Peter Van Loan

The Honourable Peter Van Loan PC MP
Official Opposition Critic for Canadian Heritage
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 November 2015
Leader	Rona Ambrose
Preceded by	Pierre Nantel
Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
In office May 18, 2011 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	John Baird
Succeeded by	Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of International Trade
In office January 19, 2010 – May 18, 2011
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Stockwell Day
Succeeded by	Ed Fast
Minister of Public Safety
In office October 30, 2008 – January 19, 2010
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Stockwell Day
Succeeded by	Vic Toews
President of the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
In office November 27, 2006 – January 4, 2007
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Michael Chong
Succeeded by	Josée Verner
Member of the Canadian Parliament for York—Simcoe
Incumbent
Assumed office June 28, 2004
Preceded by	new riding
Personal details
Born	April 18, 1963 Niagara Falls, Ontario
Political party	Conservative
Residence	Sutton, Ontario
Profession	Lawyer

Peter Van Loan, PC MP (born April 18, 1963) is a Canadian politician who is the Member of Parliament for the electoral district of York—Simcoe. He was the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons from 2007 to 2008 and again from 2011 to 2015.

Biography

Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Van Loan is of Estonian heritage. His mother and grandparents fled Estonia during World War II and emigrated to Canada.

Van Loan was educated at the University of Toronto and York University and holds a bachelor's degree, a Masters in International Relations and an additional master's degree in geography. Van Loan graduated from York University's Osgoode Hall Law School and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1989.

Prior to his election to public office, Van Loan was a partner and Chair of the Planning and Development Law Group at the law firm of Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP in Toronto, Ontario. Van Loan was also an Adjunct Professor of Planning at the University of Toronto. He served as president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario during Mike Harris' term of office and then of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada for a brief period. He resigned from the latter post in 2000 after a series of disagreements with its leader, Joe Clark.

Van Loan was a key figure in the unsuccessful attempt to convince Premier of New Brunswick Bernard Lord to run for the leadership of the federal Progressive Conservatives in late 2002. He was a key organizer in the "Yes" Campaign, led by Tory Leader Peter MacKay, to ratify the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance into the Conservative Party of Canada. Van Loan then again attempted to recruit Lord to run for the leadership of the new party, and again was unsuccessful.

In an article from January 24, 2008, Van Loan was classified as one of "Harper's 12", the twelve most influential people in Ottawa, by Maclean's Magazine. Other cabinet ministers included were Jim Prentice, John Baird, and Jim Flaherty.

On October 30, 2008, Jay Hill replaced Van Loan as Government House Leader and Steven John Fletcher took over the Minister for Democratic Reform post. Van Loan became the Minister for Public Safety, as Stockwell Day became the Minister of International Trade. On these changes Don Martin wrote: "The House of Commons might become a slightly friendlier place now that Peter Van Loan has lost the job of Question Period cheap shot specialist to become Public Safety Minister, a good move that seems to back Harper’s pledge to play nice with others during the upcoming session." ^[1]

On January 19, 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper designated Van Loan as the next Minister of International Trade. It has been suggested that Harper removed the MP from his post as Public Safety Minister because of dissatisfaction with his leadership pertaining to the correctional system.^[2]

On December 5, 2012, on the floor of the House of Commons Van Loan was involved in an altercation with NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. Van Loan crossed the aisle and used an inappropriate word during the confrontation. He was restrained by Defence Minister Peter MacKay.^[3]

Van Loan was one of thirteen Canadians banned from travelling to Russia under retaliatory sanctions imposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2014.^[4] In response to the ban, Van Loan said that the ban was "not of serious consequence" and that he would "not be losing sleep over being on the list."^[5]

References

1. Martin, Don (October 30, 2008). "Harper keeps everyone occupied with supersized cabinet". National Post.
2. Noé, Markus (January 19, 2010). "Peter Van Loan out as Minister of Public Safety". Cornwall Free News.
3. Press, Canadian (December 6, 2012). "Peter Van Loan: Fight Comments Were Inappropriate (VIDEO)". The Canadian Press.
4. Susana Mas (March 24, 2013). "Russian sanctions against Canadians a 'badge of honour'". CBC News. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
5. "Putin bans Van Loan from Russia as Ukraine crisis grows". Innisfil Journal. March 24, 2014.

External links

• Peter Van Loan official site
• Trade
• Profile at Parliament of Canada
• Peter Van Loan – Parliament of Canada biography
• Speeches, votes and activity at OpenParliament.ca
• Peter Van Loan on how Ottawa can help businesses abroad
• Van Loan 'erred' in prison transfer requests
• Come to Canada!: Van Loan