Reza Moridi

Reza Moridi (Persian: رضا مریدی) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in 2007. He represents the riding of Richmond Hill. He serves as a cabinet minister in the government of Kathleen Wynne. He is the first Iranian-Canadian elected to a provincial legislature in Canada.

Background

Moridi was born c. 1945 in Urmia, capital of West Azerbaijan Province in northwest Iran. He grew up in Urmia, attended Alborz High School in Tehran and graduated from Tehran University with BSc and MSc degrees in Physics. He continued his education in the U.K. and obtained MTech and PhD degrees from Brunel University in London.

Reza Moridi was elected into the Ontario Parliament in 2007 and re-elected in 2011 and 2014 to represent the riding of Richmond Hill. He serves as Minister of Research and Innovation, as well as Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. He is the Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Education, Skills and Economy Policy and he sits on the Priorities and Planning Cabinet Committee. Moridi has served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Minister of Research and Innovation and Minister of Energy, respectively. He has also served on the Parliamentary Standing Committees on Public Accounts, General Government and Justice Policy. Moridi has introduced parliamentary motions proclaiming the first day of spring as Nowruz, February 21 as International Mother Language Day and May 1 as Doctors’ Day in Ontario. He also introduced a private member’s bill to amend the Municipal Act 2001 to provide that the Chair and CEO of York Region must be elected by popular vote. He led government bills through the House and Committees to establish the Ontario College of Trades and Algoma University and to amend the College’s Collective Bargaining Act with respect to part-time staff .

Reza Moridi is a graduate of Tehran University, Iran (BSc and MSc) and Brunel University London, UK (MTech and PhD). For his original contributions to physics and engineering, Moridi was elected Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology of the UK. In recognition of his contributions to the understanding of nuclear materials and radiation, the Canadian Nuclear Society presented him with the Education and Communication Award. Also, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the profession of Health Physics, the Health Physics Society of the USA presented him with the Fellow Award. For his extensive community and humanitarian work, Moridi has received numerous awards and recognition.

Prior to entering into politics, he was a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Physicist. In addition, Reza held a 17-year career at the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada where he was the Vice-President and Chief Scientist. He also worked in the electrical industry as an executive and in academia as a professor and administrator.

In his current role, Moridi’s extensive political, business, academic, training and scientific backgrounds provide him with the knowledge and experience required to bridge the research, academic and skills training communities with business and government.

Politics

Moridi's riding office

Moridi ran as the Liberal candidate in the 2007 provincial election in the riding of Richmond Hill. He defeated Progressive Conservative Alex Yuan by 5,329 votes.^[1] He was re-elected in 2011,^[2] and 2014.^[3]

During the Dalton McGuinty government he served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minsters of Training, Colleges and Universities, Research and Innovation and Energy. When Kathleen Wynne took over as Premier in 2013, she appointed Moridi to her cabinet as Ministry of Research and Innovation.^[4] After the 2014 election she assigned him the additional role of Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.^[5]

Moridi has taken action in the Legislature to recognize days of cultural and professional significance in Ontario. In 2008, he introduced a Motion in the Legislature proclaiming the first day of spring as Nowruz. He also introduced Motions to recognize February 21 as International Mother Language Day in Ontario and to name May 1 as Doctors’ Day in Ontario on the birthday of the first female physician in Canada, Dr. Emily Stowe. These Motions were passed unanimously at the Legislature. His Motions to modernize “Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act (1990)” and “X-Ray Safety Regulation 861 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act” passed the First Reading.

In recognition of the importance of public health, Moridi introduced a Private Members Bill -the Radon Awareness and Prevention Act, 2011 – to raise awareness about this naturally occurring cancer causing substance through the establishment of the Ontario Radon Registry, which would test homes and workplaces for radon. He also introduced a Private Members Bill to amend the Municipal Act 2001 to provide that the head of council of the Regional Municipality of York must be elected. This would make the Chair and CEO of York Region be elected by popular vote rather than be appointed by the Regional Councillors.

Moridi led the following government Bills through the House and Committees:

• Bill 183 (2009): An Act to revise and modernize the law related to apprenticeship training and trades qualifications and to establish the Ontario College of Trades (Passed);
• Bill 80 (2008): An Act to establish Algoma University and to dissolve Algoma University College (Passed);
• Bill 68 (2008): An Act to amend the Colleges Collective Bargaining Act with respect to part-time staff (Passed).

Cabinet positions

Human rights activism

Moridi has been active in support of human rights in his homeland Iran. For example, in 2009, Moridi presented a petition to the Ontario Parliament regarding the violation of human rights in Iran in the aftermath of the alleged fraudulent 2009 presidential election in that country.^[6] He also introduced a petition that asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs to intervene on Saeed Malekpour's behalf and appeal to the government of Iran to free him.^[7][8] He wrote to the Secretary General of the UN on behalf of the imprisoned Iranian lawyer Ms. Nasrin Sotoodeh and the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq. Moridi has participated in numerous events and demonstrations held in Toronto in support of political prisoners in Iran and in condemnation of the Iranian government on violation of human rights, the rights of religious minorities such as Bahai’s and ethnic peoples of Iran.

Moridi read a statement in praise of the Republic of Azerbaijan before the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, in honor of the nation's anniversary in May 2010, in which he called the current government of Azerbaijan "a secular democratic and republic".^[9]

References

External links

• Official website
• Ontario Legislative Assembly Parliamentarian History

Cabinet of Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne (2013–) Jim Bradley Laurel Broten Michael Chan Bob Chiarelli Michael Coteau Dipika Damerla Steven Del Duca Brad Duguid Kevin Flynn Michael Gravelle Eric Hoskins Mitzie Hunter Helena Jaczek Linda Jeffrey Jeff Leal Tracy MacCharles Deb Matthews Ted McMeekin Madeleine Meilleur Reza Moridi Glen Murray Yasir Naqvi David Orazietti Teresa Piruzza Liz Sandals Mario Sergio Charles Sousa Harinder Takhar Kathleen Wynne David Zimmer