Brian Masse

Infobox CanadianMP | name=Brian S. Masse

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cabinet=
term_start=By-election: May 13, 2002
term_end=
predecessor=Herb Gray
birth_date=Birth date and age|1968|7|9|mf=y
birth_place=Windsor, Ontario
death_date=
death_place=
profession=program coordinator,M.P.
party=New Democratic Party
party colour=NDP
residence=Windsor, Ontario
riding=Windsor West
portfolio=
footnotes=
term_start2=
term_end2=
predecessor2=
successor2=
spouse=Terry Chow|

Brian S. Masse (born July 9, 1968) is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 2002, representing the riding of Windsor West as a member of the New Democratic Party.

Masse's wife is named Terry, with whom he has a daughter and a son.

Early life and career

Masse was born in Windsor, Ontario. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1991, and has completed course work for a Master of Arts degree at the University of Windsor. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/209/ CBC Canada Votes 2006, Windsor West profile, Brian Masse] .] During the 1990s, he was a job developer for the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities and a program coordinator for the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County. [Brian Cross, "The Prosperity Puzzle", "Windsor Star", 10 January 1995, A1.]

Masse gained local prominence in 1996 for his opposition to a dance bar that was planned for a residential neighbourhood. [Brian Masse, "Neighbours have a right to maintain their area", "Windsor Star", 19 June 1996, A7.] He was elected for Ward 2 of the Windsor city council in 1997, and was re-elected in 2000. In 1998, he played a prominent role in preventing a rock-crushing operation from opening in the Wellington Avenue area. [Roseann Danese, "Local News", "Windsor Star", 20 October 1998, A3.]

In May 2001, the Windsor city council unanimously approved Masse's motion to prevent school boards from selling vacant property lots at the highest market value. His purpose was to dissuade boards from closing schools, though some criticized the motion as working against taxpayer interests. ["City taxpayers", "Windsor Star", 9 May 2001, A6.] Masse later called for a referendum on a proposed new arena project, but this was not accepted by council. [Roseann Danese, "Arena plebiscite defeated", "Windsor Star", 9 April 2002, A3.]

Member of Parliament

Masse joined the federal New Democratic Party in 1997, and was first elected to the Canadian parliament in a by-election held on May 13, 2002. [Chris Thompson, "Pollock on offensive at candidates meeting", "Windsor Star", 17 April 2002, A3.] The election was called after the resignation of Herb Gray, a long-time Liberal cabinet minister who had been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1962. Masse won the NDP nomination without opposition, and defeated Liberal candidate Richard Pollock by 2,477 votes to win the seat. [Don Lajoie, "Masse carries NDP banner", "Windsor Star", 5 April 2002, A3.] He was re-elected by a greater margin in the 2004 general election. Masse's success in 2002 was partly due to support from Joe Comartin, a fellow Windsor New Democrat who was elected to the House of Commons in the 2000 federal election. [Doug Williamson, "CAW not ready to back Comartin yet", "Windsor Star", 26 July 2002, A1.] In 2002-03, Masse supported Comartin's bid for the NDP leadership. [Scott Piatkowski, "Support for NDP is growing", "Kitchener-Waterloo Record", 13 January 2003, A7.]

Masse served as the NDP critic for Auto Policy, Canada Border Services, and Customs in the 38th Canadian parliament. He also became a member of the newly-formed all-party "Border Caucus", examining aspects of Canada-U.S. trade relations. [ [http://www.brianmasse.ca/index.php/SEC3ffc70f17ad3f/ART41c0810f85b7e "All-party Border Caucus launched in Ottawa", Brian Masse press release] , 15 December 2004.] He introduced a motion in 2004 to restrict large pharmaceutical companies from renewing their patent protection, and has worked in support of Stephen Lewis's efforts to bring affordable AIDS drugs to Africa. ["One of Windsor's New Democrat M-P's wants to save Canada's health-care system hundreds of (m) millions of dollars", "Broadcast News", 15 November 2004, 02:31 report; [http://www.brianmasse.ca/ndp.php/SEC3ffc711bb08b5/ART40196a08e9952 "New Democrats committed to the Lewis legacy", Party press release] , 6 November 2003.]

During his first campaign for the House of Commons, the "Windsor Star" newspaper ran an editorial opposing him as "a bench-warmer, a yes-man, a political careerist". ["Don't promote Brian Masse", "Windsor Star", 3 May 2002, A8.] Two years later, however, a leading "Star" columnist wrote that Masse had "vastly exceeded expectations and quickly developed into an able, hard-working representative who has stayed on top of riding issues". [Gord Henderson, column, "Windsor Star", 24 June 2004, A3.]

Masse was re-elected in the 2006 federal election with an increased majority over Liberal Werner Keller. He currently serves as NDP Industry Critic. After the election, Masse and Comartin spoke out against the provincial NDP's decision to remove Canadian Auto Workers leader Buzz Hargrove from the party. [Carly Weeks, "MPs split over decision to throw Hargrove out of NDP", "Vancouver Sun", 13 February 2006, A3. Hargrove had called for "strategic voting" against the Conservatives, and endorsed Liberal candidates in areas where the NDP had little chance of winning. Masse strongly disagreed with Hargrove's position, but argued that it was unnecessarily harsh to expel him from the party.]

Masse has criticized Industry Minister Maxime Bernier's plans to deregulate Canada's telecommunications market and ease restrictions on foreign ownership, arguing that the reforms could result in a small number of companies controlling the Canadian industry. [Catherine McLean, "Less regulation good for telecom: panel", "Globe and Mail", 24 March 2006, B3; Bill Curry, "NDP alarmed at talk of easing telecom cap", "Globe and Mail", 28 March 2006, B6.]

Table of offices held

External links

* [http://brianmasse.ndp.ca/ Official website]
* [http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=2347a7b8-8e45-4c51-bdc6-f6c32375ad50&Language=E&Section=FederalExperience Parliament Webpage]

Electoral record

Results provided by the [http://elections.citywindsor.ca/electionresults/2000ElectionResults.pdf City of Windsor] .

Results provided by the [http://elections.citywindsor.ca/electionresults/1997ElectionResults.pdf City of Windsor] .

Electors could vote for two candidates in the municipal elections.The percentages are determined in relation to the total number of votes.

All federal election information is taken from Elections Canada. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.

Footnotes