ABOUT
Parrish, Leading The Way
About Parrish
Carolyn Parrish, BA, B.Ed, is a Canadian politician who has served her constituents at both the municipal and federal level. Known for her straightforward style and passion for standing up for those without a voice, Carolyn has used her comprehensive knowledge of multiple levels of government and international affairs to shape policy at the local, federal and international level. An ardent supporter of democratic renewal in the developing world, Carolyn has travelled extensively to monitor elections, to lead fact-finding missions, and to represent national and international Parliamentary Associations.
Carolyn Key Accomplishments
- Won the biggest party nomination in Canadian history in 1992 to become the Liberal candidate in the riding of Mississauga-West.
- Authored a special report entitled “The technological aspects of humanitarian demining” for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Science and Technology Committee. Adoption of paper paved the way for the adoption of Resolution 275 on Eliminating Anti-Personnel Landmines and contributed to the eventual ratification and implementation of The Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention in March 1999.
- Elected Chair of Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association by colleagues, representing Canada at over 20 International NATO Parliamentary Assembly conferences. Elected NATO Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President and Vice-Chair in 2001, becoming the first woman to hold an elected position on the Association’s governing body.
- Led multi-party delegation of nine Canadian parliamentarians to Palestine, including stops in the West Bank and Gaza, and Israel in May 2002 on the first observation and fact-finding mission of its kind. Co-authored Canadian Parliamentarian Mission to Palestine upon return.
- Successfully led a team from the Region of Peel in lobbying the provincial government to eliminate Greater Toronto Area pooling (the ‘Toronto Tax’), saving the Region over $66 million each year.
Political Experience
Municipal Political Experience
Constituency: Ward 5 Elected: 27 October 2014
Councillor, City of Mississauga & Region of Peel
Constituency: Ward 6 Elected: 13 November 2006
Trustee, Peel Board of Education
Constituency: Ward 6
Mandate: 1985 – 1991
(Chair of the Peel District School Board, 1988 – 1990)
Committees – City of Mississauga & Region of Peel
Chair (Founding), Canada Day Committee
Chair (Founding), Community Water Fluoridation Committee
Chair (Founding), Festival Funding Review Committee
Chair (Founding), Government Relations Committee
Member:
Affordable Housing Program Advisor Panel
Britannia Farm Steering Committee
Budget Committee
Enersource Board of Directors
Environmental Advisory Committee
Heritage Advisory Committee
Governance Committee
GTAA Consultative Committee
Health Systems Integration Committee
Heritage Advisory Committee
Housing Options for Older Adults
Inter-Municipal Planning Subcommittee
Living Arts Centre – Board of Directors
Living Arts Centre – Business Affairs
Mississauga Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Committee
Mississauga Public Library Board
Mississauga West Toronto Tourism Committee
Orchestras Mississauga
Peel Housing Corporation
Planning and Development Committee
Public Vehicle Advisory Committee
Waste Management Committee
Federal Political Experience
Constituency: Mississauga-Erindale, Ontario
Re-elected: 28 June 2004
Retired: January 2006
Member of Parliament (Liberal Party)
Constituency: Mississauga Centre, Ontario
Re-elected: 27 November 2000
Member of Parliament (Liberal Party)
Constituency: Mississauga Centre, Ontario
Re-elected: 02 June 1997
Member of Parliament (Liberal Party)
Constituency: Mississauga West, Ontario
Elected: 25 October 1993
Parliamentary Functions
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, 2000
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Department Parliamentary Secretary, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 1998 – 2000
Committees & Parliamentary Associations
Vice-President, Bureau of the Assembly, NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Brussels, Belgium, 2001 – 2003
Chair, Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, 2001 – 2003
Chair, 103 member Ontario Liberal Caucus, 1997 – 1998
Chair, Subcommittee on Electoral Boundaries Readjustment of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, 2002 – 2003
Chair, Subcommittee on Private Members’ business of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, 1994 – 2003
Chair, Subcommittee on Members’ Travel of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, 1994 – 1996
Vice-Chair, Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, 2002 – 2003
Member:
Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
Subcommittee on Electoral Boundaries Readjustment of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
Subcommittee on Private Members’ Business of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
Standing Committee on Health
Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Government Operations
Standing Committee on Transport
Subcommittee on Bill C-47, An Act respecting Human Reproductive Technologies and Commercial Transactions Relating to Reproduction, of the Standing Committee on Health
Standing Committee on Industry
Subcommittee on Members’ Travel of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs
Special Joint Committee on a Code of Conduct
Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association
Other Professional Experience
Teacher, Secondary School, 1970 – 1974
Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute
Etobicoke Board of Education
Education
B.Ed Ontario College of Education, University of Toronto, 1970
B.A. St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto, 1969
International Activities
Led delegation of Canadians to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel in April 2005 and November 2007 as part of fact-finding missions primarily focused on Palestinian refugees and refugee camps. Interviewed former UNRWA representatives, aid workers and diplomats. Included on the trips was the President of Palestine House, Canada.
Travelled to Pakistan in February 2005 on an invitation by the Aga Khan Foundation with members of the Pakistani-Canadian community of Mississauga-Erindale. Toured the Aga Khan Foundation school and hospital and reported on progress to the Canadian International Development Agency upon returning to Canada. Also visited the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at the request of MP Imran Khan
Led multi-party delegation of nine Canadian parliamentarians to Palestine, including stops in the West Bank and Gaza, and Israel in May 2002 on observation and fact-finding mission.
Election Monitor, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Gorazde), 1996
Served as an Election Monitor in the Parliamentary and Presidential
Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina held 14 September 1996.
International delegation of election monitors was organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly
Election Monitor, Palestinian Territories (Hebron), 1996
Served as an Election Monitor during the election of the Palestinian Legislative Council and President of the Palestinian Authority on 20 January 1996. International delegation of election monitors was organized through a joint effort between the Carter Center and the National Democratic Institute.
Election Monitor, Ukraine (Odessa), 1994
Served as an Election Monitor with delegation from the European Union during the first round of Ukrainian Presidential Elections, 26 June 1994.
Select Conferences and Speaking Engagements
Panelist, International Conference on Middle East Policies
5 & 6 November 2004, The Hague.
Conference jointly organized by the International Forum for Justice and Peace, the International Dialogues Foundation, and United Civilians for Peace.
University Guest Lectures, 2004 – 2006
Guest lectured at numerous Canadian universities including the University of British Columbia, Brock University, McGill University, University of Ottawa and York University. Topics included vigorous resistance to Canadian participation in the war in Iraq, reflections on trips to the Middle East, active opposition to missile defence silos on Canadian soil, and the rewards and challenges of working as an Independent Member of Parliament.
Hosted and Chaired, Annual Session (Autumn) of NATO Parliamentary Assembly
October 5 – 9, 2001, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Session attended by hundreds of NATO-PA delegates including full attendance by U.S. Congresspersons and Senators less than one month after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Session resulted in ‘Declaration on the Fight Against Terrorism’.
Select Publications
Reflections on the Middle East. Text by C. Parrish; Photographs by L. Parrish. Toronto: Trade Secret, 2006.
Canadian Parliamentarian Mission to Palestine. Ottawa: Arab Canadian Cultural & Media Center, 2002. ii, 82 p.
Round Table on Private Members’ Business. Adams, Peter, John Reynolds, Garry Breitkreuz, Ted White, Joe Jordan, Gerald Keddy, Paddy Torsney, Mauril Bélanger, Yvon Godin, John Bryden, Réal Ménard, Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Val Meredith, Ken Epp, Carolyn Parrish and Dale Johnson. Canadian Parliamentary Review. 25 (3):30-37 Autumn 2002.
The technological aspects of humanitarian demining. NATO Parliamentary Association, Science and Technology Committee Special Report. STC (97) 9: 3 September 1997.
Are games fixed? You can bet on it. If fans are allowed to gamble on horse races, why can’t they gamble legally on other sports? Canada & the World. 53(5):19 Jan. 1988.
Classroom dilemma. Canada & the World. 52(7):24 Mar 1987.
Clinging to the old ways. Canada & the World. 52(5):29 Jan 1987.
Dumping (toxic waste) on the Third World. Canada & the World. 54(4):29-31 Dec. 1988.
High performance athletes: the use of drugs in professional and amateur sport is causing a lot of concern. Canada & the World. 53(5):20-1 Jan. 1988.
Little white lies: advertisers sometimes get carried away in their enthusiasm for selling their products. Canada & the World. 54(3):17-19 Nov. 1988.
Nerve centre and storm centre. Canada & the World. 52(6):14 Feb. 1987.
New (old) morality. Canada & the World. 54(3):26-7 Nov. 1988.
Our biological clock. Canada & the World. 53(2):18 Oct. 1987.
The plague of our time. Canada & the World. 52(7):19 Mar. 1987.
Violence: this program may be dangerous to your health. Canada & the World. 52(9):18 May 1987.
Media Profiles
Interview With Carolyn Parrish, Human Rights Activist and Independent MP.
(2005, August). Montreal Planet. 12-15.
Conlogue, Ray. Loose Cannon. (2005, March). Saturday Night. 120(2), 48-53.
Graham, Ron. Party Pooper. (2005, May). Toronto Life. 39(5), 66-73.
Guest Host, The Current. CBC Radio. 23 December 2005.
One-on-One Interview with Peter Mansbridge. CBC Television. 2 November 2005.
Graham, Ron. (1995). All King’s Horses: Politics Among the Ruins. Toronto: Macfarlane Walter & Ross.
Graham, Ron. Red October. (1994, January). Toronto Life. 28(1), 25-31.
City Of Mississauga
Mississauga is a large Canadian city neighbouring Toronto on Lake Ontario. On the lakefront, Port Credit has shops, a working lighthouse and a marina with a grounded freighter. Multi-use trails wind through the city’s parks and woodlands. In the centre, Mississauga Celebration Square hosts multicultural festivals and has a skating rink in winter. A popular shopping destination, the city has several huge malls.
Known for its vibrant art, historic villages, dynamic culinary, recreational parks and shopping centres, Mississauga is the third biggest municipality in Ontario by population and sixth in Canada.
