Vance Badawey (Niagara Centre, Ontario)
Chair of the Committee
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 43rd 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)
Churence Rogers (Bonavista – Burin – Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador)
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 42nd Parliament:
- Transportation logistics in eastern Canada
- Seat belt regulations
- Ferry rates by Marine Atlantic Inc.
Helena Jaczek (Markham – Stouffville, Ontario)
Helena Jaczek studied at the University of Toronto and obtained a medical degree and Masters of Health Science from the institution. Thereafter, she obtained a Masters of Business Administration from York University.
In her professional career, Ms. Jaczek occupied a variety of positions in the healthcare sector, such as general practice at the Women’s College Hospital and as Chief Medical Officer of health in York Region.
In 2007, Ms. Jaczek was elected in Ontario’s provincial legislature, where she would go on to serve in several capacities. These included positions such as Committee membership, as a Parliamentary Assistant to Ministers and, later, as Minister. In 2019, she was elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Markham – Stouffville.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised since the 43rd Canadian general election:
- Expressed support for continued federal infrastructure investments
Maninder Sidhu (Brampton East, Ontario)
Mr. Sidhu was first elected to parliament in the riding of Brampton East in 2019 and defeated the independent MP Raj Gewel.
Prior to his entry in politics, Mr. Sidhu graduated from the University of Waterloo and started a customs brokerage business and possesses experience in international trade consultation. He is also the founder of The Kindness Movement Charity, which assists underprivileged school children in Canada and India.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Fayçal El-Khoury (Laval – Les Îles, Quebec)
Mr. Fayçal El-Khoury obtained a degree in civil engineering from Concordia University. Thereafter, Mr. El-Khoury established a construction company in Laval.
From 2005 to 2015 Mr. El-Khoury worked as a consultant specializing in business relations with the Middle East.
Faycal El-Khoury is a Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party. He was first elected in the 2015 federal election, with 47.7% of the vote. Mr. El-Khoury holds a diploma in Engineering from the Concordia University.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised during the 42nd Parliament:
- Investments in public transit
- Support for Transport Canada’s ZEV program
Chris Bittle (St. Catharines, Ontario)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
MP Bittle was born in Niagara Falls in 1979. After the conclusion of high school, Mr. Bittle attended Queen’s University where he graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts. He thereafter attended the University of Windsor, where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws.
After completing his studies, Mr. Bittle began a career as a lawyer with the firm Lancaster, Brooks and Welch LLP. The focus of his work concerned commercial disputes, real estate litigation defamation and landlord-tenant issues.
Mr. Bittle was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 Canadian general election. During the 42nd Parliament, Mr. Bittle served from 2017 to 2019 as Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
Mr. Bittle is married and has a son, named Ethan.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised during the 42nd Parliament:
- Supports increased investments in public transit
TC-related topics raised since the 43rd Canadian general election:
- Support for enhanced climate action
Andy Fillmore (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Mr. Fillmore began his studies at Acadia University and thereafter transferred to the Technical University of Nova Scotia, now known as Dalhousie University. At the Technical University, Mr. Fillmore obtained an undergraduate degree in architecture and a graduated degree in urban and rural planning. He was also awarded a graduate degree in Design Studies from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
In his professional career, MP Fillmore has served in a variety of positions related to urban designing and planning. During his career, the MP worked in both the private and public sector. Most recently prior to his election, Mr. Fillmore was Vice President of Planning and Development at the Waterfront Development Corporation, where he focused on economic opportunity, tourism and the creation of new public spaces in Halifax.
Mr. Fillmore was initially elected during the 2015 general election was the Member of Parliament for Halifax. During the 42nd Parliament, MP Fillmore served in various roles, including as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs. Thereafter, the MP served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Democratic Institutions. At the beginning of the 43rd Parliament, Mr. Fillmore was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised during the 42nd Parliament:
- Introduced a motion to ensure a GHG emissions impact study would be conducted for infrastructure projects with federal funding of over $500,000 (M-45)
TC-related topics raised since the 43rd Canadian general election:
- State of the breakwater at Herring Cove (Meeting organized by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority)
- Supported the purchase of accessible buses for Halifax
Andrew Scheer (Regina – Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan)
Conservative critic for Infrastructure and Communities
Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, MP Scheer worked in the insurance industry. Mr. Scheer holds a Bachelor of Arts, focusing on criminology, political science and history at the University of Ottawa. He also worked as a waiter and in the constituency office of then-MP Larry Spencer.
In 2006, MP Scheer introduced a bill to create minimum sentences for those convicted of motor vehicle theft. In 2008, he was named Deputy Speaker of the Committee of the Whole. Following the 2011 election, MP Scheer was elected Speaker of the House of Commons. After the 2015 election, MP Scheer served in the Conservatives’ House leadership team and ran for its leadership, which he won in 2017. MP Scheer resigned the leadership following the party’s defeat in the 2019 federal election.
As Leader of the Opposition, MP Scheer has opined on a variety of transportation-related issues. Most notably, he criticized the Government’s energy and environmental policies and opposing the passage of Bill C-48 during the 42nd Parliament, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act. Furthermore, MP Scheer advocated for the elimination of regulatory redundancies and the opening of Canada’s airline industry to foreign competition.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TBD)
TC-related topics raised during the 42nd Parliament:
- Opposition to the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act
- Opposition to Canada’s involvement with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- Regulatory reform
TC-related topics raised since the 43rd Canadian general election:
- Criticized the Canada Infrastructure Bank
- Criticized the lack of early mandatory screenings at airports due to the pandemic
- Rail blockades
Scot Davidson (York – Simcoe, Ontario)
Mr. Davidson was first elected in a by-election in February 2019 for the riding of York – Simcoe.
MP Davidson holds a degree in Economics from York University. Prior to his political career, he owned and operated several businesses in York-Simcoe.
MP Davidson has professed a commitment to small business issues and the health of Lake Simcoe. As a private citizen, Mr. Davidson has served on the Georgina Medical Health Board, the Georgina Waterways Advisory Committee, the Lake Simcoe Fisheries Stakeholder Committee and the Jackson’s Point BIA.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised during the 42nd Parliament:
- Lake Simcoe clean-up fund
TC-related topics raised since the 43rd Canadian general election:
- Lake Simcoe clean-up fund
Tony Baldinelli (Niagara Falls, Ontario)
Conservative Deputy Critic for Transport
Mr. Baldinelli was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2019 federal election. Prior to his election, he served as the head of communications for the Niagara Parks Commission.
MP Baldinelli has also worked as a Legislative Assistant to Niagara Falls’ former Member of Parliament, Rob Nicholson. He has also served in this capacity in the Ontario Legislature under Marilyn Mushinski, Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Reaction at the time.
Mr. Baldinelli has a degree in Political Science from McMaster University and a Public Relations Certificate from Humber College.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised since the 43rd Canadian general election:
- N/A
Xavier Barsalou Duval (Pierre-Boucher – Les Patriotes – Verchères, Québec)
Bloc Critic for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
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 42nd Parliament, MP Barsalou Duval was the critic for the Economic Development, Government Operations, National Revenue and Public Accounts. In the aftermath of the 43rd 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 42nd 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 43rd 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
Taylor Bachrach (Skeena – Bulkley Valley, British Columbia)
NDP Critic for Infrastructure and Communities
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 43rd 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 43rd 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;
Niki Ashton (Churchill – Keewatinook Aski, Manitoba)
NDP Critic for Public Ownership and Transport
Note: While Ms. Ashton is the NDP critic for Public Ownership and Transport, she is not a member of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
Prior to her entry in politics in 2005, Ms. Ashton worked as a coordinator and promoter of volunteering at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
With regards to her education, Ms. Ashton obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Global Political Economy from the University of Manitoba. She thereafter obtained her M.A in International Affairs from Carleton University. She is currently working to obtain a PhD in peace and conflict studies from the University of Manitoba.
Ms. Ashton has also presented her candidacy to the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Canada on two occasions, in 2012 and 2017.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- None
TC-related topics raised during the 42nd Parliament:
- Reparation of the Churchill rail line
- Environmental policies of the Liberal government
- Greyhound’s elimination of western bus routes
TC-related topics raised since the 43rd Canadian general election:
- Crown-Indigenous relations
- Environmental policies of the Liberal government
- Opposition to the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project
Stephanie Kusie (Calgary Midnapore, Alberta)
Conservative critic for Transport
MP Kusie was born and raised in Calgary. She studied at the University of Calgary, where she earned a degree in political science. She later obtained a Master’s in Business Administration from Rutgers University.
Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, MP Kusie held various foreign policy posts, from 2006 to 2013. She thereafter served as a policy advisor for then-Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for the Americas, Peter Kent, in 2009.
MP Kusie was elected in 2017 in the riding of Calgary Midnapore. Since becoming a Member of Parliament, MP Kusie has held multiple critics portfolio, including Shadow Minister for Democratic Institutions, Families Children and Social Development and as Deputy Shadow Minister for Health.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised during the 42nd Parliament:
- Expansion of Canada’s energy sector
- Opposition to the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act
TC-related topics raised since the 43rd Canadian general election:
- Post-pandemic economic recovery
Michael Kram (Regina – Wascana, Saskatchewan)
Conservative
MP Kram was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. He attended the University of Regina, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Economics. He also studied Economics at Carleton University in Ottawa.
Prior to his entry in politics, Mr. Kram worked for 20 years in the information technology sector. Specifically, he worked as a programmer/analyst with Paradigm Consulting, where he worked on projects for private sector entities, provincial governments and for the federal government.
MP Kram was first elected Member of Parliament for the riding of Regina-Wascana during the 43rd Canadian federal election. Prior to his appointment to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, MP Kram served as the Conservative Party’s Deputy Critic for International Trade.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised during his career:
- Supportive for more pipelines
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
- Pandemic – Get the resource sector back to work
Gerald Soroka (Yellowhead, Alberta)
Conservative
MP Soroka, a proud resident of Yellowhead riding comes from a long line of farmers and has farmed for the majority of his life.
Prior to his entry in politics, Mr.Soroka has always had a strong interest in serving his community and working to solve problems that face his fellow residents. To this end, he took on posts as Vice- President and President of West Central Forage as well as Vice-President of the Alberta Forage Council.
Looking to solve problems at a larger scale, Gerald went on to serve as a Division one Councillor and Mayor of Yellowhead County before making the jump to federal politics. During his time as Mayor, he was also elected as Vice President of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (Now RMA) from 2008 to 2010.
On December 20, 2019, MP Soroka was named as the Deputy Shadow Minister of Natural Resources (Forestry and Mining) and appointed to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food committee from February 2020 to August 2020.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised during his career:
- In favor of eliminating the use of foreign oil in Canada
- Western farmers; carbon tax
Doug Shipley (Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, Ontario)
Conservative
As a long-time Barrie resident, Mr. Shipley was elected to Barrie city council for Ward 3 in 2010. He has since won re-election with overwhelming majorities in both 2014 and 2018 municipal elections.
While serving as a city councilor Mr. Shipley was a contributing member on many municipal committees including Chair of Finance and Corporate Services Committee, Chair of Infrastructure, Investment and Development Services Committee, Vice Chair Barrie Police Services Board and Barrie and Area Physician Recruitment Task Force.
MP Shipley has been selected to serve on the Standing Committee for Public Safety and National Security until August 2020. He has also been selected to serve as Conservative Deputy Shadow Critic for Infrastructure and Communities in September 2020.
Member of the following Committee(s):
- Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
TC-related topics raised during his career: