Don Rusnak
| Don Rusnak MP | |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Alma mater |
Robson Hall Lakehead University |
| Profession | lawyer |
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 Canadian federal election, 2015.[1]
Biography
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
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
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
- 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
| Canadian federal election, 2015 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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] | ||||||||
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