed a review of Ontario's Postsecondary School Education for the Ontario Provincial government, with a report entitled "Ontario: A Leader in Learning", which in turn led to significant policy and budgetary change. He now serves as Co-Chair of the Liberal Party Policy Platform Committee.

Mr. Rae has a B.A. and an LL.B. from the University of Toronto and was a Rhodes Scholar from Ontario in 1969. He obtained a B.Phil. degree from Oxford University in 1971 and was named a Queen's Counsel in 1984. Mr. Rae received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the Law Society of Upper Canada, the University of Toronto and Assumption University.

Bob Rae is the author of three books, From Protest to Power, The Three Questions, and Canada in the Balance, and lives with his wife, Arelene, in Toronto. They have three daughters.

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