Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Peter Van Loan was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 and re-elected in 2006. He was appointed President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister for Sport in November 2006. Prior to his appointment to Cabinet, Mr. Van Loan was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In July 2004, he was appointed Critic for Human Resources and Skills Development and served as a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. Mr. Van Loan also served as a member of the Subcommittee on Employment Insurance Funds.
Mr. Van Loan has developed a wealth of diverse experience through involvement in the community, in his professional life as a lawyer and in the academic world. He has been a community leader, serving as a member of the Georgina Economic Development Committee, a former executive member of the Canadian Bar Association - Ontario, Municipal Section, and a member of the Ontario Brownfields Advisory Panel.
Professionally, Mr. Van Loan has been a partner and chair of the Planning and Development Law Group with the national law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP. He has also been an adjunct professor of planning at the University of Toronto. Mr. Van Loan obtained a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Master of Science in planning, and a Master of Arts in international relations from the University of Toronto.