Representative Peter Schiefke Contact information

Peter Schiefke, born on April 13, 1979, is a dedicated Canadian environmentalist and a prominent Liberal politician. He has been serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Vaudreuil—Soulanges in the House of Commons of Canada since the 2015 federal election.

Raised in Hudson, Quebec, Peter Schiefke spent his early childhood there before moving to Montreal. He completed his education at Rosemount High School on the island of Montreal. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Concordia University and a Master of Science degree in Renewable Resources from McGill University.

During his time as a student at Concordia in 2002, Peter Schiefke initiated the We Will Always Remember (WWAR) project, aimed at raising awareness among youth about the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers worldwide. For his commendable efforts, he received the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation in 2003. In 2006, he co-founded the Concordia Volunteer Abroad Program (CVAP), now known as Community, Empowerment, Education, Development (CEED), which focuses on cooperation and development projects in the Gulu region of Uganda.

In addition to his environmental and humanitarian initiatives, Peter Schiefke co-founded Youth Action Montreal in 2006, along with Mohamed Shuriye, with the goal of engaging Montreal college and university students in sustainable development and environmental protection. One of their notable achievements was organizing the conference “Less Talk, More Action: A Youth Summit on Climate Change” in 2007, attended by renowned figures such as Al Gore and David Suzuki. This conference brought together thousands of individuals at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. In 2009, he assumed the role of National Director of The Climate Reality Project Canada Foundation and later joined its Board of Directors.

Peter Schiefke embarked on his political career by seeking the Liberal Party of Canada nomination in Vaudreuil-Soulanges in July 2014, in anticipation of the upcoming federal election the following year. On February 24, 2015, he emerged as the chosen candidate after a nomination meeting, securing 46.6% of the vote and surpassing two other candidates. He went on to win the general election on October 19, 2015, defeating the incumbent New Democratic Party MP, Jamie Nicholls.

In December 2015, Peter Schiefke was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Youth. In this role, he worked closely with the Prime Minister to establish the groundbreaking Prime Minister’s Youth Council and develop the first-ever Youth Policy for the Government of Canada. He actively advocated for increased student aid, bursaries, and entrepreneurship programs. In August 2018, he assumed additional responsibilities and became the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, Bill Blair. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in implementing the Cannabis Act, which legalized recreational cannabis use in Canada. He also contributed to Canada’s response to the influx of asylum seekers and irregular migrants entering the country through various points of entry.

Having proven his dedication to public service, Peter Schiefke ran for re-election in the 2019 federal election and successfully retained his seat with 47.3% of the vote. In December 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed him as the Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Climate Change. During his tenure, he assumed leadership in the government’s efforts to protect 25% of Canada’s natural environment by 2025. He played a key role in updating and strengthening the outdated Canada Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) from 1999 and was instrumental in the announcement of a forthcoming ban on harmful single-use plastics, scheduled to

be implemented at the end of 2022. Although the CEPA legislation, known as Bill C-28: Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, did not pass due to the election being called in August 2021, it is expected to be reintroduced in the 44th Parliament. In March 2021, he was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship until the federal election was called later that year on August 15.

Continuing his commitment to public service, Peter Schiefke was re-elected for a third consecutive term as the Member of Parliament for Vaudreuil-Soulanges on September 20, 2021, securing 46.4% of the vote. On December 16, 2021, he was elected as the Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities.