Don Rusnak
Don Rusnak | |
|---|---|
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services | |
| Assumed office September 19, 2017 | |
| Minister | Jane Philpott |
| Preceded by | portfolio established |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Thunder Bay—Rainy River | |
| Assumed office October 19, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | John Rafferty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 5, 1975 Thunder Bay, Ontario |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Amanda |
| Alma mater | Robson Hall Lakehead University |
| Profession | Barrister |
Don Rusnak MP (born October 5, 1975) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the riding of Thunder Bay—Rainy River in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election.[1]
Contents
Biography[edit]
Born and raised in Northwestern Ontario, Rusnak has deep roots in Thunder Bay–Rainy River, and as the son of Ukrainian and Anishinaabe (Ojibway) parents. He is currently the only First Nation MP elected in the province of Ontario.
Education[edit]
Rusnak studied Political Science and Integrated Forest Resource Management at Lakehead University. In 2001, Rusnak attended the University of Manitoba, Robson Hall Faculty of Law, and during his final year, attended Osgoode Hall Law School to study in the Intensive Program in Aboriginal Lands, Resources and Governments.
Career prior to election[edit]
Rusnak has extensive professional experience drawing from his work in the forestry industry, public sector, and from his own legal practice. While working with Manitoba Health, Rusnak helped to improve the delivery of healthcare services for Northern Manitobans, and as a Crown Prosecutor in Eastern Alberta, he prosecuted criminal and regulatory offences. Rusnak served as the interim Executive Director for Grand Council Treaty #3 in Kenora.
Rusnak has volunteered his time with many organizations, such as the Ontario Justice Education Network and the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative – a group which improves elementary and secondary school education outcomes for Aboriginal Canadians through the implementation of specific programs and the application of appropriate research.
Political roles[edit]
- Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs
- Standing Joint Committee of the Library of Parliament
- Chair of the Indigenous Caucus
- Director-at-Large Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group
Electoral record[edit]
| 2015 Canadian federal election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Don Rusnak | 18,523 | 44.1 | +22.4 | – | |||
| New Democratic | John Rafferty | 12,439 | 29.6 | -19.1 | – | |||
| Conservative | Moe Comuzzi | 8,876 | 21.1 | -6.1 | – | |||
| Green | Christy Radbourne | 2,201 | 5.2 | +2.8 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | – | 100.0 | $233,030.77 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | – | – | – | |||||
| Turnout | 42,039 | 67.6 | +7.5 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 62,207 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[2][3] | ||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ "Don Rusnak captures Thunder Bay-Rainy River for Liberals". CBC Thunder Bay, October 20, 2015.
- ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Thunder Bay—Rainy River, 30 September 2015
- ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
External links[edit]
 | This article about an Ontario Member of Parliament is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- Living people
- 1975 births
- Liberal Party of Canada MPs
- Canadian people of Ukrainian descent
- Anishinaabe people
- Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
- Indigenous Members of the House of Commons of Canada
- First Nations lawyers
- First Nations politicians
- Lawyers in Ontario
- Politicians from Thunder Bay
- Lakehead University alumni
- University of Manitoba alumni
- Osgoode Hall Law School alumni
- Robson Hall alumni
- 21st-century Canadian politicians
- Ontario MP stubs
