Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Ali Ehsassi
open-in-new
<h2 id="biography">Biography</h2> <p>Ehsassi was born on April 24, 1970, in Geneva, Switzerland. At the age of three, his family relocated to New York City and by age 15, Ehsassi moved to <a href="/facts/North_York/wYsCq0FW">North York</a>, <a href="/facts/Ontario/HUkxk5Rf">Ontario</a>, with his family.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a>[<i>better source needed</i>] </p><p>Ehsassi's extended family has extensive experience in international relations. His maternal great-grandfather was Iranian statesman <a href="/facts/Abdolhossein_Teymourtash/gjnRVSKN">Abdolhossein Teymourtash</a>, who was the first Minister of Court during the <a href="/facts/Pahlavi_dynasty/FDYMgMos">Pahlavi dynasty</a>. Ehsassi's father was also an Iranian diplomat and worked in Iran's embassy in <a href="/facts/Switzerland/LcGuxeTe">Switzerland</a> when he was born. His family left Iran during the <a href="/facts/Iranian_Revolution/frTYhJ0F">Iranian Revolution</a>. </p> <h2 id="education">Education</h2> <p>Ehsassi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master's of Science degree from the <a href="/facts/London_School_of_Economics/L8SkGefj">London School of Economics</a>. He attended <a href="/facts/York_University/Nh1sF5kz">York University</a> Osgoode Hall Law School having obtained his LL.B. Ehsassi then went on to <a href="/facts/Georgetown_University/GRubgGhB">Georgetown University</a> Law School to pursue a masters of international trade and arbitration law,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> which he attended concurrently as a global and WTO fellow.[<i>better source needed</i>] </p> <h2 id="member-of-parliament">Member of Parliament</h2> <p>Ehsassi has served as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Willowdale since 2015. He was one of the first two Canadians of Iranian heritage elected to federal Parliament.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>Ehsassi is the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity, Co-Chair of the 416 Caucus, is on the Standing Committee for Citizenship and Immigration, and the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations. </p><p>He is also a member of several Parliamentary Associations and Interparliamentary groups such as the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association, Canada-China Legislative Association Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group, Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association, Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group, Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association and the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>He notably opposes the Iranian government and called for a public inquiry into potential Iranian interference in Canadian elections.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p>In the <a href="/facts/2025_Liberal_Party_of_Canada_leadership_election/9PTHGpel">2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election</a>, he endorsed <a href="/facts/Mark_Carney/KhaJA0KI">Mark Carney</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="electoral-record">Electoral record</h2> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="9"><ul><li>v</li><li>t</li><li>e</li></ul><a href="/facts/2025_Canadian_federal_election/sENNzDgR">2025 Canadian federal election</a>: <a href="/facts/Willowdale_(federal_electoral_district)/B1MWcf9M">Willowdale</a></th></tr><tr><th colspan="9"><i>The 2025 general election will be held on April 28.</i></th></tr><tr><th colspan="2 style=">Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th><th>±%</th><th>Expenditures</th></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal</a></td><td>Ali Ehsassi</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/New_Democratic_Party/L1XRJrFX">New Democratic</a></td><td>Christy Kheirallah</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Conservative_Party_of_Canada/ByvP8qqp">Conservative</a></td><td>James Lin</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Total valid votes/expense limit</td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Total rejected ballots</td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Turnout</td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Eligible voters</td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7">Source: <a href="/facts/Elections_Canada/cx12sqa0">Elections Canada</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="9"><a href="/facts/2021_Canadian_federal_election/3RqH7sGR">2021 Canadian federal election</a></th></tr><tr><th colspan="2 style=">Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th><th>±%</th><th>Expenditures</th></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal</a></td><td>Ali Ehsassi</td><td>21,043</td><td>51.2</td><td>+2.2</td><td>$98,989.39</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Conservative_Party_of_Canada/ByvP8qqp">Conservative</a></td><td>Daniel Lee</td><td>13,916</td><td>33.9</td><td>-2.3</td><td>$70,040.08</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/New_Democratic_Party/L1XRJrFX">New Democratic</a></td><td>Hal Berman</td><td>4,231</td><td>10.3</td><td>+1.0</td><td>$2,471.22</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/People%2527s_Party_of_Canada/zXaUvkcS">People's</a></td><td>Al Wahab</td><td>1,102</td><td>2.7</td><td>+1.5</td><td>$1,784.10</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Green_Party_of_Canada/67FXG45S">Green</a></td><td>Anna Gorka</td><td>812</td><td>2.0</td><td>-1.7</td><td>$1,462.34</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Total valid votes/Expense limit</td><td>41,104</td><td>99.1</td><td>–</td><td>$108,952.94</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Total rejected ballots</td><td>383</td><td>0.9</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Turnout</td><td>41,487</td><td>54.8</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Eligible voters</td><td>75,773</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal</a> hold</td><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Swing_(politics)/EKz6hMy9">Swing</a></td><td>+2.3</td></tr><tr><td colspan="7">Source: <a href="/facts/Elections_Canada/cx12sqa0">Elections Canada</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="9"><ul><li>v</li><li>t</li><li>e</li></ul><a href="/facts/2019_Canadian_federal_election/xmXjcU4I">2019 Canadian federal election</a>: <a href="/facts/Willowdale_(federal_electoral_district)/B1MWcf9M">Willowdale</a></th></tr><tr><th colspan="2 style=">Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th><th>±%</th><th>Expenditures</th></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal</a></td><td>Ali Ehsassi</td><td>22,282</td><td>49.0</td><td>-4.4</td><td>$103,868.26</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Conservative_Party_of_Canada/ByvP8qqp">Conservative</a></td><td>Daniel Lee</td><td>16,452</td><td>36.2</td><td>-0.8</td><td>$82,193.67</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/New_Democratic_Party/L1XRJrFX">New Democratic</a></td><td>Leah Kalsi</td><td>4,231</td><td>9.3</td><td>+2.3</td><td><i>none listed</i></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Green_Party_of_Canada/67FXG45S">Green</a></td><td>Sharolyn Vettese</td><td>1,671</td><td>3.7</td><td>+1.5</td><td>$0.00</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/People%2527s_Party_of_Canada/zXaUvkcS">People's</a></td><td>Richard Hillier</td><td>563</td><td>1.2</td><td>-</td><td>$1,005.61</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Independent_politician/Pzzvg0CC">Independent</a></td><td>Birinder Singh Ahluwalia</td><td>200</td><td>0.4</td><td>-0.1</td><td><i>none listed</i></td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Independent_politician/Pzzvg0CC">Independent</a></td><td>Shodja Ziaian</td><td>71</td><td>0.2</td><td>-</td><td><i>none listed</i></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Total valid votes/expense limit</td><td>45,470</td><td>100.0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Total rejected ballots</td><td>410</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Turnout</td><td>45,880</td><td>58.2</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Eligible voters</td><td>78,809</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal</a> hold</td><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Swing_(politics)/EKz6hMy9">Swing</a></td><td>-1.80</td></tr><tr><td colspan="7">Source: <a href="/facts/Elections_Canada/cx12sqa0">Elections Canada</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><th colspan="9"><a href="/facts/2015_Canadian_federal_election/e5aQp00A">2015 Canadian federal election</a></th></tr><tr><th colspan="2 style=">Party</th><th>Candidate</th><th>Votes</th><th>%</th><th>±%</th><th>Expenditures</th></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal</a></td><td>Ali Ehsassi</td><td>24,519</td><td>53.4</td><td>+13.5</td><td>$89,151.49</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Conservative_Party_of_Canada/ByvP8qqp">Conservative</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Chungsen_Leung/2Bx6BUAb">Chungsen Leung</a></td><td>16,990</td><td>37.0</td><td>-4.7</td><td>$135,960.85</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/New_Democratic_Party/L1XRJrFX">New Democratic</a></td><td>Pouyan Tabasinejad</td><td>3,203</td><td>7.0</td><td>-11.4</td><td>$6,678.16</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Green_Party_of_Canada/67FXG45S">Green</a></td><td>James Arruda</td><td>1,025</td><td>2.2</td><td>+1.81</td><td>$7,484.51</td></tr><tr><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Independent_politician/Pzzvg0CC">Independent</a></td><td>Birinder Singh Ahluwalia</td><td>216</td><td>0.5</td><td>–</td><td>$39,117.06</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Total valid votes/Expense limit</td><td>45,953</td><td>100.0 </td><td> </td><td>$207,725.33</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Total rejected ballots</td><td>251</td><td>0.5</td><td>-0.1</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Turnout</td><td>46,204</td><td>61.46</td><td>+3.06</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Eligible voters</td><td>75,172</td></tr><tr><td></td><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_of_Canada/4NcQ9pNu">Liberal</a> gain from <a href="/facts/Conservative_Party_of_Canada/ByvP8qqp">Conservative</a></td><td colspan="2"><a href="/facts/Swing_(politics)/EKz6hMy9">Swing</a></td><td>+9.1</td></tr><tr><td colspan="7">Source: <a href="/facts/Elections_Canada/cx12sqa0">Elections Canada</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://aliehsassi.liberal.ca/">Official Website</a></li> <li></li> <li><a href="https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=18548">Ali Ehsassi – Parliament of Canada biography</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Search For Contributions". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2021-06-23. <a href="https://www.elections.ca/WPAPPS/WPF/EN/CCS/ContributionReport?returnStatus=1&reportOption=5&queryId=cf1e71de41504453918af9a11566ef4d&sortDirection=asc&sortOrder=0%2C1%2C2&totalRecordFound=77¤t200Page=1&total200Pages=1&reportExists=True&displaySorting=True" target="_blank">https://www.elections.ca/WPAPPS/WPF/EN/CCS/ContributionReport?returnStatus=1&reportOption=5&queryId=cf1e71de41504453918af9a11566ef4d&sortDirection=asc&sortOrder=0%2C1%2C2&totalRecordFound=77¤t200Page=1&total200Pages=1&reportExists=True&displaySorting=True</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Willowdale: Liberal Ali Ehsassi unseats Conservative Chungsen Leung in Willowdale". 20 October 2015. <a href="http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5967747-willowdale-liberal-ali-ehsassi-unseats-conservative-chungsen-leung-in-willowdale/" target="_blank">http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5967747-willowdale-liberal-ali-ehsassi-unseats-conservative-chungsen-leung-in-willowdale/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Roles - Hon. Ali Ehsassi". Our Commons. <a href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/ali-ehsassi(89010)/roles" target="_blank">https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/ali-ehsassi(89010)/roles</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Chignall, Selina (2015-08-27). "Liberal candidate Ali Ehsassi: a life lived around the world". iPolitics. Retrieved 2019-02-14. <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2015/08/27/liberal-candidate-ali-ehsassi-a-life-lived-around-the-world/" target="_blank">https://ipolitics.ca/2015/08/27/liberal-candidate-ali-ehsassi-a-life-lived-around-the-world/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Chignall, Selina (2015-08-27). "Liberal candidate Ali Ehsassi: a life lived around the world". iPolitics. Retrieved 2019-02-14. <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2015/08/27/liberal-candidate-ali-ehsassi-a-life-lived-around-the-world/" target="_blank">https://ipolitics.ca/2015/08/27/liberal-candidate-ali-ehsassi-a-life-lived-around-the-world/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Iranian Canadians". The Canadian Encyclopedia. <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/iranians" target="_blank">https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/iranians</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Ali Ehsassi - Work - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2019-02-14. <a href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Ali-Ehsassi(89010)/Work" target="_blank">https://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Ali-Ehsassi(89010)/Work</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Lawmaker Urges Inquiry Into Iran Meddling In Canada's Politics". www.iranintl.com. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2025. <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202402043304" target="_blank">https://www.iranintl.com/en/202402043304</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Djuric, Mickey; Taylor-Vaisey, Nick; Blanchfield, Mike (2025-01-17). "Pipeline politics and tariff threats". POLITICO. Retrieved 2025-01-23. <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/ottawa-playbook/2025/01/17/pipeline-politics-and-tariff-threats-00198893" target="_blank">https://www.politico.com/newsletters/ottawa-playbook/2025/01/17/pipeline-politics-and-tariff-threats-00198893</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"Voter information service". Elections Canada. Retrieved April 18, 2025. <a href="https://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=35117&EV=62&EV_TYPE=1&PC=c1a1s4&PROV=&PROVID=&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1" target="_blank">https://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=35117&EV=62&EV_TYPE=1&PC=c1a1s4&PROV=&PROVID=&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Election Results: Willowdale – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 10 January 2025. <a href="https://www.elections.ca/res/rep/off/ovr2021app/53/11862e.html" target="_blank">https://www.elections.ca/res/rep/off/ovr2021app/53/11862e.html</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019. <a href="https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/lst&document=index&lang=e" target="_blank">https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/lst&document=index&lang=e</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2019. <a href="https://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?lang=e" target="_blank">https://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?lang=e</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Willowdale, 30 September 2015 <a href="https://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=35115&EV=41&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&PROV=ON&PROVID=35&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1" target="_blank">https://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=35115&EV=41&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&PROV=ON&PROVID=35&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates <a href="https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/canlim&document=index&lang=e" target="_blank">https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/canlim&document=index&lang=e</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>