The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition former foreign affairs minister
John Baird has been hired by Hong
Kong billionaire Richard Li. The Globe's Steven Chase writes Mr. Baird will offer Mr. Li advice
on international matters. Mr. Baird will spend as much as
half his time on Mr. Li's account.
Mr. Baird, who quit Stephen
Harper's cabinet in February to
build a postpolitical career, was hired by Barrick
Gold to sit on its international advisory
board, and CP Rail nominated him as a director.
As part of his work for Mr. Li,
the veteran Canadian politician
will be expected to conduct risk
assessments, including political
analysis, to appraise business
opportunities. Mr. Baird travelled
to Hong Kong in recent weeks
to finalize the job. Mr. Li has Canadian citizenship,
as does his father, 86-year-old Li Ka-shing,
who controls Husky Energy and is well
known in Vancouver for redeveloping
waterfront land used for
the 1986 World's Fair. The elder
Mr. Li was also a long-time investor
in CIBC, but sold his stake in
2005. Forbes pegs Richard
Li's wealth at $4.6-billion (U.S.)
and his father's at $33.7-billion
(U.S.). In 2007, Mr. Li and Cerberus
Capital made a failed
bid for BCE.
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