Shafiq Qaadri

Shafiq Qaadri is a family doctor and politician in Ontario, Canada. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Etobicoke North for the Liberal Party.

Dr. Qaadri graduated from Upper Canada College in 1983, and from the University of Toronto Medical School in 1988 . During his academic career, he won several scholarships including an English-Speaking Union Essay Prize to Oxford University and a Medical Research Council Scholarship in Clinical Neurosurgery. He was also a Canadian National Debating Champion. Verify source|date=October 2007

Before entering political life, Qaadri was commentator in the Canadian media for his discussions of medical issues (which he usually presented in a populist manner, intended for non-specialists). He has written numerous articles on medicine for journals such as the "Globe and Mail" Verify source|date=October 2007 and "The Medical Post" Verify source|date=October 2007, and has written more academic works intended for physicians. Qaadri has been granted the position of "Designated Medical Practitioner" by the Canadian government. Verify source|date=October 2007

Qaadri first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1999 provincial election, but lost to Progressive Conservative John Hastings by about 1500 votes in Etobicoke North. Hastings announced his retirement in 2003, and Qaadri was able to win the riding by nearly 10,000 votes in the election that followed. Qaadri is also the first person of Pakistani origin to become a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario.

On October 23, 2003, he was named parliamentary assistant to Marie Bountrogianni, in her capacity as Ontario Minister of Children's Services (later renamed Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services). In 2004, while working on recruiting new civil servants, he was quoted as saying "there's just too many white people" in Ontario's government agencies. [http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Christina_Blizzard/2004/06/02/482166.html]

His book "" (ISBN 1569243786), on the subject of andropause (described as the male equivalent of menopause), was released in 2006.

He was the keynote speaker at the 40th annual convention of the Islamic Medical Association of North America in July 2007.

On October 10 2007, Qaadri won his second term in the Ontario Provincial Parliament.

External links

* [http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/team/biography.asp?MPPID=20 Premier of Ontario site]
* [http://www.shafiqqaadri.onmpp.ca/ Official MPP website]