About James

James Rajotte was first elected to the House of Commons in 2000, and was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Leduc in 2004 and 2006.

He currently serves as the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Industry Science and Technology.  Since being elected Chair, the Committee has conducted studies and produced reports on the Counterfeiting and Piracy of Intellectual Property; the Challenges Facing the Manufacturing Sector; the impact of the strong Canadian dollar on the economy; and the sale of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd (MDA).  The Committee is now examining the state of science and technology in Canada.

In 2006, he was elected Chair of the Canada-Ireland Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group and Vice Chair of the Canada-US Inter-parliamentary Group.  He has served as the Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Industry, Science and Technology and as the Official Opposition Critic for Industry.

James was born and raised in Edmonton.  He received a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta.

Prior to seeking election, James served as Executive Assistant to the previous Member of Parliament, Ian McClelland, and was the Senior Researcher with an Edmonton public relations firm.