MPP - Laura Albanese - York South Weston

 

 Father, we bring Laura to your throne this morning, and ask that you make yourself real and personal to her. You alone know the inner working of our hearts, the things that cause us to stop and think about You. Cause Laura to remember You. Lord, you know the challenges Laura faces today. Gift her with wisdom and knowledge to make right decisions. May she seek to recognize and honour You in everything she does. Amen.

Laura Albanese is the Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of York South-Weston i­n the northwestern part of Toronto. Laura is proud to serve as a voice for the community of York South-Weston where she lives, works and has raised her family. She is dedicated ­­to improving the quality of life in her community and across Ontario.

Laura was first elected as a member of the Ontario Liberal Party in the Ontario General Election of October 2007 and re-elected in 2011 then again in 2014.

She currently serves as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, in addition to her role as an MPP.

Previous roles include: Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance; Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier; the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; the Minister of Labour; and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.  

In the previous 40th Parliament, Laura's duties included Deputy Government Whip and Chair of the Select Committee on Developmental Services. She was also a sitting member of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies, Standing Committee on Estimates and the Cabinet Committee on Jobs and the Economy. Laura has also served on several other Standing Committees including Chair of Justice Policy, Vice Chair of Finance and Economic Affairs, Public Accounts, Legislative Assembly and the Select Committee on the Proposed Transaction of the TNX Group and the London Stock Exchange Group. For 5 years, she was also Chair of the Toronto Caucus.

Representing a demographically and culturally diverse riding, Laura has championed policies that promote local jobs, community safety, increased services for seniors, protecting day care subsidies, and has been active in improving local health care. Working closely with the community, Laura helped to secure funding for infrastructure upgrades of local schools and has helped deliver a local stop for the UP Express (previously known as the Air Rail Link) in Weston. She has worked to support local community issues such as the community’s successful efforts for a committment from the government on the electrification of the UP Express.

In representing issues and views important to her constituency, Laura has introduced Private Members’ Bills to:

• combat booze cans and after hours serving of alcohol,

• eliminate the deduction of Old Age Security from workers compensation benefits,

• support small businesses in construction by requiring a separate WSIB premium,

• improve information given to hospitals patients about services available in the community and other health care options, 

• a Motion calling on the Province to embrace electrification,

• a Motion calling for increased safety of residential neighbourhoods close to volatile fuels operations.

Before embarking on her career in politics, Laura enjoyed a career in broadcast journalism spanning over two decades. Throughout this time, Albanese played a central role in Italian language programming, holding key responsibilities with OMNI TV in a number of capacities. Laura was best known as Co-Anchor of OMNI News: Italian Edition, a one hour daily Italian language newscast.

Laura was born in Taranto, Italy. In her youth, she moved back and forth between Canada and Italy and has been influenced by both cultures. She permanently moved to Canada in 1981 and has lived in York South-Weston ever since. She is married and is the proud mother of two adult children.