Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi is the new president of the Ontario Liberal Party
The 36-year old MPP was acclaimed to the position Sunday at the party’s annual general meeting in Windsor, Ont.
“I’m obviously very excited,” Naqvi says. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Party president is a volunteer job with a one-year term, though many presidents, including the out-going Gord Phaneuf, serve two terms.
Naqvi says he hopes to use the position to “modernize” the Ontario Liberal Party.
“We need to make sure that we are embracing new technologies, like social media that exist, to articulate the party’s position, but also to use the media to listen to our various and diverse communities and be able to understand their concerns and their issues that could make part of our policies moving forward.”
Naqvi says he doesn’t expect the demands of the job to interfere with his duties as the MPP for Ottawa Centre.
“My first and primary responsibility is to be the MPP for Ottawa Centre,” he says. “I got into politics to serve my community… and, for me, [the party presidency is] another vehicle to serve that community.”
Naqvi immigrated to Canada from Pakistan in 1988. He holds a law degree from the University of Ottawa.
The 18-year Liberal Party member was first elected in 2007. He has since served as parliamentary assistant to both the Minister of Revenue and Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
Last year he sponsored the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act (SCAN). The controversial private members bill is aimed at making it easier for police to seize properties allegedly used for criminal activities.
The bill raised the ire of several critics who have called it the ‘snitch bill’ because of the weight it would give to neighbours’ complaints about the homes in question.
At a February panel discussion, Naqvi defended the bill.
“The purpose behind SCAN is community empowerment, including the vulnerable, to ensure that properties in our community are not being used for illegal activities,” he said.
With files from Myles Gough