About
James Rajotte was first elected to the House of Commons in 2000 as the Member of
Parliament for Edmonton-Southwest, and was re-elected as the Member of
Parliament for Edmonton-Leduc in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011.
He currently serves as Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance.
The Committee conducts annual pre-budget consultations, reviews the Bank
of Canada's Reports on Monetary Policy, and studies finance-related legislation
such as Budget Implementation Bills.
During his tenure as Chair, the Standing Committee on Finance has conducted studies on the Retirement
Income Security of Canadians, Credit Card Interchange Fees and the Debit
Payment System in Canada, and Measures to Enhance Credit Availability and
the Stability of the Canadian Financial System.
In the 39th Parliament, he served as the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee
on Industry, Science and Technology. During his tenure as Chair, the
Committee conducted studies and produced reports on the Challenges Facing the
Manufacturing Section; Counterfeiting and Piracy of Intellectual Property; the
impact of the strong Canadian dollar on the economy; and the state of science
and technology in Canada.
He has also served as the Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on
Industry, Science and Technology and as the Official Opposition Critic for
Industry.
He has served on many inter-parliamentary groups; presently, he is Vice-Chair
of the Canada-United States Inter-parliamentary Group. He is a past Chair
of the Canada-Ireland Inter-parliamentary Group.
He received a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Ottawa, and a
Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta.
Mr. Rajotte was born and raised in Edmonton.