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Kaleed Rasheed MPP (born June 15, 1982) is a Canadian politician who has represented Mississauga East—Cooksville in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2018. He previously served as the minister of public and business service delivery from 2022 to 2023 and associate minister of digital government from 2019 to 2022. Rasheed was initially elected as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party (PC), but resigned from the PC caucus and provincial cabinet to sit as an independent MPP on September 20, 2023 due to the Greenbelt scandal.[1] Rasheed announced on October 11, 2024 that he would not seek re-election after the 43rd Parliament of Ontario's term ends.[2]
Kaleed Rasheed | |
|---|---|
 Rasheed in 2019. | |
| Ontario Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery | |
| In office June 24, 2022 – September 20, 2023 | |
| Premier | Doug Ford |
| Preceded by | Ross Romano (as Minister of Government and Consumer Services) |
| Succeeded by | Todd McCarthy |
| Ontario Associate Minister of Digital Government | |
| In office June 28, 2019 – June 24, 2022 | |
| Premier | Doug Ford |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Position dissolved |
| Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Mississauga East—Cooksville | |
| Assumed office June 7, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Dipika Damerla |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 15, 1982 Pakistan |
| Political party | Independent (since 2023) |
| Other political affiliations | Ontario Progressive Conservative (2018– 2023) |
| Residence(s) | Mississauga, Ontario |
| Alma mater | University of Guelph-Humber University of Bradford |
| Occupation | Politician |
Early life, education and career
editRasheed was born in Pakistan in 1982 and moved to Canada as a young adult.
Rasheed studied at the University of Guelph-Humber Business Program and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in 2009. Shortly after, he moved to the U.K. to earn his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Bradford before joining BlackBerry as an Enterprise Account Executive.[3]
While at University of Guelph-Humber, Rasheed lead the creation of a cricket team that competed against other post-secondary schools.[4]
Personal life
editHis grandfather, Major Mohammad Aslam Khan, was a Second World War veteran serving in the British-Indian army and served as an army officer in Pakistan’s Baloch Regiment, an infantry regiment of the Pakistan army; and originally moved to Canada in 1967 along with his family.[5][6] Rasheed lives in Mississauga with his wife Sofiya, and five children Noor, Mariam, Yousuf, Aisha, and Hamzah.[7]
Political career
editRasheed was acclaimed the PC nomination for the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville on May 24, 2017.[8] He won the race for his riding in the 2018 election against incumbent, Dipika Damerla, making him the first PC member to win the riding provincially since 1999.[9][10]
In 2019, he was named Deputy Government Whip following a cabinet shuffle.[11]
Associate Minister of Digital Government
editJune 18, 2021, in a major cabinet shuffle, Rasheed was promoted to be Ontario’s first ever associate minister of digital government, housed in the Ministry of Finance.[12][13]
His portfolio priorities are outlined in the government’s Digital and Data Strategy, published in April 2021 by finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy.[14] Projects outlined in the strategy include the launch of the digital and data fellowship program, trusted artificial intelligence framework, data authority, and digital identification (ID).[15]
Rasheed announced the launch of the digital and data fellowship program in December 2021, where private sector experts are matched with public service teams in order to work on technology related projects including digital access to courts,[16] modernization of public services, and digital ID.[17] The government developed the Verify Ontario, the province's COVID-19 proof-of-vaccination app.[18][19]
Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery
editRasheed was re-elected in the 2022 Ontario election and was named the minister of public and business service delivery in June 2022.[20]
Resignation from provincial cabinet and PC caucus
editRasheed provided the integrity commissioner with contradicting records regarding a trip he and a property developer took to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2020.[21] Rasheed resigned from caucus and cabinet on September 20, 2023 amid the Ontario minister's zoning orders controversy.[22] He remained the member of provincial parliament for Mississauga East—Cooksville, sitting as an independent.[23]
On October 11, 2024, Rasheed announced he would not run for re-election at the end of his current term.[2]
Electoral record
edit| 2022 Ontario general election: Mississauga East—Cooksville | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Kaleed Rasheed | 13,840 | 40.91 | −0.24 | ||||
| Liberal | Dipika Damerla | 12,634 | 37.35 | +7.11 | ||||
| New Democratic | Khawar Hussain | 3,664 | 10.83 | −11.91 | ||||
| New Blue | Mark Morrissey | 1,599 | 4.73 | |||||
| Green | James Hea | 1,345 | 3.98 | +0.52 | ||||
| Ontario Party | Gregory Tomchyshyn | 625 | 1.85 | |||||
| Moderate | Wiktor Jachtholtz | 121 | 0.36 | −0.05 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 33,828 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 222 | |||||||
| Turnout | 34,050 | 39.58 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 85,958 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | −3.68 | ||||||
Source(s)
| ||||||||
| 2018 Ontario general election: Mississauga East—Cooksville | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Kaleed Rasheed | 17,862 | 41.15 | +14.95 | ||||
| Liberal | Dipika Damerla | 13,123 | 30.23 | −22.10 | ||||
| New Democratic | Tom Takacs | 9,871 | 22.74 | +7.35 | ||||
| Green | Basia Krzyzanowski | 1,498 | 3.45 | −0.07 | ||||
| Libertarian | Mark Donaldson | 463 | 1.07 | −0.90 | ||||
| None of the Above | Leonard Little | 413 | 0.95 | – | ||||
| Moderate | Mykola Ponomarenko | 175 | 0.40 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 43,405 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 447 | 1.03 | ||||||
| Turnout | 43,852 | 52.2 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 83,122 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +18.52 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[24] | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ Talbot, Michael (September 20, 2023). "Ontario minister Kaleed Rasheed resigns after Greenbelt probe". CityNews Toronto. The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Marchesan, John (October 11, 2023). "Former Ford government minister caught up in Greenbelt scandal won't seek re-election". CityNews Toronto. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
- ^ "UofGH alumnus Kaleed Rasheed steps into politics". University of Guelph-Humber. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "UofGH Business alum named Ontario's Associate Minister of Digital Government". University of Guelph-Humber. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Rasheed, Kaleed. "Fathers Day". Twitter. Kaleed Rasheed. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Rasheed, Kaleed. "Remembrance day". Twitter. Kaleed Rasheed. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Rasheed, Kaleed. "About". KaleedRasheed.com. Kaleed Rasheed. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Kan, Alan (24 May 2017). "Blackberry Professional Wins Ontario PC Party Nod in Mississauga East-Cooksville". Insauga.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Mirza, Maryam (7 June 2018). "PC candidate Kaleed Rasheed wins in Mississauga East-Cooksville". Toronto.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Kan, Alan (24 May 2017). "ONTARIO VOTES: Conservatives Sweep Up All Mississauga Ridings". Insauga.com. Insauga. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ CBC News (June 28, 2019). "Kitchener South—Hespeler MPP Amy Fee appointed as Ontario's Deputy Government House Leader". CBC News. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
- ^ Cornwell, Steve (June 19, 2021). "Peel MPPs promoted in Ford government cabinet shuffle". Toronto Star. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Yelich, Ivana. "Premier Ford Announces Changes to Cabinet". Ontario Newsroom. Office of the Premier of Ontario. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Bethenfalvy, Peter. "Building a Digital Ontario". Ontario.ca. Ontario Government. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Davidson, Sean (17 November 2021). "Ontario delays launch of digital ID program until next year". CTV News. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Krstajic, Natasha (5 November 2021). "Ontario Delivering Digital Access to Courts". Ontario Newsroom. Office of the Attorney General of Ontario. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Brodhagen, Amanda (November 25, 2021). "Ontario Launches Digital and Data Innovation Fellowship Program". Ontario Newsroom. Office of the Minister of Finance. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Goulem, Brigid (October 15, 2021). "Ontario releases first vaccination verification app ahead of schedule". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ Yelich, Ivana; Brodhagen, Amanda; Hilkene, Alexandra (October 15, 2021). "Enhanced COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate with QR Code and Verify Ontario App Available for Download Starting October 15". Ontario Newsroom. Office of the Premier of Ontario. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "Kaleed Rasheed | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". www.ola.org. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
- ^ "Minister, Premier's aide got massages with Ontario Greenbelt developer in Vegas: hotel employees". CP24. 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Ontario cabinet minister Kaleed Rasheed resigns over scrutiny of Vegas trip after Greenbelt probe". The Globe and Mail. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
- ^ "Ontario minister resigns from cabinet amid contradicting accounts of Las Vegas trip". CP24. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 6. Retrieved 20 January 2019.