Ed Fast

{{BLP unreferenced section|date=April 2023}}

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ed Fast moved to and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. After graduating from law school at the University of British Columbia in 1982, Fast co-founded the law firm currently known as Linley Welwood. He was elected in 1985 and served two terms as an Abbotsford School Board Trustee. He was elected to Abbotsford City Council in 1996 and served for three 3-year terms. During that time, he served as Deputy Mayor and as Chair of the Parks, Recreation & Culture Commission.

Fast won the 2006 federal election with 63.27% of the vote as the MP for Abbotsford on January 23, 2006. During his first term, Fast was appointed to the Standing Committee of Canadian Heritage and the Standing Committee for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Fast was also the Chair of the B.C. Conservative caucus.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}

In 2006, Fast introduced Private Member's Bill C-277 which doubles from 5 to 10 years in prison the maximum sentence for luring a child over the internet for sexual purposes. The Bill received royal assent on June 22, 2007. Only 2% of private member's bills are ever passed into law.{{cite web|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp?Language=E&Session=14&query=4731&List=toc|title=LEGISinfo 39th Parliament - 1st Session|publisher=.parl.gc.ca|access-date=2010-10-27|archive-date=2011-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323000714/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp?Language=E|url-status=dead}}

In the 2008 federal election, Fast received 30,853 votes, 63.3% of the total in Abbotsford.{{cite web|url=https://openparliament.ca/politicians/ed-fast/|title=Ed Fast, Conservative MP for Abbotsford|publisher=openparliament.ca|access-date=2010-10-03}} He served as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and as a member of the Copyright Modernization Committee.{{cite web |url=http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/ProfileMP.aspx?Key=128375&SubSubject=1001&Language=E |title=Member of Parliament Profile |publisher=webinfo.parl.gc.ca |access-date=2010-10-27 |archive-date=2017-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131012833/http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Ed-Fast(35904) |url-status=dead }} In May 2009, Fast introduced a motion in the House of Commons to rename the Huntingdon border crossing to "Abbotsford-Huntingdon Port of Entry". The official renaming took place on May 28, 2010, preserving the historical significance of the "Huntingdon" name while at the same time more accurately reflecting the location of the border crossing within the Fraser Valley.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/2010/2010-05-28-eng.html|title=Canada Border Services Agency|publisher=cbsa-asfc.gc.ca|access-date=2010-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102030909/http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/2010/2010-05-28-eng.html|archive-date=2010-11-02|url-status=dead}}

From 2009 to 2011, Fast was the Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice & Human Rights.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/JUST?parl=40&session=2|title = JUST - Home - House of Commons of Canada}}

Fast was re-elected in the 2011 federal election with 32,493 votes, representing 65% of the popular vote. On May 18, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Ed Fast to Cabinet to serve as Canada's Minister of International Trade.[http://www.international.gc.ca/commerce/edward_fast.aspx?lang=eng "The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805205428/http://www.international.gc.ca/commerce/edward_fast.aspx?lang=eng |date=2014-08-05 }}, www.international.gc.ca, Retrieved 2014-08-11

Fast oversaw the negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union,{{cite web|title=Opening New Markets in Europe|url=http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/assets/pdfs/ceta-aecg/ceta-technicalsummary.pdf|publisher=actionplan.gc.ca|access-date=6 November 2015|date=October 18, 2013}} which some saw as a giveaway to big pharma.{{cite journal |doi=10.1503/cmaj.109-4904|title=CETA: A win for Canada or European pharma?|year=2014|last1=Webster|first1=Paul Christopher|journal=Canadian Medical Association Journal|volume=186|issue=15|pages=E565–E566|pmid=25267767|pmc=4203620}} As part of the newly-elected Liberal government in 2015, Fast's immediate successor Chrystia Freeland one year later finalized the negotiations which had been ongoing since 2009.{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/07/freeland-visibly-moved-during-ceta-negotiations-wells.html |title=Freeland 'visibly moved' during CETA negotiations: Wells |publisher=Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd |date=7 November 2016 |last=Wells |first=Paul}}

Fast was also responsible for the Canada-China Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments Agreement, which was signed in 2012 and came into force on 1 October 2014.{{cite news |title=FIPA agreement with China: What's really in it for Canada? |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/fipa-agreement-with-china-what-s-really-in-it-for-canada-1.2770159 |first=Patrick |last=Brown |publisher=CBC |date=19 September 2014}} This agreement ties Canada "to the terms... for a minimum of 31 years."{{Cite journal| title = Canadian Conservative Leadership Race: Frontrunners Target China |first=Gabe |last=Bleyer| journal = McGill Journal of Political Studies| access-date = 23 May 2020| date = 30 April 2020| url = https://mjps.ssmu.ca/2020/04/29/canadian-conservative-leadership-race-frontrunners-target-china/}}

On 3 December 2014 Fast announced that the Canada–Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA), Canada's first free trade agreement in the Asia–Pacific region, had received royal assent.{{Cite web|url=https://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/korea-coree/quotes-citations.aspx?lang=eng|title = Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA)|date = 11 March 2014}}

In November 2013, Fast announced the Government of Canada's Global Markets Action Plan, a plan focusing on "Canada's core strengths in priority markets through bold trade policy and vigorous trade promotion".{{Cite web|url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-new-foreign-affairs-vision-shifts-focus-to-economic-diplomacy/article15624653|title=Tories' new foreign-affairs vision shifts focus to 'economic diplomacy'|work=The Globe and Mail|date=November 27, 2013}} He also released Canada's first International Education Strategy, a part of the Global Markets Action Plan, in order to attract international talent.[http://international.gc.ca/global-markets-marches-mondiaux/education/index.aspx?lang=eng "Canada's International Education Strategy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021080028/http://international.gc.ca/global-markets-marches-mondiaux/education/index.aspx?lang=eng |date=2016-10-21 }}, international.gc.ca, Retrieved 2014-08-11 The CBIE termed it an "ambitious strategy, with a goal to double the number of international students choosing to study here (in Canada) by 2022."{{cite news |title=A WORLD OF LEARNING 2014 CANADA'S PERFORMANCE AND POTENTIAL IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION |url=https://cbie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CBIE-Flagship-2014-E-WEB-RES-final.pdf |publisher=The Canadian Bureau for International Education |date=2014}}

On 9 April 2014, rising on a point of order, New Democratic Party MP Dan Harris accused Fast of making a gun gesture and saying "boom" in the direction of another New Democrat, Niki Ashton, during Question Period.{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/04/09/ed-fast-gun-gesture-niki-ashton-dan-harris_n_5121248.html?ir=Canada+British+Columbia|title=Tory Minister Ed Fast Accused Of Making 'Gun' Gesture At NDP MP |date=9 April 2014 |publisher=huffingtonpost.ca |access-date=2014-04-12 }} Fast denied the claim and asserted that he was pointing in the direction of Andrew Scheer, the Speaker of the House of Commons.{{cite web |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/09/tory-minister-ed-fast-accused-of-threatening-ndp-mp-after-making-gun-gesture-in-house-of-commons/|title=Tory Minister Ed Fast accused of threatening NDP MP after making 'gun' gesture in House of Commons|publisher=nationalpost.ca |access-date=2014-04-12 }} Video from the House of Commons shows Fast making a pointing gesture.{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trade-minister-ed-fast-accused-of-making-gun-gesture-at-ndp-mp-niki-ashton-1.2604588|title=Trade Minister Ed Fast accused of making 'gun' gesture at NDP MP Niki Ashton |publisher=cbc.ca |access-date=2014-04-12 }} After the video circulated, Minister Fast acknowledged that he had made a pointing gesture with his hand, but said that his hand gesture was misinterpreted.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq2n64CZ3XE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/dq2n64CZ3XE |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=The House of Commons the Smoking Gun Video |publisher=CPAC |access-date=2014-04-12 }}{{cbignore}}

Ed Fast is anti-abortion. Fast voted in support of Bill C-233 - An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion), which would restrict abortion access, making it a criminal offence for a medical practitioner to perform an abortion sought solely on the grounds of the child's genetic sex.{{Cite web |last=House of Commons |date=June 2, 2021 |title=2nd reading of Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion) |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/votes/43/2/125?view=result |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=LEGISinfo}} Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada describes him as an anti-abortion MP.{{Cite web |last=ARCC |date=June 27, 2022 |title=Members of Parliament with an Anti-choice Stance |url=https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Anti-choice-unknown-MPs-current.pdf |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada}}

On June 22, 2021, Fast was one of 63 MPs to vote against Bill C-6, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), which was passed by majority vote, making certain aspects of conversion therapy a crime, including "causing a child to undergo conversion therapy."{{clarify|date=April 2023}}{{Cite web |last=House of Commons |title=3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-6, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy) |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/votes/43/2/175?view=result |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=LEGISinfo}}

Following the Harper government's defeat in 2015, Fast served in the shadow cabinets of Rona Ambrose and Andrew Scheer as the critic to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

After being re-elected in 2019, Fast declined reappointment to Scheer's shadow cabinet. Scheer was later removed from leadership and replaced by Erin O'Toole, who on 11 February 2021 appointed Fast as his Finance critic. He replaced Pierre Poilievre who became critic for Jobs and Industry.{{cite news |last1=Platt |first1=Brian |title=O'Toole shuffles Conservative caucus roles, moving Poilievre out as finance critic |publisher=National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc |date=11 February 2021}}

Fast was for a brief time a member of the Industry and Technology committee, before he was appointed on 28 February 2022 by new interim CPC leader Candice Bergen to the Finance committee.{{cite web |title=ROLES - HON. ED FAST |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/ed-fast(35904)/roles |website=ourcommons.ca |publisher=Parliament of Canada}} He resigned as Shadow Finance Minister after criticizing Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre's plan to fire Bank of Canada director Tiff Macklem, if elected.{{cite web | url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ed-fast-out-as-tory-finance-critic-after-criticizing-leadership-candidate-poilievre-1.5908745 | title=Ed Fast out as Tory finance critic after criticizing leadership candidate Poilievre | date=18 May 2022 }}

Ed and his wife Annette have lived in Abbotsford for over 43 years and have four adult daughters and fifteen grandchildren.{{cite web|url=http://www.edfast.ca/bio.asp|title=Ed Fast, Member of Parliament for Abbotsford|publisher=edfast.ca|access-date=2010-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408122018/http://www.edfast.ca/bio.asp|archive-date=2010-04-08|url-status=dead}} In December 2016, Fast suffered a stroke, but recovered.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/mp-ed-fast-suffers-stroke-expected-to-make-full-recovery-1.3201706|title=MP Ed Fast suffers stroke, expected to make full recovery|date=December 13, 2016|newspaper=CTVNews|language=en-CA|access-date=December 15, 2016}}

{{2021 Canadian federal election/Abbotsford}}

{{2019 Canadian federal election/Abbotsford}}

{{2015 Canadian federal election/Abbotsford}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2011|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Ed Fast|32,493|65.02|+1.70|}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|David Murray|10,089|20.19|+6.97|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Madeleine Hardin|4,968|9.94|-6.34|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Daniel Bryce|2,138|4.28|-2.17|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|David MacKay|286|0.57|–|}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|49,974|100.00|}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|225|0.45|-0.07}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|50,199|59.67|+0.67}}

{{CANelec/hold|CA|Conservative|-2.6%}}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2008|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Ed Fast|30,853| 63.32|+0.05|$79,097}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Lionel Traverse|7,933|16.28|+3.61|$63,013}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Bonnie Rai|6,444| 13.22|-3.75 |$4,907}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Karen Durant|3,141| 6.45|+0.64|$833}}

{{CANelec|CA|Marijuana|Tim Felger|358|0.73|+0.03 |–}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|48,729|100.00|$86,855}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|256|0.52}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|48,985|59.00|-1.69}}

{{CANelec/hold|CA|Conservative|+1.9}}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2006|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Ed Fast|29,825|63.27|+1.90|$68,269}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson|8,004|16.97|+3.34|$6,955}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|David Oliver*|5,976|12.67|-7.27|$22,258}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Stephanie Ashley-Pryce|2,740|5.81|+2.93| }}

{{CANelec|CA|Marijuana|Tim Felger|334|0.70|-0.13| }}

{{CANelec|CA|Canadian Action|Richard Gebert|173|0.36|–|$80}}

{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|David S. MacKay|86|0.18|+0.08| }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|47,138|100.00}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|183|0.39}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|47,321|60.69}}

{{CANelec/hold|CA|Conservative|-0.72}}

{{end}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.edfast.ca Ed Fast] official site
• [http://www.international.gc.ca Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada] official site
• {{Canadian Parliament links| parliament = 170214 | parlinfo = 11432 | openparl = ed-fast}}

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