Gerry Sklavounos

Gerry Sklavounos
File:Gerry Sklavounos Official.jpg
MNA for Laurier-Dorion
Incumbent
Assumed office March 26, 2007
Preceded by	Elsie Lefebvre
Personal details
Born	(1974-12-16) December 16, 1974 Montreal, Quebec
Political party	Quebec Liberal Party
Spouse(s)	Janneke
Children	2
Residence	Montréal
Profession	Attorney

Gerry Sklavounos, B.C.L., LL.B., (born December 16, 1974) is a Quebec politician. He is the current Liberal Member of the National Assembly for the electoral district of Laurier-Dorion as well as Deputy Government House Leader.

Biography

Sklavounos was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to Athina Melissinos and Gerasimos Sklavounos, both immigrants from Greece to Canada in the late fifties. He spent his early years in the Plateau Mont Royal area of Montreal before moving to the district of Park Extension at age six. He spent the next 23 years of his life living in the area he now represents at the National Assembly of Quebec. Sklavounos received his Diploma of Collegial Studies from Vanier College in 1994, and went on to obtain Bachelor’s degrees in both Civil and Common Law from McGill University in 1998. Sklavounos speaks, reads and writes English, French and Greek.

Law career

Prior to being called to the Quebec bar in 1999, Sklavounos completed his legal articles in the Criminal Prosecutions section of the Federal Justice Department. He then went on to practice criminal law as a public defender for the Montreal Legal Aid Office from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, Sklavounos joined the criminal defense firm of Silver Sandiford where he practiced until his entry into politics.

Involvement with the Greek Community

Sklavounos has been active in the Greek community in several roles. He served on the executive board of the Hellenic Congress of Quebec from 2003–2007 and in 2006 was elected Vice-President-Public Relations of the Canadian Hellenic Congress. In 2007, Sklavounos served on the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Scholarships Foundation. He was also a torchbearer in the 2004 Olympic relay for the Athens Summer games.

In June 2010, Sklavounos was selected as one of North America's Top 40 Greek Leaders under 40 Years of Age by the Greek America Foundation. One of only two Canadians chosen, Sklavounos received his award at a gala held in Chicago.

First term as M.N.A. for Laurier-Dorion

Sklavounos was first elected to the Quebec National Assembly in the riding of Laurier-Dorion in the provincial general elections of March 26, 2007. Sklavounos defeated the then-incumbent Member of the Parti Québécois, Elsie Lefebvre, earning 39,66% of the vote versus Lefebvre's 36,06%.

Sklavounos was named Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, Line Beauchamp, by Quebec Premier Jean Charest. Sklavounos was also named Vice-Chair of the Committee on Economy and Labour. For the duration of that same term, he also served on the Social Affairs Committee as well as the Transportation and Environment Committee.

Sklavounos represented the Quebec government both nationally and internationally during his first term in office. In September 2007, he represented Quebec at the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was also Quebec’s executive member of the U.S.-based National Conference of State Legislatures (N.C.S.L.) and Quebec’s representative at the 9th meeting of the parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity held in Bonn, Germany in May 2008.

Second Term as M.N.A. for Laurier-Dorion

Sklavounos was re-elected as Member of the Quebec National Assembly for the riding of Laurier-Dorion in the provincial general elections of December 8, 2008 garnering 42.90% of the vote to defeat his Parti Québécois challenger Badiona Bazin who earned 33.82% of the vote.

In January 2009 Jean Charest appointed Sklavounos Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Yves Bolduc. Sklavounos was also named to the Committee on Institutions and the Social Affairs Committee, later renamed the Committee on Health and Social Services.

Since May 2009, Sklavounos has also been a member of the Quebec sections of the Francophone and Commonwealth Parliamentary Associations.

In the summer of 2009, Sklavounos was selected to represent Quebec as part of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie observer delegation sent to monitor the July 18 presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

In February 2011, Sklavounos was elected Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Health and Social Services.

Third term as M.N.A. for Laurier-Dorion

Sklavounos was re-elected as Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Laurier-Dorion in the provincial elections of September 4, 2012, garnering 34.04% of the vote. He was named the Official Opposition critic for Higher Education on September 26, 2012, a position he held until he was named Liberal critic for Sustainable Development and the Environment on September 16, 2013. Le Devoir columnist, Michel David, in his Opposition Report Card has referred to Sklavounos as "without a doubt the most efficient member of the new Liberal rat pack".

Fourth term as M.N.A. for Laurier-Dorion

Sklavounos was re-elected in the provincial election held on April 7, 2014, garnering 46.2% of the vote representing 15 566 votes. He defeated Québec Solidaire's Andrés Fontecilla and the Parti Québécois' Pierre Céré who had 27.7% and 15.9% of the vote respectively. Upon forming his new government, Philippe Couillard named Sklavounos Deputy Government House Leader.

Other functions

Gerry Sklavounos is also a Member of the Québec Branch, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Member of the National Assembly Delegation for Relations with the United States (DANREU), Vice-Chair of the Québec Branch, Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (COPA) and Representative of the Québec Secretariat and Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (COPA).

Sklavounos is a member of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (W.H.I.A.) since 2007 and serves as Representative for Canada on its Board of Directors since 2015.

External links

• Gerry Sklavounos - Official Website