Maryam Monsef

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President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
In office
November 4, 2015 – January 10, 2017
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byDenis Lebel
Succeeded byKarina Gould
Member of Parliament
for Peterborough—Kawartha
In office
October 19, 2015 – September 20, 2021
Preceded byDean Del Mastro (2014)
Succeeded byMichelle Ferreri
Personal details
Born
Maryam Monsefzadeh[1]

(1984-11-07) November 7, 1984 (age 39)
Mashhad, Iran
NationalityCanadian
Political partyLiberal
Residence(s)Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Alma materTrent University

Maryam Monsef

Afghan Canadian politician. She served as the member of Parliament for the riding of Peterborough—Kawartha from 2015 to 2021 as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada
.

A member of the

President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada from 2015 to 2017. Monsef was defeated in her riding in the 2021 federal election
.

Family and education

Monsef was born at the Imam Reza Hospital

University of Kabul, in circumstances suggested to have been connected to anti-communist political activity. The family struggled in Iran[6] because of low economic and social prospects for Afghan migrants,[7] even though they had legal status as "involuntary migrants" (mohajerin) under Iranian rules in effect prior to 1992.[8][c] In 1996, during their second return to Herat, her mother opted to move the family to Canada, and the resulting journey involved travelling through Iran, Pakistan, and Jordan.[6]

Upon arrival, the family took up residence in

Salvation Army.[6] Monsef has continued to raise money for humanitarian activities in Afghanistan.[11]

In 2003, Monsef enrolled at Trent University,[12] from which she graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology.[13] After graduation, from 2011 to 2014, she worked in several public sector positions in the Peterborough area.[d]

In 2019, she announced her engagement to former Liberal member of Parliament Matt DeCourcey.[15]

Monsef holds

dual citizenship with Afghanistan.[16]

Political career

In 2014, Monsef was offered a job in Afghanistan but was unable to enter the country because of security concerns.[17] She then went to Iran to work on relief efforts for Afghan refugees, which encouraged her to focus on political endeavours.[17]

Municipal politics

When Monsef returned to Canada, she ran for Mayor of Peterborough in 2014, finishing a close second.[18]

Federal politics

Later that same year, she was nominated as the Liberal Party candidate for the 2015 federal election.[19] She was elected on October 19, 2015, with 43.8% of the vote.[20][21]

Cabinet appointments

Monsef was appointed as

President of the Queen's Privy Council in Canada although it was unclear at the time whether she had been sworn into that office.[25] Monsef has described this position as "largely ceremonial."[26] The Parliamentary website subsequently indicated that she had assumed the position on November 4.[27]

On January 10, 2017, Monsef was sworn in as

Minister for Women and Gender Equality (previously known as the Minister of Status of Women). On March 1, 2019, she was appointed Minister of International Development.[28] She was sworn in as Minister of Rural Economic Development on November 20, 2019.[29]

Criticism and controversy

Handling of portfolio

On May 10, 2016, Monsef gave notice in the House of Commons of the government's plans for the composition of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, which was to have ten members—six members of the Liberal Party, three members from the Conservative Party, and one member from the New Democratic Party.[30] This attracted immediate controversy, as the government possessed a majority of the committee seats and thus could theoretically recommend alterations to the electoral system without the support of any other party. As well, the Green Party and the Bloc Québécois objected to their lack of voting representation on the committee, although they were invited to attend meetings.[31]

On June 2, 2016, the Liberal government reversed course, and both Trudeau and Monsef advised that they would support Nathan Cullen's motion for the composition of the committee, which would instead have twelve members—five Liberals, three Conservatives, two New Democrats, and one member from each of the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party.[32]

Following the release of the final report of the Electoral Reform Committee Monsef criticized the Members of the committee stating "On the main question on the hard choices that we had asked the committee to make, the members of the committee took a pass," and "We asked the committee to help answer very difficult questions for us. It did not do that." The remarks were considered inaccurate and offensive to the Members of the Committee.[33] Monsef later apologized for her comments.[34]

In late 2016, the Government contracted Vox Pop Labs to create an online survey for Canadians on electoral reform at a website called mydemocracy.ca.[35] The survey was condemned as unscientific and misleading by journalists for allowing unlimited entries from one person and failing to ask direct questions about electoral systems. It was also widely mocked by political observers and electoral reform advocates.[36][37] Conservative MP Scott Reid and Green Party leader Elizabeth May both claimed the survey looked more like an online dating survey.[38]

In early 2017 Monsef was replaced as Democratic Institutions Minister by Karina Gould and the Liberal campaign promise to replace the first-past-the-post electoral system was not pursued further.[39]

Place of birth

Monsef has been criticized for stating that she was born in

Canadian citizenship and potential deportation,[41] while others have criticized the absurdity of the present law[42] or decried the importation of birtherism into Canadian politics.[43] The Trudeau government has regularly revoked citizenship from individuals who had become citizens through fraudulent means – including individuals who came to Canada as children but whose parents had made false claims on their immigration forms.[44][45] In an interview at that time, former MP Dean Del Mastro said that political workers in the 2014 municipal and 2015 federal campaigns knew she was not born in Afghanistan, but chose not to make an issue of it.[46] Monsef made a request to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to update her information.[47]

In October 2016, her office revealed that she had travelled to Iran with pilgrimage visas in an Afghan passport in 2010, 2013 and 2014 in order to visit the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.[48] As this type of visa is normally for a single entry to Iran and does not allow a holder to work, her previous admissions that she had crossed over to Afghanistan and back in 2014, together with working with an Iran-based charity at that time, have caught the attention of Iranian authorities.[49] In a 2014 interview in Peterborough, Monsef admitted that she wanted the trip to "remain hush-hush."[49][50]

Open microphone incident

In November 2020 Monsef accidentally left her microphone on during a vote in the House of Commons while participating virtually on Zoom. As a result, the camera showed her saying "The question they're going to ask me — how much do I make now? Like 250?" As a cabinet minister, her annual salary at the time was $269,800.00.[51]

Monsef was criticized for the comments as her salary was more than four times the median wage in her riding and yet she was casually discussing her own salary without knowing it to the nearest $20,000.[52] It was unclear what prompted Monsef to make the comment; however, her office later released a statement claiming "Due to a technical error a private conversation was broadcasted."[53]

Taliban comments

I want to take this opportunity to speak with our brothers, the Taliban. We call on you to ensure the safe and secure passage of any individual in Afghanistan out of the country. We call on you to immediately stop the violence, the genocide, the femicide, the destruction of infrastructure, including heritage buildings

— Maryam Monsef[54]

On August 25, 2021, during a press conference regarding the

terrorist organization, which has been responsible for the deaths of 158 Canadian soldiers since 2001.[55][58] In response to widespread criticism, Monsef stated that Muslims around the world refer to non-family members as brothers and sisters,[54] and that she "believe[s] deeply that the Taliban are a terrorist organization."[55] Many Farsi speakers and Afghans debunked Monsef's premise on the cultural context of calling the Taliban "brothers", and some have even attributed her defeat in 2021 Canadian election to that comment.[59][60][61]

2021 election

Monsef was defeated in the 2021 federal election.[62]

Electoral record

Federal

2021 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michelle Ferreri 27,402 39.03 +4.14
Liberal Maryam Monsef 24,664 35.13 –4.12
New Democratic Joy Lachica 13,302 18.94 +1.93
People's Paul Lawton 3,073 4.38 +3.10
Green Chanté White 1,553 2.21 –4.85
Independent Robert M. Bowers 218 0.31 +0.05
Total valid votes 70,212 99.44
Total rejected ballots 395 0.56
Turnout 70,607 70.09 +0.09
Eligible voters 100,735
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +4.13
Source: Elections Canada[63]
2019 Canadian federal election: Peterborough—Kawartha
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Maryam Monsef 27,400 39.25 -4.57 $99,034.55
Conservative Michael Skinner 24,357 34.89 -0.17 $97,460.55
New Democratic Candace Shaw 11,872 17.01 -1.68 none listed
Green Andrew MacGregor 4,930 7.06 +4.84 none listed
People's Alexander Murphy 890 1.28 none listed
Independent Robert M. Bowers 180 0.26 $0.00
Stop Climate Change Ken Ranney 172 0.25 $1,666.19
Total valid votes/expense limit 69,801 99.36
Total rejected ballots 448 0.64 +0.35
Turnout 70,249 70.00 -1.61
Eligible voters 100,351
Liberal hold Swing -2.20
Source: Elections Canada[64]
2015 Canadian federal election: Peterborough—Kawartha
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Maryam Monsef 29,159 43.82 +22.42 $153,380.94
Conservative Michael Skinner 23,335 35.07 -14.60 $160,866.22
New Democratic Dave Nickle 12,437 18.69 -6.19 –
Green Doug Mason 1,480 2.22 -1.34 $82.52
Strength in Democracy Toban Leckie 131 0.20 – $729.98
Total valid votes/Expense limit 66,542 100.0 – $232,452.91[65]
Total rejected ballots 190 0.28 -0.01
Turnout 66,732 73.19 +7.88
Eligible voters 91,180
Source: Elections Canada[66][67]

Municipal

2014 Peterborough municipal election - Mayor of Peterborough[68]
Candidate Votes % of vote
Daryl Bennett 11,210 41.4
Maryam Monsef 9,879 36.5
Alan Wilson 4,052 14.9
Patti S. Peeters 1,564 5.8
George "Terry" LeBlanc 202 0.7
Tom Young 183 0.7
Total 27,090 100.0

Notes

  1. ^ Office became known as "Minister of Status of Women" from 2017 to 2018.
  2. ^ Part of the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
  3. ^ subsequently subject to progressive tightening,[9] until replaced by the Amayesh registration scheme in 2003[10]
  4. ^ Immigration Portal Researcher for WelcomePeterborough.ca; Outreach Coordinator for the New Canadians Centre; Outreach Coordinator for the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough; Community Communications Consultant for the Peterborough Economic Development Commission; and Coordinator of Diversity & International Student Supports/ Community Engagement & Stewardship Officer at Fleming College.[14]

References

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  32. The Globe & Mail. Archived from the original
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  60. ^ Attaran, Amir [@profamirattaran] (August 26, 2021). "No. I am Iranian, and in Farsi one does not customarily call extremists out to kill you "brother". When she did it's abnormal, because "brother" is a sweet thing between dear friends—obviously. https://ctvnews.ca/politics/federal-minister-monsef-says-her-mention-of-taliban-as-our-brothers-is-a-cultural-reference-1.5560821" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 28, 2021 – via Twitter.
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External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Maryam Monsef.
29th Ministry – Cabinet of Justin Trudeau
Cabinet posts (5)
Predecessor Office Successor
Bernadette Jordan Minister of Rural Economic Development
November 20, 2019 – October 26, 2021 		Gudie Hutchings
Marie-Claude Bibeau Minister of International Development
March 1, 2019 – November 20, 2019 		Karina Gould
Patty Hajdu
Minister for Women and Gender Equality

January 10, 2017 – October 26, 2021 		Marci Ien
Denis Lebel
President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada

November 4, 2015 – January 10, 2017 		Karina Gould
Pierre Poilievre Minister of Democratic Institutions
November 4, 2015 – February 1, 2017 		Karina Gould
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