The Honourable
Filomena Tassi
PC MP
Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Assumed office
August 31, 2022
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byHelena Jaczek
Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Receiver General for Canada
In office
October 26, 2021 – August 31, 2022
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byAnita Anand
Succeeded byHelena Jaczek
Minister of Labour
In office
November 20, 2019 – October 26, 2021
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byPatty Hajdu
Succeeded bySeamus O'Regan
Minister of Seniors
In office
July 18, 2018 – November 20, 2019
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byOffice re-established
Succeeded byDeb Schulte
Deputy Government Whip
In office
January 30, 2017 – August 31, 2018
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byGinette Petitpas Taylor
Succeeded byLinda Lapointe
Member of Parliament
for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded byDavid Sweet
Personal details
Born1962 (age 61–62)[citation needed]
Hamilton, Ontario
Political partyLiberal
ResidenceDundas, Ontario[1]
Alma mater
Profession
  • Attorney
  • Chaplain

Filomena Tassi PC MP is a Canadian politician who has served as the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario since August 31, 2022. A member of the Liberal Party, Tassi represents the riding of Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas in the House of Commons, taking office following the 2015 federal election. She served as the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Receiver General for Canada from 2021 to 2022, as the Minister of Labour from 2019 to 2021, and as the Minister of Seniors from 2018 to 2019.

Education and early career

Tassi is of Italian descent, from the regions of Marche and Abruzzo, and was raised Catholic.[2] She studied law at the University of Western Ontario, and then practised corporate law for six years. She subsequently left the legal profession and studied philosophy and religious education at the University of Waterloo, and began working as the chaplain at Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School, a job she held until her election to the House of Commons.[3]

Political career

Tassi's first run for elective office was as a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party in the 1995 provincial election, where she finished a narrow second to NDP incumbent David Christopherson. Two decades later, she became the federal Liberal candidate in Hamilton during the 2015 federal election. Her candidacy attracted some media controversy, as she had made statements in the past suggesting that her Roman Catholic faith made her personally opposed to abortion, which seemingly put her in conflict with Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's requirement that all candidates agree to vote in favour of abortion rights. Trudeau clarified that Tassi had agreed to support the legal right to abortion.[4]

Prior to entering federal politics, Tassi was a Catholic school board trustee.[5]

After previously serving as Deputy Government Whip, Tassi was appointed to cabinet as Minister of Seniors on July 18, 2018, becoming the first minister responsible for the portfolio since 2015.[6] After being re-elected in 2019, Tassi was named Minister of Labour, a job she held for just under two years until she was named Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Receiver General for Canada in the cabinet shuffle held following the 2021 federal election.[7] Tassi served in that job until August 31, 2022, when she was named Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, having requested to be moved to a portfolio with a lighter workload in order to deal with a family health matter.[8]

Electoral record

Federal

2021 Canadian federal election: Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Filomena Tassi 27,845 44.32 -2.23
Conservative Bert Laranjo 18,162 28.91 +2.19
New Democratic Roberto Henriquez 12,432 19.79 +2.03
People's Dean Woods 2,584 4.11 +2.73
Green Victoria Galea 1,661 2.64 -4.71
Rhinoceros Spencer Rocchi 137 0.22 -0.02
Total valid votes 62,821 99.4
Total rejected ballots 387 0.6
Turnout 63,208 71.2
Eligible voters 88,781
Liberal hold Swing -2.21
Source: Elections Canada[9]


2019 Canadian federal election: Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Filomena Tassi 30,214 46.55 -1.13 $77,474.77
Conservative Bert Laranjo 17,340 26.72 -5.11 none listed
New Democratic Yousaf Malik 11,527 17.76 +1.49 $35,360.66
Green Victoria Galea 4,770 7.35 +3.12 none listed
People's Daniel Ricottone 894 1.38 – none listed
Rhinoceros Spencer Rocchi 156 0.24 – $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 64,901 99.36
Total rejected ballots 415 0.64 +0.20
Turnout 65,316 72.83 +0.29
Eligible voters 89,679
Liberal hold Swing +1.99
Source: Elections Canada[10][11]
2015 Canadian federal election: Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Filomena Tassi 29,694 47.68 +22.76 –
Conservative Vincent Samuel 19,821 31.83 -10.57 –
New Democratic Alex Johnstone 10,131 16.27 -11.92 –
Green Peter Ormond 2,633 4.23 +0.5 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 62,279 100.0   $221,675.78
Total rejected ballots 272 – –
Turnout 62,551 74.1% –
Eligible voters 84,350
Liberal notional gain from Conservative Swing +16.66%
Source: Elections Canada[12][13]

Provincial

1995 Ontario general election: Hamilton Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic David Christopherson 8,012 36.81 -18.49 $40,543.33
Liberal Filomena Tassi 7,322 33.64 +2.84 $34,483.85
Progressive Conservative Angie Tomasic 5,723 26.29 +17.99 $18,222.88
Family Coalition Tom Wigglesworth 376 1.72 +0.32 $1,548.28
Natural Law Monique Poudrette 331 1.53 – $0.00
Total valid votes 21,764 100.0   –
Total rejected ballots 372 1.68 -0.04
Turnout 22,136 54.71 -5.07
Eligible voters 40,459
New Democratic hold Swing -10.66

References

  1. ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Filomena Tassi, "Italian Heritage Month" on May 15th, 2017 | openparliament.ca".
  3. ^ Meet Filomena Tassi, Liberal.ca.
  4. ^ Susana Mas, Justin Trudeau says Filomena Tassi agreed to vote pro-choice if elected in 2015, CBC News, November 28, 2014.
  5. ^ "Liberals pick up two Hamilton ridings, Marston defeated". CBC Hamilton, October 19, 2015.
  6. ^ Wright Allen, Samantha (25 July 2018). "Rodriguez, Tassi staying as government whips for now, changes expected soon". The Hill Times. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  7. ^ Bharti, Bianca (20 November 2019). "Justin Trudeau's cabinet: Some new faces, some old faces, and some faces in new places | National Post". National Post. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  8. ^ Zimonjic, Peter (31 August 2022). "Trudeau tweaks cabinet, swapping ministers Tassi and Jaczek". CBC News. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  9. ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  10. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  12. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, 30 September 2015
  13. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

External links

29th Ministry – Cabinet of Justin Trudeau Cabinet posts (4) Predecessor Office Successor Helena Jaczek Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern OntarioAugust 31, 2022 – present Incumbent Anita Anand Minister of Public Services and ProcurementOctober 26, 2021 – August 31, 2022 Helena Jaczek Patty Hajdu Minister of LabourNovember 20, 2019 – October 26, 2021 Seamus O'Regan Alice Wong Minister of SeniorsJuly 18, 2018 – November 20, 2019 Deb Schulte
Ministers of Public Works
Ministers of Labour
Cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (2015–present)
Members of the Cabinet of Canada
Members of the House of Commons of Canada
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