Shafiq Qaadri

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Shafiq Qaadri

| parliament1 = Ontario Provincial

| riding1 = Etobicoke North

| term_start1 = October 2, 2003

| term_end1 = June 7, 2018

| predecessor1 = John Hastings

| successor1 = Doug Ford

| party = Ontario Liberal

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1963}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| residence = Toronto

| education = University of Toronto

| profession = {{hlist|Physician|politician}}

| spouse =

| honorific_prefix =

| image = Shafiq Qaadri.png

| caption = Qaadri in 2018

| image_size = 200px

}}

Muhammad Shafiq Qaadri{{cite tweet |user=ONPARLeducation|number=1547261235305058304|date=13 July 2022 |title=Within the halls of the Legislature are walls that contain the names of every Member of Provincial Parliament elected to Ontario's Legislature since 1867. The names for the 42nd Parliament were recently added. For the first time a Member's name was inscribed in Oji-Cree syllabics }} (born {{circa|1963}}) is a Canadian physician and former politician who represented Etobicoke North in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2018, sitting as a member of the Ontario Liberal Party. Qaadri is the first person of Pakistani origin to serve as a member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario.

Early life and education

Qaadri was born in Chicago. His parents had immigrated from Pakistan. The family moved to Toronto in the 1970s.{{cite news |title=Ontario history in the making; All 3 major parties will field Muslim candidates in Etobicoke North in the Oct. 10 election |last=Benzie |first=Robert |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=July 5, 2007 |page=A18}}

Qaadri graduated from Upper Canada College in 1982, 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.

= Family =

Qaadri lives in Toronto with his wife and three children.

Medical career

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 over 75 articles on medicine for journals such as The Medical Post.{{cite web |title=CBCA Complete: Health & Medicine }}{{Better source needed|date=November 2021}} Qaadri has been granted the position of Designated Medical Practitioner by the Canadian government.[http://www.cic.gc.ca/dmp-md/medicalinfo.aspx?CountryID=2042&ProvID=15205&ProvinceName=Ontario&CountryName=Canada Canadian Medical Practitioners] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202014438/http://www.cic.gc.ca/dmp-md/medicalinfo.aspx?CountryID=2042&ProvID=15205&CountryName=Canada&ProvinceName=Ontario |date=December 2, 2008 }}. Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Accessed March 2, 2009.

His book The Testosterone Factor: A Practical Guide to Improving Vitality and Virility, Naturally ({{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. He is also a speaker at numerous community groups in the Greater Toronto Area, teaching how about the prevention and heart disease to South Asian groups.{{cite news | last = Ogilvie | first = Megan | title = South Asians face higher heart risk, MD warns; South Asian people especially vulnerable to heart attack, stroke, physicians warn | newspaper = The Toronto Star | pages = 4 | date = March 15, 2008 }}

Political career

Qaadri ran in the 1999 provincial election as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Etobicoke North. He lost to Progressive Conservative John Hastings by 1,446 votes in Etobicoke North.{{cite web |title=Etobicoke North: Summary of valid votes cast for each candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 3, 1999 |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=Etobicoke+North&flag=E&layout=G |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303174130/https://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=Etobicoke+North&flag=E&layout=G |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 March 2021 }} Hastings announced his retirement in 2003, and Qaadri was able to win the riding by nearly 10,000 votes in the election that followed.{{cite web |title=Etobicoke North: Summary of valid votes cast for each candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=October 2, 2003 |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&district=Etobicoke+North&flag=E&layout=G |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025084809/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&district=Etobicoke+North&flag=E&layout=G |archive-date=October 25, 2014 |df=mdy-all }} He was reelected in 2007, 2011 and 2014.{{cite web |url=http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/AB409CCD-84F3-46FA-B3BD-39AB659EFC2D/0/SummaryofValidBallotsCastforEachCandidate.pdf |title=Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=October 10, 2007 |access-date=2014-03-02 |page=5 (xiv) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007160233/http://www.elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/AB409CCD-84F3-46FA-B3BD-39AB659EFC2D/0/SummaryofValidBallotsCastforEachCandidate.pdf |archive-date=October 7, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}{{cite web |url=http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf |title=Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=October 6, 2011 |access-date=2014-03-02 |page=5 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330163815/http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf |archive-date=March 30, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} Qaadri is the first person of Pakistani origin to become a Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario.{{Cite web|last=Office of the Premier|date=January 25, 2007|title=Ontario Wraps Up Business Mission To Pakistan|url=https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/4342/ontario-wraps-up-business-mission-to-pakistan|access-date=2021-11-02|website=news.ontario.ca}}{{cite web |title=General Election by District: Etobicoke North |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 12, 2014 |url=http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=025 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923153848/http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=025 |archive-date=September 23, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}

= In the Legislature =

On October 23, 2003, he was named Parliamentary Assistant (PA) to Marie Bountrogianni in her capacity as Minister of Children and Youth Services.{{cite news |title=Minister Monte Kwinter and Etobicoke North MPP Shafiq Qaadri introduce Etobicoke North employers to Jamestown youth participating in the 'Youth at Risk' Jobs program |publisher=Canada NewsWire |location=Ottawa |date=July 20, 2004 |page=1}} In 2007 he was named as PA to the Minister of Health Promotion and in 2011 as the PA to the Minister of Government Services.{{cite news |title=McGuinty Government Working To Reduce Injury In Ontario |publisher=Canada NewsWire |location=Ottawa |date=August 23, 2007 |page=1}}{{cite news |title=In Brief |newspaper=South Asian Focus |location=Brampton, Ontario |date=December 13, 2011 |page=1}}

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.{{cite web | last = Blizzard | first = Christina | title = Qaadri is Once Again on Hot Seat | publisher = Northern News | date = August 1, 2008 | url = http://www.northernnews.ca/2008/08/01/qaadri-is-once-again-on-hot-seat | access-date = September 17, 2014 | archive-date = March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304082644/http://www.northernnews.ca/2008/08/01/qaadri-is-once-again-on-hot-seat | url-status = dead }}

In May 2010, a rally against government cuts to pharmaceutical spending was held outside his governmental office. Protesters stated, "He is a doctor. We thought he should be saying something."{{cite news | last = Shephard | first = Tamara | title = Pharmacists confront MPP over drug reforms | newspaper = Etobicoke Guardian | page = 1 | date = May 28, 2010}}

In September 2013, Qaadri introduced Bill 96, The Radon Awareness and Prevention Act. The bill would increase public awareness of the dangers of radon gas and mandate monitoring in all provincial buildings in the province.{{cite journal |title=The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada Congratulates Ontario Legislature for Passing Bill 96, Radon Awareness and Prevention Act, 2013 to Committee |journal=Marketwired |date=September 13, 2013}}

As of July 2014, he served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier of Ontario.

In May 2015, Qaadri tabled a petition that requested that the government withdraw its policy of only purchasing BlackBerry smartphones for MPPs and their staff. It requested that other devices such as iPhones and Android smartphones be allowed.{{cite web|title=Official Records for 4 May 2015|url=http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?Date=2015-05-04&Parl=41&Sess=1&locale=en#P546_113666|website=Debates (Hansard)|publisher=Legislative Assembly of Ontario|access-date=12 May 2015|archive-date=May 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517065458/http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?Date=2015-05-04&Parl=41&Sess=1&locale=en#P546_113666|url-status=dead}} This was not the first petition on the topic by Qaadri, a similar petition with different language was tabled in April 2014.{{cite web | last = CBC News| title = BlackBerry CEO John Chen slams MPP Shafiq Qaadri for 'insulting' words| publisher = CBC News | date = May 11, 2015 | url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/blackberry-ceo-john-chen-slams-mpp-shafiq-qaadri-for-insulting-words-1.3069199}}{{cite news|last1=Latif|first1=Anam|title=BlackBerry use at Queen's Park defended|url=http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5609764-blackberry-use-at-queen-s-park-defended/|access-date=12 May 2015|work=Waterloo Region Record|date=9 May 2015}} John Chen, CEO of BlackBerry Ltd., released a statement demanding an apology because the language of the petition "reflects poorly on all of Canada".{{cite web |last1=Chen |first1=John |title=Tarnishing an Unsound Argument |url=http://blogs.blackberry.com/2015/05/tarnishing-an-unsound-argument/ |website=Inside BlackBerry |publisher=BlackBerry Ltd |access-date=12 May 2015}} Fellow MPP Daiene Vernile emphasized that Qaadri's petition is only his individual opinion and the Liberal government is "a strong supporter" of BlackBerry, and PC MPP Michael Harris said "if he wants the latest Apple apps he can do it on his own dime". Qaadri issued an apology in a Twitter post the following week, saying "I want to offer my sincere apologies for any offence caused by the language in my petition on technology last week".

On May 28, 2018, during the 2018 provincial election campaign, Shafiq and several Liberal staffers crashed an NDP rally in Etobicoke North hosted by leader Andrea Horwath, interrupting the event with shouting and displaying a large Liberal campaign sign. {{Cite news|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4236311/liberals-crash-ndp-ontario-election-event-etobicoke/|title=Liberal candidate crashes NDP Leader Andrea Horwath campaign event in Etobicoke|work=Global News|access-date=2018-10-08|language=en}} Qaadri initially denied that his stunt was pre-planned, but later apologized for his actions being "rash and inexcusable".{{Cite news|url=https://twitter.com/ShafiqQaadri1/status/1001143871340929024|title=Shafiq Qaadri on Twitter|work=Twitter|access-date=2018-10-08|language=en}} He was subsequently defeated in the election, coming third behind Progressive Conservative Party leader Doug Ford and NDP candidate Mahamud Amin.{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4168792/ontario-election-2018-etobicoke-north-riding/|title=Ontario election 2018: Etobicoke North riding|date=May 30, 2018|website=Global News|access-date=October 4, 2019}}

Electoral record

{{CANelec/total|Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots|407|1.12|}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|url=https://www.elections.on.ca/content/dam/NGW/sitecontent/2018/results/officialresults-yellowbook/votescastbycandidate/pdf/Valid%20Votes%20Cast%20for%20Each%20Candidate%20-%202018%20Provincial%20General%20Election.pdf|title=Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario|access-date=16 January 2019}}}}

{{CANelec/total|Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots|360|1.33}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|url=http://www.wemakevotingeasy.ca/media/EO_Site/official_GE/GE_2014/ED025-F0244.pdf|date=2014|author=Elections Ontario|author-link=Elections Ontario|title=Official result from the records, 025 Etobicoke North|access-date=27 June 2015}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}}}

{{CANelec/total|Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots|151|0.60}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|url=http://www.wemakevotingeasy.ca/media/EO_Site/official_GE/ED025-F0244.pdf|publisher=Elections Ontario|date=2011|title=Official return from the results / Rapport des registres officiels - Etobicoke North|access-date=6 June 2014}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|27,616|100.00||}}

{{CANelec/total|Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots|488|1.77}}