Representative Mélanie Joly Contact information

Mélanie Joly PC MP, born on January 16, 1979, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs since October 2021. She is a member of the Liberal Party and represents the Ahuntsic-Cartierville riding in Montreal in the House of Commons. Joly began her political career as a Member of Parliament (MP) following the 2015 federal election and has held various portfolios, including Canadian Heritage, Tourism, and La Francophonie. Prior to her political career, Joly ran for mayor of Montreal in 2013 and worked as a lawyer.

Joly was born and raised in Montreal’s Ahuntsic neighborhood. Her father, Clément Joly, was an accountant and actively involved in the Liberal Party, while her stepmother, Carole-Marie Allard, served as a lawyer and member of Parliament. Joly obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from the Université de Montréal in 2001 and became a member of the Barreau du Québec. She furthered her studies at Brasenose College, Oxford, through the Chevening scholarship, earning a Magister Juris in comparative and public law in 2003. Joly also gained experience as an intern at Radio-Canada in 2007.

During her early career, Joly practiced law at renowned Montreal law firms, Stikeman Elliott and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg, specializing in civil and commercial litigation, bankruptcy, and insolvency law. She also worked as a prosecutor before the Gomery Commission of Inquiry. Joly’s mentor at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg was Lucien Bouchard, the former premier of Quebec. In 2010, she received the Arnold Edinborough award, recognizing her philanthropic involvement in the Canadian cultural community.

Joly actively engaged in political activities and co-founded Generation of Ideas, a political forum for individuals between 25 and 35 years old. She also contributed to the collective group Sortie 13, where she wrote “Les villes au pouvoir ou comment relancer le monde municipal québécois.” Additionally, she served as the head of the Quebec Advisory Committee for Justin Trudeau’s leadership campaign for the Liberal Party of Canada.

In 2013, Joly launched her campaign for mayor of Montreal, establishing the Vrai changement pour Montréal party to support her candidacy. Although she finished in second place behind Denis Coderre, Joly garnered significant support, surpassing other established candidates.

Transitioning to federal politics, Joly left municipal politics and sought the nomination of the Liberal Party of Canada in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville riding for the 2015 federal election. She emerged victorious with 47.5 percent of the vote, unseating the incumbent Maria Mourani.

Upon her election, Joly joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet as the Minister of Canadian Heritage. She later assumed additional responsibilities in tourism, official languages, and La Francophonie. In December 2019, she became the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, introducing significant reforms such as the establishment of separate regional development agencies for Western Canada. Joly continued to champion language rights and equality, introducing Bill C-32 in the House of Commons to strengthen the Official Languages Act and promote substantive equality between English and French.

On October 26, 2021, Joly assumed the position of Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. She faced various global challenges, including the Russian buildup on Ukraine’s eastern border. Joly visited Ukraine in January 2022 and, alongside Prime Minister Trudeau, returned in May 2022 to reopen the Canadian embassy in Kyiv amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She emphasized her government’s efforts to support regime change in Russia. Joly also engaged in

diplomatic talks with Turkey to advocate for the integration of Sweden and Finland into NATO.

In March 2023, Joly played a prominent role in the House of Commons committee investigating Chinese election interference. She accused China of attempting to sow division in democracies and proposed measures to prevent foreign meddling in the future. Additionally, Joly took decisive action when Conservative MP Michael Chong’s family in Hong Kong was targeted, declaring a Chinese diplomat named Zhao Wei persona non grata.

Mélanie Joly has made significant contributions to Canadian politics, advocating for cultural heritage, linguistic rights, and international diplomacy. As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, she continues to tackle complex global challenges and represents Canada on the international stage.