Member Biographies – Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (44-1)

John Brassard - Chair
CPC - Barrie-Innisfil, Ontario

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2015
• Re-elected: 2019, 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Former firefighter for 30 years and city councillor for Barrie City for 9 years.
• Served as an executive member of the Markham Professional Firefighters’ Association, including a three-year term as President.

Committee Membership

• Chair: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2022-present); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2022-present)
• Vice-Chair: Veterans Affairs (2020-2021)
• Member: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-2022 | present); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-2022 | present); Subcommittee on Committee Budgets of the Liaison Committee (present); Liaison (present)
• Former Member: Afghanistan (2021-2022); Veterans Affairs (2016-2017 | 2020-2021); Procedure and House Affairs (2019-2020 | 2020); COVID-19 Pandemic (2020); Subcommittee on the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Commons: Sexual Harassment (2018-2019)

Darren Fisher, Vice-Chair 
LPC – Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2015
• Re-elected: 2019, 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Prior to entering politics, owned a small business and was an active community volunteer.
• Supports local small businesses, clean technology, Canada’s natural spaces and protected areas, healthy active living, and National Universal Pharmacare.

Political and Parliamentary Roles

• Member: National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (present)

Committee Membership

• Vice-Chair: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (present)
• Member: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (present), Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (present); National Defence (2016-2019 | 2021-present); Medical Assistance in Dying (2023-2024); Health (2020-2021 | 2023); Public Safety and National Security (2021); COVID-19 Pandemic (2020); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on National Defence (2017-2019); Environment and Sustainable Development (2016-2019); Subcommittee on Sports-Related Concussions in Canada of the Standing Committee on Health (2018-2019)

René Villemure, Vice-Chair
BQ - Trois-Rivières, Québec

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Obtained a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Sherbrooke.
• Founded the Quebec Institute of Applied Ethics, then Éthikos.
• Involved in the cause of literacy and international Francophonie, particularly with the Literacy Foundation and numerous international organizations in the Francophonie.

Political and Parliamentary Roles

• Critic: International Francophonie (Canadian Heritage) (2021-present); Ethics, Privacy and Access to Information (Treasury Board) (2021-present)

Committee Membership

• Vice-Chair: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-present), Canada-China Relations (present)
• Member: Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-present); Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-present); Canada-China Relations (present)

Parm Bains
LPC - Steveston - Richmond East, British Columbia

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Former instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
• Previously, he was a media and public relations officer with the provincial government.

Committee Membership

• Member: Government Operations and Estimates (2021-present); Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-present)

Michael Barrett
CPC - Leeds - Grenville - Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, Ontario

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2018
• Re-elected: 2019, 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Attended Algonquin College and enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces.
• Worked as a human resources manager and served as a municipal

Committee Membership

• Member: Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2020-2021 | 2022-present)
• Former Member: Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying (2022); Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2020-2021 | 2022-present); Government Operations and Estimates (2022-present); Justice and Human Rights (2019); COVID-19 Pandemic (2020); Procedure and House Affairs (2021-2022); Subcommittee on Private Members' Business of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (2021-2022); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Health (2022)

Frank Caputo
CPC – Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Worked as a Crown Prosecutor and as a Professor of Law at Thompson Rivers University.
• Previously served as the Associate Shadow Minister for Justice & Attorney General and the Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs.

Committee Membership

• Vice-Chair: Veterans Affairs (2021-2022)
• Member: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (present); Veterans Affairs (2021-2022); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (2021-2022); Public Safety and National Security (2024); Justice and Human Rights (2022-2024)

Michael Cooper
CPC – St. Albert—Edmonton

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2015
• Re-elected: 2019, 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Lector at St. Albert Catholic Parish and a member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Albert Rotary Club and the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce.
• Prior to being elected, Michael worked as a civil litigator at an Edmonton law firm.

Political and Parliamentary Roles

• Member: Joint Interparliamentary Council (2022-present)

Committee Membership

• Vice-Chair: Physician-Assisted Dying (2016), Justice and Human Rights (2018-2019), Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (2022), Medical Assistance in Dying (2022-2023), Procedure and House Affairs (2023-present)
• Member: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2024), COVID-19 Pandemic (2020), Finance (2020), Physician-Assisted Dying (2016), Justice and Human Rights (2016-2019 | 2020-2021 | 2022), Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (2022), Medical Assistance in Dying (2021 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024), Procedure and House Affairs (2022-present), Public Accounts (2021-2022), Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (2023)

Matthew Green
NDP - Hamilton Centre, Ontario

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2019
• Re-elected: 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Obtained a B.A. in political science and legal studies from Acadia University, as well as certificates in government leadership and social enterprise initiatives from Harvard University.
• Served for the 2014-2018 term as the Ward 3 Councillor on Hamilton City Council.
• Former Executive Director of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion.
• Former small business owner in Hamilton.

Committee Membership

• Joint Chair: Declaration of Emergency (2022-present)
• Member: Declaration of Emergency (2022-present); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-present); Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-present)
• Former Member: Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (2020-2021); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (2020 | 2020-2021); Government Operations and Estimates (2020 | 2020-2021); Public Accounts (2020 |2020-2021); COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)

Anthony Housefather
LPC - Mount Royal, Québec

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2015
• Re-elected: 2019, 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Served as a municipal councillor from 1994 to 2005 and as Mayor of Côte-Saint-Luc from 2005 to 2015.
• Previously Executive Vice-President of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel at Dialogic Corporation, a multinational technology company.

Political and Parliamentary Roles

• Parliamentary Secretary: President of the Treasury Board (2024-present)

Committee Membership

• Member: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2024-present); Justice and Human Rights (2023-present)
• Former Member: Canadian Heritage (2020-2023); COVID-19 Pandemic (2020); Liaison (2016-2019); Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States (2021); Library of Parliament (2018-2019)

Iqra Khalid
LPC - Mississauga - Erin Mills, Ontario

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2015
• Re-elected: 2019, 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Studied criminology at York University and completed her law degree at the University of Michigan. Worked for the City of Mississauga’s legal department.

Political and Parliamentary Roles

• Parliamentary Secretary: Minister of National Revenue (2023-present)

Committee Membership

• Chair: Justice and Human Rights (2020 | 2020-2021); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (2020 | 2020-2021)
• Vice-Chair: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-2023);
• Member: Public Accounts (2023-present); Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-present); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2021-2023); Scrutiny of Regulations (2021-2022); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (2016-2019 | 2020); Justice and Human Rights (2016-2019 | 2020 | 2020-2021); Liaison (2020 | 2020-2021); Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (2020 | 2020-2021); COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)

Brenda Shanahan
LPC - Châteauguay—Lacolle

Election to the House of Commons

• Elected: 2015
• Re-elected: 2019, 2021

Personal/Professional Background

• Has worked as a banker, social worker and financial educator.
• Involved in several organizations such as Amnesty International and the Canadian Federation of University Women.

Political and Parliamentary Roles

• Member: National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (2017-2019; 2020-2021; present)
• Caucus Chair (2021-present)

Committee Membership

• Vice-Chair: Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2020-2021)
• Member: Physician-Assisted Dying (2016); Public Accounts (2016-2018 | 2021-2024); Government Operations and Estimates (2016-2018); Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2020-2021 | present); Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (2020-2021); COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)