Biography | Steven MacKinnon | Federal Liberal Candidate for Gatineau

Biography

Steven MacKinnon was elected in 2015 as the Member of Parliament for Gatineau (Québec) and was re-elected in 2019 and 2021. He was recently named Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

Mr. MacKinnon also previously served as Minister of Labour and Seniors, as Chief Government Whip, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

Prior to his election, Mr. MacKinnon was Senior Vice President at a global public affairs consultancy, where he was a practice director for mergers, acquisitions, and financial communications. He has been involved in national and international transactions worth hundreds of billions of dollars, with Bloomberg recognizing his practice as Canada's leading mergers & acquisition advisory.

Mr. MacKinnon has a long track record in the Liberal Party of Canada, having served as its National Director from 2003 to 2006, and an advisor to former Prime Minister Paul Martin. In 2009, he was Co-Chair of the party's Reform Committee, and later he was the Chief Returning Officer for the national Liberal leadership contest in 2013. He also served as an advisor to New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna.

Over the course of his career, Mr. MacKinnon has participated in constitutional negotiations, the negotiation of trade agreements, labour negotiations, and major health, education, and election reforms. He has volunteered with organizations involved in combatting illiteracy and family Violence.

Mr. MacKinnon holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Université de Moncton and a master's in Business Administration (MBA) from Queen's University. Steven resides in Gatineau with his spouse Janelle, and they have three children: Liam, Cassandra, and Alexander.