Election Platform
Maj.
(ret'd) Corneliu E. Chisu, CD, M.Eng., PMSC, CET, FEC, P.
Eng.
Project Manager, GENIVAR, Toronto
Dear fellow engineers,
As a military engineer and a practising professional engineer, I cherish my profession and obligations to society. I trust that we can protect the public interest and best serve our members only if our licence is meaningful and has recognizable value.The foundation for the value offered to society by professional engineers lies primarily in our members' high standard of qualification and adherence to our Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct as stated in the Professional Engineers Act and Regulations. However, we need to build on the strength of a growing and continuously diversified profession and we have the duty to the society to be more involved in public policy involving engineering related issues and expertise. Engineers need to make sure that their expertise in not overlooked in important decisions that are shaping the future of our country.
In these times of emerging new engineering fields, a true Evolution in Engineering Affairs is taking shape. PEO faces a challenge to effectively demonstrate its value to society and its relevance to membership by embracing these fields into the definition of engineering. We, the engineers, are widely acknowledged as belonging to a profession that stays at the forefront in the creation of real economic wealth and technological excellence in Ontario. We contribute effectively to the security and enhancement of Ontario's social, economic, cultural and environmental well being.
More than ever before, our profession needs wise leadership, strategic planning and active member involvement and participation. It is necessary to take action now, before our profession as it is presently perceived becomes irrelevant to society in the fundamental decisions making process.
PEO Council must:
- Promote sound, visionary leadership by consensus to ensure PEO's policies reflect its legislated mandate;
- Establish, through a well thought-out governance model, a mechanism that will allow members to participate more actively in the self-governing of our profession in order to assure a healthy balance between protecting the public interest and the profession itself;
- Assure its members better access to the long term strategic planning of the evolution of our profession. PEO's Annual General Meeting (AGM) should be a forum for healthy debates where motions put forward by members are given the appropriate consideration and weight in the PEO policy making/review process;
- Continue to be proactive in sensing the needs and concerns of the public relating to engineering matters in order to handle issues such safe drinking water, reliable energy sources and protection of the environment in line with the expectations of our society;
- Continue to assure public protection through strengthened enforcement legislation, so that only licensed engineers undertake engineering work; and
- Work seriously to review industrial and supervisory exemptions of engineering practice granted generously and vaguely defined in the present Act and Regulations. These should be limited or outright eliminated in order to assure the public that only professional engineers practice engineering.
- These measures will ensure the profession's continuous relevance to our society and will at the same time guarantee that the engineering profession maintains its leading contribution to the evolution and progress of our province and country.
PEO Council and staff must:
- Appreciate the contribution that members can bring in establishing policy. Members must feel comfortable raising issues with Council. It is necessary to held more town hall meetings in order to engage members;
- Realize that our society is evolving and that the Professional Engineers Act 1984 is becoming outdated and a fundamental review will be necessary soon in order to raise our standards and be the leader among our sister provincial associations in the establishment of a strong Canadian engineer licensure model of which success ultimately the public will be the judge;
- Consult and listen more to members before deciding issues related to fee increases and unbridled spending outside the regulatory scope of the profession;
- Be fully accountable to members on the spending of members' equity and should conduct their affairs within balanced and defensible budgets. All major expenses and new senior staff hiring should be made by a well thought plan in order to not generate a steep and unjustifiably high rate of annual members fee increases; and
- Establish a clear strategy for involving engineering students of Ontario's universities and the EIT's in the association's regulatory framework through the chapter system.
If you re-elect me as Vice-President, I will work with PEO Council and staff to:
- Preserve our self-regulating profession through proactive government relations and the definition of areas of practice;
- Enhance public protection through strengthened enforcement legislation, so that only licensed engineers undertake engineering work;
- Address the industrial and supervisory exception, which undervalues the P.Eng. licence and our members;
- Develop a licensure model that captures the interests of all applicants to PEO and provides effective value at each stage of the licensing process;
- Embrace emerging disciplines; and
- Foster an effective relationship with Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), Ontario Center of Engineering Public Policy (OCEPP) and Engineers Canada towards best serving the public and the profession.
With your support, I will continue to improve our engineering profession so that the public will have a clear and accurate perception of the professional engineer.
PLEASE SUPPORT AND VOTE FOR ME
Visit my website: http://solrac.ca/chisu/Or email me at: corneliuchisu@rogers.com
