3. Committee biographies

Peter was first elected as a Member of Parliament by the citizens of Vaudreuil-Soulanges in October 2015. Shortly thereafter he was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth by Prime Minister Trudeau and in 2018 was given the additional responsibilities of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction. In 2019 Peter was re-elected and was shortly thereafter appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. In March 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked him to take on the role of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Prior to entering into politics Peter worked in numerous capacities lending his expertise in sustainable development to both domestic and international causes. His passion for positive social change inspired his work as the Director and Co-Founder of Youth Action Canada, the CEED Program based in Uganda, East Africa and his work as the National Director of Climate Reality Canada, an organization founded by former US Vice-President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore. For his work he has been awarded a Federal Minister’s Commendation, the YMCA Peace Prize and the Forces Avenir Award for Peace Justice and Humanitarian Aid. Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Concordia University as well as a Master of Science in Renewable Resources from McGill University and currently lives with his wife and two children in his riding of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Quebec.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Issues raised relating to the Transport Canada portfolio:

• Investments in public transit
• Support for Zero-Emission Vehicles

MP Annie Koutrakis was first elected in the 2019 federal election. Following the opening of the 43^rd Parliament, MP Koutrakis served on the Standing Committee on Finance, the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic and briefly served on the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying. In addition, she has also served as a member of a number of parliamentary associations and interparliamentary groups.

Prior to entering politics, she worked as the President, CEO, Chair of the executive committee and member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal. She has also served in multiple capacities for local organizations.

MP Koutrakis has a diploma in Social Sciences/Business Administration from Dawson College and has studied Human Resources Management at Concordia University. She is fluent in French, English and Greek.

Member of the following committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Issues raised relating to the Transport Canada portfolio:

• Support for the air and aerospace industry
• Support for independent travel advisors
• Municipal public transit infrastructure
• Deployment of Zero-Emission Vehicles

Vance Badawey was first elected as Member of Parliament on October 19, 2015 for the riding of Niagara Centre. Mr. Badawey began his career in public service as a City Councillor for the City of Port Colborne in 1994. He thereafter was elected as Mayor of Port Colborne in 1997. In 2006 he was re-elected to the office of Mayor in Port Colborne and Regional Councillor for the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

As the Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, MP Badawey has collaborated with several parliamentary caucuses, including the Indigenous, Horseshoe, Rural and Steel caucuses.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

TC-related topics raised since the 43^rd Canadian general election:

• Climate change
• Investments in public transit
• Voiced support for the ECCC Great Lakes Protection Initiative

Issues of interest:

• Rail Safety
• Transportation infrastructure investments
• Level crossing
• Oversight mechanisms
• Maintenance, repair and replacement of VIA Rail’s fleet
• CTA Review – Long-term agenda for the future of transportation in Canada

National strategy on transportation and logistics (intermodal connections)

Politician, attorney, public servant and humanitarian. Previously candidate in the 2011 general election and firstly elected in October 19, 2015.

Angelo graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from McGill University, completed his studies in civil law at UQAM and obtained his Juris Doctor from Ottawa University, which led to his certification from the Upper Canada Law Society. In search of new horizons, Angelo obtained a certificate from the European Union & its Institutions at the Law Faculty of Lyon (France).

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
• Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament

TC-related topics raised:

• Port of Montreal Operations Act, 2021
• Zero emission vehicles

Other Issues of Interest:

• Senior citizens
• Families and children
• Small and medium-sized enterprises
• Rail Safety
• Locomotive Voice Recorders
• VIA Rail – Replacement of Fleet
• Air Canada Public Participation Act and Competitiveness of Airline Industry

MP George Chahal was first elected in the 44^th Canadian general election as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Calgary Skyview. Prior to his election to Parliament, he served as a member of the Calgary City Council.

Prior to his political career, he worked in the financial sector and the construction sector. MP Chahal has a BA in Economics and a Masters in Environmental Design from the University of Calgary.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
• Standing Committee on Natural Resources

Issues raised relating to the Transport Canada portfolio:

• N/A

Mr. Rogers is the Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Bonavista – Burin – Trinity. He was first elected in a by-election that was held on December 11, 2017. Mr. Rogers was elected with 69.2% of the vote.

Before entering federal politics, Mr. Churence Rogers served as the Mayor of Centreville-Wareham-Trinity and as president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

TC-related topics raised during the 42^nd Parliament:

• Transportation logistics in eastern Canada
• Seat belt regulations
• Ferry rates by Marine Atlantic Inc.

MP Lantsman went to the University of Toronto and is fluent in both official languages.

Melissa Lantsman has a background in communications and has served in various roles throughout her career. She has worked both in the private sector and within the federal government. In this capacity, she provided strategic advice, media-training, debate preparation and speech coaching to various individuals.

MP Lantsman is also commentator on political strategy and communications and has appeared on television in this capacity.

Member of the following committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Issues raised relating to the Transport Canada portfolio:

• Port closures
• Supply chain disruptions (container shortages)
• Cargo shipping
• Harbour and labour capacity shortages
• Impact of COVID-19 on the air sector
• Restrictions imposed due to COVID-19

MP Gladu was first elected during the 42^nd Canadian general election as the Member of Parliament for Sarnia – Lambton. Since the 42^nd Parliament, MP Gladu has served on a number of committees, including the Standing Committee on Health, Standing Committee on the Status of Women and the Liaison Committee. She has served on committees as a member, Vice-Chair and Chair.

As a Member of Parliament, MP Gladu has also served as the Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Rail Caucus and the Aerospace Caucus.

Prior to her political career, MP Gladu worked as a professional engineer and has worked for a number of private sector companies, including Dow Chemical, Suncor and WorleyParsons.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
• Standing Committee on Official Languages

Issues raised relating to the Transport Canada portfolio:

• Opposes mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements for federally regulated transportation employees and travellers
• Supports the Oversized Loads Corridor Project in Sarnia-Lambton

MP Dowdall was first elected during the 43^rd Canadian general election as the Member of Parliament for Simcoe – Grey. During the 43^rd Parliament, he served as a member of the Standing Committee on National Defence and the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Throughout his career, MP Dowdall has expressed interest in a number of issues, including the promotion of small businesses, services for members of the Canadian Forces and advocacy for those suffering from Cystic Fibrosis.

Prior to his political career, MP Dowdall worked as a business owner and municipal leader. He has served as Mayor, Deputy Mayor and councillor for the Township of Essa. He also worked as a Simcoe County councillor from 2003 to 2018 and was elected Simcoe County’s Deputy Warden in 2014 and 2016. MP Dowdall has also served three terms on the Board of Directors for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Issues raised relating to the Transport Canada portfolio:

• N/A

MP Muys grew up near Hamilton, Ontario. In his professional career, MP Muys has worked in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. He was first elected in the 2021 federal election.

In his first speech, MP Muys identified several issues of concern. Among these issues, he specifically noted that three issues are impact the people in his riding, including the cost of living, the Government’s plan for the economic recovery after the pandemic and access to a reliable internet connection.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

Issues raised relating to the Transport Canada portfolio:

• N/A

Mr. Barsalou Duval was first elected on October 19, 2015. He has a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting. Prior to his political career, he taught accounting at the college level and working several years in Cabinet as the accounting auditor. Mr. Barsalou Duval has been highly implicated in his local Bloc Québecois and Parti Québecois riding associations since he was eighteen years old. He thereafter became President of the Forum Jeunesse of the Bloc Québecois, a position he held from 2012 to 2015. In his career, he has also been very active in the Mouvement Montréal français and in the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal.

During the 42^nd Parliament, MP Barsalou Duval was the critic for the Economic Development, Government Operations, National Revenue and Public Accounts. In the aftermath of the 43^rd Canadian federal election, MP Barsalou Duval was appointed as parliamentary critic for the transport, infrastructure and communities portfolio.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

TC-related topics raised during the 42^nd Parliament:

• Rail disaster at Lac-Mégantic in 2013;
• Safety Management System regulations;
• Amendments to the List of Prohibited Items on aircrafts; and
• Shoreline Protection Program

TC-related topics raised since the 43^rd Canadian general election:

• Opposition to the idea of an “energy corridor” and the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion
• Electrification of the transportation sector
• Opposition to Air Canada’s proposal to acquire Air Transat

In 2008, Mr. Bachrach was elected to the Telkwa Town Council. After moving to Smithers in 2011, he was elected mayor and thereafter won re-election twice.

Mr. Bachrach was first elected to the House of Commons in the 43^rd Canadian general election.

Outside of his political life, Mr. Bachrach is the owner of Bachrach Communications, a media consultancy firm in Smithers. Since 2018, he has also served as the President of the Go By Bike BC organization, a cycling advocacy group.

Member of the following Committee(s):

• Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

TC-related topics raised since the 43^rd Canadian general election:

• Environmental policy;
• Importance of rivers in the northwest (Statement on World Rivers Day)
• Enshrining UNDRIP into federal law
• Supportive of EV fast charging infrastructure

TC-related topics raised during his career:

• Modernization of the Smithers Airport Terminal;
• Bus service connecting communities along the Highway of Tears