Will Amos

Will Amos
MP
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Pontiac
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded by Mathieu Ravignat
Personal details
Born (1974-12-04) December 4, 1974
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Political party Liberal
Spouse(s) Regina
Children 2
Residence Chelsea, Quebec
Alma mater McGill University
University of British Columbia
McMaster University
Profession Attorney

William Amos MP (born December 4, 1974) is a Canadian Liberal politician elected to represent the riding of Pontiac in the Canadian House of Commons in the 2015 federal election.[1]

Education and private career

Amos attended McMaster University, earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science and a Master of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia. Amos worked in the Prime Minister's Office under Jean Chrétien.[2]

Amos earned his law degree from McGill University's civil/common law program in 2004.[3][4] Amos was called to the bar in both Ontario and Quebec, worked for a large Montreal law firm, and advised former Environment Minister David Anderson on issues related to species at risk.[2][5][6]

By 2007, Amos was a lawyer for Ecojustice Canada, an environmental law charity which had partnered with the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law to create the uOttawa-Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic, which provided legal advice to individuals and community groups involved in environmental law cases.[5] During his time at the environmental law clinic, Amos collaborated as an author on four books, three of which were about the mining industry in Quebec, and one on holding the Canadian government accountable for environmental enforcement.[7] Amos was a part-time professor and staff lawyer at the University of Ottawa before being promoted to director of the uOttawa-Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic in August 2010.[5][8]

At the time of his election, Amos was teaching law at the University of Ottawa as the Director of the uOttawa-Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic.[3][9]

Political career

In October 2014, Amos won the Liberal nomination to run in Pontiac for the 2015 federal election by large majority.[10]

On October 12, 2015, a week before the end of the election, the New Democratic Party filed a complaint with Elections Canada claiming that on September 11, Amos had lied to a staffer from Nycole Turmel's constituency office by saying that her boss, the incumbent NDP MP for nearby Hull—Aylmer, was terminally ill.[11][12] Amos dismissed these claims as "totally and absolutely false."[11][12]

Amos won Pontiac in the election, unseating incumbent NDP MP Mathieu Ravignat.[13] Amos's experience as an environmental lawyer prompted Ecojustice Canada executive director Devon Page to consider him as a potential candidate to be Minister of the Environment, a role that ultimately went to Catherine McKenna.[6]

Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 2015: Pontiac
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
LiberalWill Amos 34,154 54.54 +39.35 –
New DemocraticMathieu Ravignat 14,095 22.51 -24.76 –
ConservativeBenjamin Woodman 8,721 13.93 -12.26 –
Bloc QuébécoisNicolas Lepage 4,327 6.91 -2.64 –
GreenColin Griffiths 1,089 1.74 +0.11 –
Strength in DemocracyPascal Médieu 131 0.21 – –
Marxist–LeninistLouis Lang 108 0.17 – –
Total valid votes/Expense limit –100.0   $253,773.13
Total rejected ballots –––
Turnout –––
Eligible voters 86,585
Source: Elections Canada[14][15]

Personal life

Amos currently resides in Chelsea with his wife and two children.[10] He is fluently bilingual.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Will Amos rafle Pontiac, La Presse, October 19, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Berthiaume, Lee (2016-01-25). "Pontiac MP Will Amos on caring for the local environment". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  3. 1 2 Schmitz, Cristin (November 6, 2015). "Lawyers back with a vengeance, business people will cede power". www.lawyersweekly.ca. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  4. ↑ "Twenty-five McGillians off to Parliament : McGill Reporter". publications.mcgill.ca. October 21, 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Turnbull, Amanda. "Will Amos New Director of uOttawa-Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic | Common Law Section News". dev15.commonlaw.uottawa.ca. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  6. 1 2 M, Charles; News, el in; 2015, Politics | October 21st (2015-10-21). "Warren Kinsella dishes on who will be Trudeau's Minister of Environment". National Observer. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  7. ↑ "PARLINFO - Parliamentarian File - Complete File - AMOS, William". Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  8. ↑ "New uOttawa-Ecojustice Clinic Director announced - Ecojustice". ecojustice.ca. Ecojustice Canada. August 24, 2010. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  9. ↑ Smyth, Catrina (October 20, 2015). "Sea of red washes over orange crush". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  10. 1 2 Paula McCooey, Riding profile: "Will bellwether Pontiac keep riding the orange wave?", The Ottawa Citizen, August 12, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "NDP accuses Liberals of spreading rumour a candidate is dying". CBC News. October 14, 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  12. 1 2 "NDP allege Liberals are spreading lies incumbent Nycole Turmel is dying. Liberals say that's false". National Post. October 13, 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Liberals win decisive victory in the Pontiac". Ottawa Citizen. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  14. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Pontiac, 30 September 2015
  15. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
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