Representative Filomena Tassi Contact information

Filomena Tassi PC MP is a Canadian politician and member of the Liberal Party. She currently serves as the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, a position she assumed on August 31, 2022. Tassi represents the riding of Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas in the House of Commons, having been elected after the 2015 federal election. Throughout her political career, she has held various ministerial positions, including Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Receiver General for Canada (2021-2022), Minister of Labour (2019-2021), and Minister of Seniors (2018-2019).

Tassi’s journey began with her Italian heritage, hailing from the regions of Marche and Abruzzo, and growing up in the Catholic faith. She pursued a legal education at the University of Western Ontario and practiced corporate law for six years. However, she later transitioned away from the legal profession to pursue studies in philosophy and religious education at the University of Waterloo. During this time, Tassi served as a chaplain at Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School until her entry into politics.

In 1995, Tassi made her first foray into elective office, running as a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party in the provincial election. Although she narrowly finished second to NDP incumbent David Christopherson, Tassi’s determination persisted. Two decades later, she emerged as the federal Liberal candidate in Hamilton during the 2015 federal election. Her candidacy sparked some media attention due to her previous statements expressing personal opposition to abortion based on her Roman Catholic faith. This appeared to contradict Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s requirement for candidates to support abortion rights. However, Trudeau clarified that Tassi had committed to upholding the legal right to abortion.

Before entering federal politics, Tassi served as a trustee on the Catholic school board. Her dedication to public service and community involvement laid the foundation for her subsequent political career. After serving as Deputy Government Whip, Tassi received a cabinet appointment as the Minister of Seniors on July 18, 2018, becoming the first minister to hold that portfolio since 2015. Following her re-election in 2019, she assumed the role of Minister of Labour, serving in that position for nearly two years. In the cabinet shuffle following the 2021 federal election, Tassi was appointed as the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Receiver General for Canada.

On August 31, 2022, Tassi assumed her current role as the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. She requested this portfolio change to address a family health matter and manage her workload effectively. Tassi’s political career is characterized by her commitment to serving the needs of her constituents and contributing to the development and prosperity of Southern Ontario.