Randy Paul Andrew Boissonnault (born July 14, 1970) is a Canadian politician who has served as

Minister of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture. The position exists in many different countries under several names: * Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania) * Mini ...

and

Associate Minister of Finance The associate minister of finance () is a member of the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for various files within the Department of Finance Canada as assigned by the minister of finance. The incumbent is Randy Boissonnault, who also serves as ...

since October 26, 2021. A member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a l ...

, he represents the riding of Edmonton Centre in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

. Boissonnault was initially elected as the

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

(MP) in the 2015 federal election and served until his defeat in

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

. He later went on to win back his seat in the 2021 federal election. He was one of five openly gay MPs elected in 2015 and the first to be elected from

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Early life

Boissonnault was born in the Franco-Albertan town of Morinville, Alberta on July 14, 1970. After graduating from the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Ruth ...

, Boissonault studied at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...

as a

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

. He subsequently worked as a lecturer at the University of Alberta's Campus Saint-Jean and as a journalist and political commentator for

Radio-Canada The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

and '' Les Affaires''.

Political career

Boissonnault was elected in the 2015 election in the riding of Edmonton Centre, the first Liberal MP to win in the riding for almost a decade. Upon being sworn in as a Member of Parliament, Boissonnault was named Parliamentary Secretary to the

Minister of Canadian Heritage The minister of Canadian heritage (french: ministre du patrimoine canadien) is the minister of the Crown who heads Canadian Heritage, the department of the Government of Canada responsible for culture, media, sports, and the arts. History The p ...

. On November 15, 2016, Boissonnault was named special advisor on LGBTQ2 issues to the Prime Minister."Feds name gay MP as ‘LGBTQ2 issues’ advisor"
''

Daily Xtra ''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...

'', November 15, 2016. The role involves advising Trudeau "on the development and co-ordination of the Government of Canada’s LGBTQ2 agenda" including protecting LGBT rights in Canada and addressing both present and historical discrimination. He was defeated in the 2019 election. On July 14, 2021, he was acclaimed as the Edmonton Centre Liberal candidate for the next Canadian federal election. He won the election on September 20, 2021, defeating James Cumming, who had previously defeated him in 2019.

In Cabinet

Boissonnault was appointed the minister of tourism and associate minister of finance in a Cabinet shuffle following the 2021 federal election.

Election results

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Boissonnault, Randy 1970 births Alumni of University College, Oxford Canadian LGBT Members of Parliament Canadian Rhodes Scholars Franco-Albertan people Gay politicians Liberal Party of Canada MPs Living people Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta Politicians from Edmonton University of Alberta alumni University of Alberta faculty 21st-century Canadian politicians Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada