Parliamentary Committee Notes: SECU: Member Biographies

Name: Ron McKinnon
Riding: Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam (British Columbia)

Parliamentary Experience:

• MP since 2015

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Former Member of the Standing Committee on Health, Justice and Human Rights and the Special Committee on COVID-19

As a long-time resident of Port Coquitlam, Mr. McKinnon is a proud community advocate, from serving on the Evergreen Cultural Centre board, to working with Amnesty International.

Through his annual Community Champions program, he celebrates the leaders in his riding that are helping to build and better Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam.

Recognizing that British Columbia is seized by an opioid crisis, he introduced a Private Members Bill, the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act. His legislation became law in May 2017 after receiving unanimous all-party support in both the House of Commons and Senate.

Prior to his election, he was a successful business owner and computer systems analyst for major firms in Canada, the US, and overseas. In the 1970s, he worked as a meteorological technician for Environment Canada's Atmospheric Environment Service.

Ron has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and an honours diploma in Computer Technology from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Name: Paul Chiang
Riding: Markham-Unionville (Ontario)

Parliamentary Experience:

• MP since 2021

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

Born in Karachi, Pakistan from Chinese parents, Paul Chiang immigrated to Toronto in 1976.

Mr. Chiang recently retired from the York Regional Police Sergeant, where he served his community with distinction for 28 years.

He recognizes the importance of representation, equity, and inclusivity. This is what took him to take a leadership role as Sergeant of the Diversity and Cultural Resources Unit. His ability to speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Hubei, Hakka, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi allowed him to help forge strong connections with Markham – Unionville's diverse communities and bridge gaps between local residents and police service agencies.

Mr. Chiang received the Police Exemplary Service medal, for his steadfast service to the community and was nominated by the City of Markham as the recipient of the Queen Diamond Jubilee medal.

Name: Pam Damoff
Riding: Oakville North-Burlington (Ontario)

Parliamentary Experience:

• MP since 2015

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Member of Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security 2016 to present
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety
• Former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and the Minister Indigenous Services

Ms. Damoff has lived in Oakville for over two decades and is a community activist and business professional with over 25 years of corporate experience on Bay Street. Pam served as an Oakville Town Councillor from 2010 to 2015.

In 2019, Ms. Damoff was instrumental in securing $150 million in federal funding to support the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope Cancer Centre Network, working for over three years with Dr. Victor Ling, fellow Members of Parliament, the Minister of Health and cancer research institutes and hospitals across Canada. Since being re-elected in 2019, she has advocated for support for business, residents, and the community to weather the storm of the pandemic.

She is a proud recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Paul Harris Fellow recognition from Rotary International, and the Linda Jones Women's Activist Award from the Oakville District Labour Council for her community service.

She is passionate about many causes including climate change, criminal justice reform and strict firearms safety legislation, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, support for persons living with disabilities, women's empowerment, mental health, environmental protection, and cycling and improved cycling infrastructure.

Name: Taleeb Noormohamed
Riding: Vancouver Granville (British Columbia)

Parliamentary Experience:

• MP since 2021

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Served as  Director of the Secretariat responsible for the Review of the Bombing of Air India 182 in 2005
• Federal public servant from 2002 to 2007

Mr. Noormohamed served as a senior official in the federal government from 2002 to 2007, which included establishing the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security.

He then served as Director of the Air India Review Secretariat and Special Advisor to the Hon. Bob Rae. In 2018, he was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).

He served as a Vice President at HomeAway (now Expedia), and then as Chief Growth Officer at Farfetch.

He began volunteering at Vancouver's Covenant House in 2001 where he established a mentorship program for at-risk youth. In 2003, he joined the Board of Directors on which he served until 2012.

Mr. Noormohamed's commitment to volunteerism and community development was recognized in 2007, when he was awarded the “Governor General's Caring Canadian” Award, and again in 2013, when he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, a Master's degree in International Education Policy from Harvard University and attended Oxford University for his doctoral studies.

Name: Peter Schiefke
Riding: Vaudreuil-Soulanges (Québec)

Parliamentary Experience:

• MP since 2015

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Chair of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Mr. Schiefke holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Concordia University and a Master of Science in Renewable Resources from McGill University.

While a student at Concordia in 2002, Mr. Schiefke launched the We Will Always Remember (WWAR) project, aimed at raising awareness among youth of the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers around the world, for which he received the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation in 2003.

Mr. Schiefke also co-founded Youth Action Montreal in 2006 with Mohamed Shuriye to promote the engagement of Montreal college and university students in sustainable development and environmental protection. In 2007, this organization organized the conference "Less Talk, More Action: A Youth Summit on Climate Change", which was attended by Al Gore and David Suzuki and brought together thousands of people at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. In 2009, he was appointed National Director of The Climate Reality Project Canada Foundation, and after his term was appointed to the Board of Directors.

Mr. Schiefke was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Climate Change in 2019 and was asked to take a lead role in the Government's efforts to protect 25% of Canada's Nature by 2025 and update and strengthen Canada's Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).

Name: Iqwinder Gaheer
Riding: Mississauga – Malton (Ontario)

Parliamentary Experience:

• Member of Parliament since 2021

Iqwinder Gaheer has lived in Peel region since he and his family immigrated to Canada in 1999. Sixteen years ago, Iqwinder's father, a plumber by trade, started the family's business in the bath furniture industry in Mississauga-Malton; the business still proudly calls this riding home. Iqwinder now promises to be a strong voice for the community that gave his family so much.

Iqwinder received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2019. He also graduated in 2015 from the Schulich School of Business, York University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration.

With his call to the New York Bar in 2020, Iqwinder worked as a lawyer engaged in commercial litigation in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. During law school, he worked at the Massachusetts State Attorney General's Office and the Massachusetts Superior Court. Passionate about the rights of disparate groups, in his final year of law school, Iqwinder was the Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Human Rights Journal.

Conservative Party of Canada

Vice-Chair

Name: Raquel Dancho
Riding: Kildonan-St. Paul (Manitoba)

Parliamentary Experience:

• Elected in 2019

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Public Safety Critic
• Former Vice-Chair – Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
• Former Vice-Chair – Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration
• Former Member – Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic

Born and raised in Beausejour, Manitoba, Ms. Dancho was educated at McGill University in Montreal.  She has a unique perspective on the different dynamics of rural, urban, eastern and western Canada.

Most recently she has been critic for Future Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and has served on three House of Commons Committees addressing issues affecting women, immigration, and social development.

Ms. Dancho was recognized by Maclean's annual Parliamentarians of the Year Awards as a finalist in the Rising Star category.

Name: Dane Lloyd
Riding: Sturgeon River-Parkland (Alberta)

Parliamentary Experience:

• Election in 2017

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Chamber interventions include topics of flooding in BC, protection of health care workers and COVID-19

Mr. Lloyd is a graduated from Trinity Western University with a degree in History and Political Studies in 2013.

A former Parliamentary Advisor to St. Albert-Edmonton MP Michael Cooper, he previously worked for the Honourable Ed Fast, former Minister of International Trade, and worked under the Honourable Jason Kenney at the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

He currently holds a commission as an infantry officer in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves.

Name: Doug Shipley
Riding: Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte (Ontario)

Parliamentary Experience:

• First elected in 2019

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Former Member of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (Feb-Aug 2020)
• Former Member of the Special Committee on COVID-19

Prior to being elected as Member of Parliament, Mr. Shipley was elected to the City of Barrie council for three consecutive terms. While serving as Councillor for Ward 3, he gained a great deal of experience as Chair of Finance and Corporate Services, Chair of Infrastructure, Investment and Development Services Committee, and Deputy Chair of the Barrie Police Services Board. He also sat on several committees, including the Barrie and Area Physician Recruitment Task Force.

Mr. Shipley has successfully owned and operated a small business for over 20 years. He has been selected to serve on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and previously served on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

Name: Glen Motz
Riding: Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner (Alberta)

Parliamentary Experience:

• First elected on October 24, 2016 (by-election)

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Associate Shadow Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness from 2019-2020
• Member of the National Security and Public Safety Committee from 2017-2020

Mr. Motz began his policing career with the Medicine Hat Police Service in 1980, serving in various capacities until his retirement 2015. Glen received several policing exceptional service awards including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for dedicated service in 2012 and the Order of Merit of Police Forces by Governor General David Johnson in 2013.

He served as the Opposition Associate Shadow Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness from 2019-2020, as a Member of the National Security and Public Safety Committee from 2017-2020, as a Member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) until June 2021. He was appointed a Member of the National Defence Committee in 2021.

Bloc Québécois

Vice-Chair

Name: Kristina Michaud
Riding: Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia (Québec)

Parliamentary Experience:

• First elected on October 21, 2019
• Former Member of the Special Committee on COVID-1

Originally from Matapédienne, Kristina Michaud studied at the Cégep de Rimouski and then at Université Laval where she obtained a bachelor's degree in International Studies and Modern Languages and where she undertook a master's degree in International Relations. In November 2018, she served as a political advisor in the cabinet of The Member for Matane-Matapédia and interim leader of the Parti Québécois, Pascal Bérubé.

She was the youngest person elected to the House of Commons in Quebec and the first woman to represent her riding.

In addition to being appointed Bloc Québécois critic for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, she is also Critic for Climate Change and Youth.

Name: Peter Julian
Riding: New Westminster – Burnaby (British Columbia)

Parliamentary Experience:

• MP Since 2004

Activities/Experience of Interest to the Portfolio:

• Served as the Official Opposition House Leader and the NDP House Leader until October 19, 2016.
• Serves as the NDP Finance Critic since February 2018.
• Serves as the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance since February 2018.

Mr. Julian was born and raised in the New Westminster-Burnaby area where his family has lived for four generations. After graduating from New Westminster Secondary School, Peter held a number of jobs as a manual labourer and factory worker for local small businesses. After dropping out of school, Peter, as an adult learner, later attended the University of Quebec in Montreal and graduated with a degree in Political Science (International Relations).

Prior to his election to the House of Commons, Peter worked as a Financial Administrator. He is a former Executive Director of the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WIDHH) and, under his leadership; WIDHH won consecutive Canadian Consumers' Choice Awards for Excellence in Business (2003-2004). He was instrumental in building the British Columbia Disability Employment Network, a consortium of community groups, organizations and non-profit societies dedicated to serving people with disabilities.