Meet the Concordia alumni elected to Canada’s 45th Parliament
A new chapter in federal politics is being shaped, in no small part, by Concordia alumni.
Following Canada’s 45th general election, held on April 28, 13 graduates of the university were elected to the House of Commons — a testament to the breadth of Concordia’s impact in public life.
The elected alumni bring with them experience from a wide range of fields, including engineering, business, political science, journalism and law. They represent a diverse cross-section of Canada’s population and geography — from urban centres and suburban ridings to northern and coastal communities.
Some are returning to Ottawa with renewed mandates, while others will be taking their seats as Members of Parliament for the first time.
The Concordians, who hail from the Conservative, Liberal and Bloc Québécois parties, include:
Madeleine Chenette, BA 85
Liberal – Thérèse-De Blainville
Previously the Government of Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Chenette was elected to represent her North Shore riding.
Alexis Deschênes, BA 04
Bloc Québécois – Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj
Deschênes, a lawyer and journalist, was elected for the first time in this eastern Quebec riding.
Caroline Desrochers, BA 00
Liberal – Trois-Rivières
Desrochers, a first-time MP, will represent the Mauricie region.
Anju Dhillon, BA 02
Liberal – Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle
First elected in 2015, Dhillon, the first Canadian Sikh to practice law in the province of Quebec, returns to Parliament after securing another mandate in the Montreal-area riding.
Fayçal El-Khoury, BEng 84
Liberal – Laval—Les Îles
Engineering grad El-Khoury was re-elected for another term in this Laval riding.
Mandy Gull-Masty, BA 06, MA 08
Liberal – Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou
The former Grand Chief of the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee, Gull-Masty, a recent Great Concordian, was successful in her first run for federal political office.
Anthony Housefather, MBA 02
Liberal – Mount Royal
Housefather was re-elected in the long-time Liberal stronghold on the Island of Montreal.
Tom Kmiec, BA 05
Conservative – Calgary Shepard
Kmiec, the Shadow Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees, returns to represent the southeast Calgary riding.
Sherry Romanado, EMBA 11
Liberal – Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne
First elected in 2015, Romanadi, the former Deputy House leader, secured re-election on Montreal’s South Shore for a fourth mandate.
Francis Scarpaleggia, MBA 84
Liberal – Lac-Saint-Louis
The veteran MP was re-elected in the West Island Montreal riding he has represented since 2004.
Peter Schiefke, BA 07
Liberal – Vaudreuil
Schiefke, a Department of Political Science graduate, will return for another term in the off-island suburban Montreal riding.
Eric St-Pierre, BA 06
Liberal – Honoré-Mercier
The founder of the Greater Montreal Climate Fund was elected for the first time in this diverse east-end Montreal riding.
Sameer Zuberi, BA 04
Liberal – Pierrefonds—Dollard
Zuberi, the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, was successfully re-elected in this multicultural West Island Montreal riding.
Consult the complete list of elected officials who will form Canada’s 45th Parliament.