Yasir Naqvi

The Honourable
Yasir Naqvi
MPP
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Ottawa Centre
Assumed office
10 October 2007
Preceded by Richard Patten
Personal details
Born 1973 (age 42–43)
Karachi, Pakistan
Political party Liberal
Spouse(s) Christine McMillan (m. 2012)
Children 1
Residence Ottawa, Ontario
Occupation Lawyer

Yasir Abbas Naqvi MPP (born c. 1973) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in 2007. He represents the riding of Ottawa Centre. He was also the President of the Ontario Liberal Party. He is a member of the Ontario cabinet in the government of Kathleen Wynne.

Background

Naqvi was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and immigrated to Canada with his family in 1988 at the age of 15 after his father was arrested for leading a pro-democracy march.[1][2] Naqvi settled in the Niagara Falls, Ontario-area and attended McMaster University and the University of Ottawa Law School. He was called to the Bar in Ontario in 2001 and began practising in international trade law at Lang Michener LLP and eventually became a partner.[2] He left Lang Michener in 2007 to join the Centre for Trade Policy and Law at Carleton University. He was President of the Liberal Party of Ontario.[3]

The Ottawa Citizen named Naqvi as one of its "People to Watch in 2010", with a profile in the 9 January 2010 Saturday Observer headlined "Yasir Naqvi, he's a firecracker".[4] Ottawa Life magazine also included him in its Tenth Annual "Top 50 People in the Capital" list for 2010.[1] In a September 2011 column, Adam Radwanski of The Globe and Mail called Naqvi "possibly the hardest-working constituency MPP in the province."[5]

Prior to entering politics he volunteered with a number of community associations including the Centretown Community Health Centre and the Ottawa Food Bank.[1]

Politics

Naqvi ran in the 2007 provincial election as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Ottawa Centre. He defeated NDP candidate Will Murray by 2,094 votes.[6] He was re-elected in 2011 and 2014.[7][8]

He was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to Rick Bartolucci, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, in the cabinet announcement of 30 October 2007.[9] On 3 October 2008, he was named Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Revenue Dwight Duncan. On 24 June 2009 a cabinet shuffle moved John Wilkinson into the role of Minister of Revenue and Naqvi was kept on as his Parliamentary Assistant. On 2 September 2010 Naqvi was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Education Leona Dombrowsky.[10]

Naqvi introduced three Private Member's Bills - the "Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act",[11] the "City of Ottawa Amendment Act", and the "Escaping Domestic Violence Act". None were carried forward. Parts of the City of Ottawa Amendment Act were passed as part of the 2010 budget. On 17 September 2009, Naqvi introduced a co-sponsored notion with NDP member France Gélinas declaring the third week of February "Kindness Week", inspired by a successful Kindness Week initiative underway in Ottawa.[12]

In March 2013, an article appeared in the Toronto Sun which claimed that Naqvi had endorsed an Islamist book on men physically punishing their wives.[13] The following day in the National Post, Naqvi denied having endorsed the book.[14]

In February 2013, when Kathleen Wynne took over as Premier, she appointed Naqvi to her first cabinet as Minister of Labour.[15] After the June 2014 election, Naqvi was moved to the position of Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and Government House Leader.[16] On 13 June 2016 he assumed the role of Attorney General following a cabinet shuffle.[17]

Cabinet positions

Provincial Government of Kathleen Wynne
Cabinet Posts (3)
Predecessor Office Successor
Madeleine Meilleur Attorney General
2016-present		 Incumbent
Madeleine Meilleur Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
2014–2016		 David Orazietti
Linda Jeffrey Minister of Labour
2013–2014		 Kevin Flynn
Special Parliamentary Responsibilities
Predecessor Title Successor
John Milloy Government House Leader
(2014-present)		 Incumbent

Electoral record

Ontario general election, 2014: Ottawa Centre
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalYasir Naqvi 27,600 51.67 +4.86
New DemocraticJennifer McKenzie 10,891 20.39 −8.74
Progressive ConservativeRob Dekker 9,675 18.11 −0.21
GreenKevin O'Donnell 4,135 7.74 +3.42
LibertarianBruce A. Faulkner 832 1.56 +1.08
CommunistLarry L. Wasslen 279 0.52 +0.21
Total valid votes 53,412 100.0   +5.74
Liberal hold Swing +6.80
Ontario general election, 2011: Ottawa Centre
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
LiberalYasir Naqvi 23,646 46.81 +11.90 $ 102,168.00
New DemocraticAnil Naidoo 14,715 29.13 −1.77 83,779.02
Progressive ConservativeRob Dekker 9,257 18.33 −1.59 27,933.58
GreenKevin O'Donnell 2,184 4.32 −8.03 5,902.64
IndependentKristina Chapman 309 0.61   3,418.00
LibertarianMichal Zeithammel 240 0.48   0.00
CommunistStuart Ryan 160 0.32 −0.07 394.11
Total valid votes / Expense Limit 50,511 100.00 −3.41 $ 112,575.19
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 290 0.57 −0.13
Turnout 50,801 53.74 −4.51
Eligible voters 94,533   +4.57
Liberal hold Swing +6.34
Election signs for the major party Ottawa Centre candidates during the 2007 election.
Ontario general election, 2007: Ottawa Centre
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
LiberalYasir Naqvi 18,255 34.91 −10.19 $ 74,103.43
New DemocraticWill Murray 16,161 30.90 +7.92 76,746.81
Progressive ConservativeTrina Morissette 10,416 19.92 −2.77 41,039.06
GreenGreg Laxton 6,458 12.35 +4.62 9,967.33
Family CoalitionDanny Moran 516 0.99   627.00
IndependentRichard Eveleigh 283 0.54   70.00
CommunistStuart Ryan 204 0.39 −0.23 928.61
Total valid votes/Expense Limit 52,293 100.0   +5.79 $ 97,635.24
Total rejected ballots 366 0.70 −0.02
Turnout 52,659 58.25 +2.62
Eligible voters 90,403   +1.00

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lochhead, Kimberly; Hartley, Jen; Cornforth, Rob. "Tenth Annual TOP 50 People in the Capital". Ottawa Life. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010.
  2. 1 2 Coyle, Jim (30 October 2009). "Life in politics a 'badge of honour'". Toronto Star.
  3. ↑ "Executive Council". Ontario Liberal Party. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "Yasir Naqvi — 'He's a firecracker". Ottawa Citizen. 9 January 2010.
  5. ↑ "The race that could make Ottawans forget federal politics for a while". The Globe and Mail. 8 September 2011.
  6. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 10 October 2007. p. 10 (xix). Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  7. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 6 October 2011. p. 12. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  8. ↑ "General Election by District: Ottawa Centre". Elections Ontario. 12 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Ferguson, Rob; Benzie, Robert (31 October 2007). "Premier goes for new blood; Expanded 28-member cabinet has eight ministers from Toronto, three from 905 area". Toronto Star. p. A13.
  10. ↑ "Parliamentary Assistants Ready For New Portfolios". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 2 September 2010.
  11. ↑ "Ottawa MPP to introduce own SCAN legislation". Ottawa Citizen. 2 June 2008.
  12. ↑ "Choose to be Kind!". United Way of Ottawa. 8 January 2013.
  13. ↑ "Book on Islam condoning hitting wives features letter from Ontario labour minister". Toronto Sun. 11 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "Ontario labour minister says he didn't read book on Islam condoning spousal abuse before writing letter of support". National Post. 12 March 2013.
  15. ↑ "Ontario's new cabinet". Waterloo Region Record. Kitchener, Ont. 12 February 2013. p. A3.
  16. ↑ Richard Brennan; Robert Benzie; Rob Ferguson (24 June 2014). "Kathleen Wynne warns financial cupboard is bare". Toronto Star.
  17. ↑ "Yasir Naqvi appointed Ontario's AG as Kathleen Wynne shuffles cabinet". CBC News. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
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