Mélanie Joly Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Mélanie Joly
Office:Minister of Foreign Affairs
Term Start:October 26, 2021
Primeminister:Justin Trudeau
Predecessor:Marc Garneau
Office1:Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages
Term Start1:November 20, 2019
Term End1:October 26, 2021
Primeminister1:Justin Trudeau
Predecessor1:Navdeep Bains (Economic Development)
Herself (Official Languages)
Successor1:Mary Ng (Economic Development)
Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Official Languages)
Office2:Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Term Start2:November 20, 2019
Term End2:October 26, 2021
Primeminister2:Justin Trudeau
Predecessor2:Navdeep Bains
Successor2:Patty Hajdu
Office3:Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie
Primeminister3:Justin Trudeau
Term Start3:July 18, 2018
Term End3:November 20, 2019
Successor3:Herself (as Minister for Official Languages)
Office4:Minister of Canadian Heritage
Primeminister4:Justin Trudeau
Term Start4:November 4, 2015
Term End4:July 18, 2018
Predecessor4:Shelly Glover
Successor4:Pablo Rodríguez
Constituency Mp5:Ahuntsic-Cartierville
Parliament5:Canadian
Predecessor5:Maria Mourani
Term Start5:October 19, 2015
Birth Date:1979 1, mf=yes
Birth Place:Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Spouse:Félix Marzell
Party:Liberal
Relatives:Carole-Marie Allard (stepmother)
Residence:Le Plateau, Montreal, Quebec[1]
Otherparty:Vrai changement pour Montréal (municipal)
Awards:Chevening Scholarship

Mélanie Joly (in French pronounced as /melani ʒɔli/; born January 16, 1979) is a Canadian politician and lawyer who has served as minister of Foreign Affairs since October 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, Joly represents the Montreal-area riding of Ahuntsic-Cartierville in the House of Commons, taking office as a member of Parliament (MP) following the 2015 federal election. She has held a number of portfolios including Canadian heritage, tourism, and La Francophonie. Joly ran for mayor of Montreal in the 2013 Montreal municipal election, placing second behind eventual winner Denis Coderre.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Joly graduated from Université de Montréal and Brasenose College, Oxford.

Early and personal life

Born on January 16, 1979,[2] she grew up in Montreal's northern neighbourhood of Ahuntsic.[3] Joly's father is Clément Joly, an accountant who was president of the Liberal Party's finance committee in Quebec and manager of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority from 2002 to 2007. Her stepmother, Carole-Marie Allard, is a lawyer and journalist, who was an MP representing Laval—East from 2000 to 2004. Joly is married to Felix Marzell, an artist and entrepreneur.[4] [5]

Education and career

After completing her Bachelor of Laws degree at the Université de Montréal in 2001, Joly became a member of the Bar of Quebec. She subsequently received the Chevening scholarship and continued her studies at Brasenose College, Oxford, where she received a Magister Juris in comparative and public law in 2003.[6] Joly also interned at Radio-Canada, in 2007.[7]

At the beginning of her career, Joly practiced law at two major Montreal law firms, Stikeman Elliott and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg. At the latter firm, her mentor was former Parti Quebecois premier Lucien Bouchard, who supplied her with a letter of recommendation for her Oxford application.[8] She worked primarily in the areas of civil and commercial litigation, bankruptcy and insolvency law. She was also a prosecutor before the Gomery Commission of inquiry.[9]

In 2010, she became the first Quebecer to receive the Arnold Edinborough award, which recognizes philanthropic involvement within the Canadian cultural community.[10]

In 2013, she was appointed to head the Quebec Advisory Committee for Justin Trudeau’s leadership campaign of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Along with her colleagues, she founded Generation of Ideas, which is a political forum for 25- to 35-year-olds.[11] She is also a member of the collective group Sortie 13, for which she wrote "Les villes au pouvoir ou comment relancer le monde municipal québécois".[12]

Political career

Municipal campaign

In June 2013, Joly announced her candidacy for mayor of Montreal in the elections which occurred in the same year. She founded a new party, Vrai changement pour Montréal, to support her candidacy. On November 3, election day, she obtained 26.50 per cent of the votes, finishing six points behind the winner, Denis Coderre. However, she finished ahead of several more established challengers.[13]

Federal politics

In 2015, Joly left municipal politics and announced her candidacy for the nomination of the Liberal Party of Canada in the new electoral district of Ahuntsic-Cartierville for the 2015 federal election.[14] Joly won the riding with 47.5 per cent of the vote, unseating incumbent Maria Mourani.[15]

In Cabinet

After the election, Joly was named as the minister of Canadian heritage as part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new government.[16] On August 28, 2018, Joly was named to the tourism, official languages, and La Francophonie portfolio.[17]

She assumed the position of Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages on December 13, 2019. Her mandate was marked by the introduction of separate regional development agencies for Western Canada: Canada Economic Development for the Prairies (PrairieCan)[18] and Canada Economic Development for the Pacific (PacifiCan).[19]

On June 15, 2021, she introduced Bill C-32 in the House of Commons, an Act to achieve substantive equality of English and French and to strengthen the Official Languages Act.[20] The first reform since 1988, Joly's modernization was intended to ensure that the government's broad range of measures in support of official languages responded to and adapted to the challenges faced by these languages in the various regions of the country.[21]

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Joly took office as Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs on October 26, 2021.[22] On December 20, 2021, Joly announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19.[23]

Amidst global concerns about a buildup of Russian troops on the country's eastern border,[24] [25] [26] she visited Ukraine in January 2022. She visited again on May 8, 2022 when she accompanied Trudeau on an unannounced visit to Kyiv to reopen the Canadian embassy amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, it was reported that the Canadian Embassy was never in fact reopened and the Canadian ambassador did not return.[27] One year after the invasion began, she touted her government's efforts to promote regime change in Russia.[28]

In May 2022, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced his opposition to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, accusing the two countries of tolerating groups which Turkey classifies as terrorist organizations, including the Kurdish militant groups PKK and YPG and the supporters of Fethullah Gülen, a US-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of orchestrating a failed 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt.[29] Joly held talks with Turkey to convince the Turkish government of the need for the integration of the two Nordic nations into NATO.[30]

During the March 2023 House of Commons committee studying Chinese election interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, Joly accused China of 'trying to sow division in many democracies' and suggested ways foreign meddling could be hindered in the future. [31]

Following a vote on the Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang, it was reported in May 2023 that Conservative MP Michael Chong's family in Hong Kong was targeted, including by a Chinese diplomat named Zhao Wei. Wei was later declared persona non grata by Joly.[32] [33]

The murder of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar caused a diplomatic crisis, with Canada–India relations falling to their lowest point.[34] Joly ordered the expulsion of Pavan Kumar Rai, a top Indian diplomat in Canada who headed the operations of the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency, in Canada.[35]

In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive against the self-declared breakaway state of Artsakh, a move seen as a violation of the 2020 ceasefire agreement.[36] Joly expressed grave concern with Azerbaijan's military intervention, calling for immediate cessation of hostilities, asking the Azerbaijani government to refrain from any actions and activities that pose a risk to the safety and welfare of the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, labelling the military action as "unjustifiable" and the Lachin corridor blockade as "illegal".[37]

On October 30, 2023, she rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war, but expressed support for a "humanitarian pause".[38]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Search For Contributions. Elections Canada. June 23, 2021. February 23, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240223142104/https://www.elections.ca/WPAPPS/WPF/EN/CCS/Index?act=&returnStatus=1&selectedReportType=&reportOption=5. live.
  2. Web site: The Hon. Mélanie Joly, P.C., M.P. . . 28 May 2022 . May 16, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180516123849/https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=18553 . live .
  3. News: Patriquin. Martin. June 10, 2016. The sunniest Liberal, Mélanie Joly. Maclean's Magazine. June 13, 2016. November 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211128012729/https://www.macleans.ca/politics/the-sunniest-liberal-melanie-joly/. live.
  4. Web site: Columnist . Susan Delacourt National . Susan Delacourt: Mélanie Joly opens up about her miscarriage — and why she hasn't given up on getting pregnant . Toronto Star . November 27, 2023 . en . 26 December 2022 . November 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231126185235/https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/m-lanie-joly-opens-up-about-her-miscarriage-and-why-she-hasn-t-given-up/article_c1c4d781-eba6-51b1-8358-b075e788358b.html . live .
  5. Web site: Tristin . Hopper . The Canadian politicians who say they want privacy for their families — and actually mean it . National Post . November 27, 2023 . February 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240223142058/https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/politicians-who-really-do-want-their-privacy . live .
  6. Web site: Mélanie Joly. LinkedIn. October 7, 2013.
  7. News: Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly once interned at Radio-Canada. CBC.ca. November 7, 2015. November 7, 2015. November 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211128014430/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/melanie-joly-radio-canada-intern-1.3307813. live.
  8. Campbell Clark, Liberal newcomers could bring wide-ranging experience to Trudeau's cabinet, The Globe & Mail, October 31, 2015.
  9. Web site: À PROPOS DE MÉLANIE JOLY. Le vrai changement pour Montréal - groupe Mélanie Joly. October 7, 2013. September 14, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130914152949/http://vraichangementmtl.org/fr/contents/static/a-propos-de-melanie-joly.html. live.
  10. Web site: Business for the Arts — Previous Winners . August 17, 2015 . www.businessforthearts.org . January 15, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160115224214/http://www.businessforthearts.org/awards/previous-winners/ . dead .
  11. News: Frigon. Gaétan. Mélanie qui? Mélanie Joly. La Presse. October 7, 2013. June 1, 2013. October 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214301/http://www.lapresse.ca/debats/nos-collaborateurs/gaetan-frigon/201305/30/01-4656186-melanie-qui-melanie-joly.php. live.
  12. Web site: Joly. Mélanie. Les villes au pouvoir ou comment relancer le monde municipal québécois. Sortie13. October 7, 2013. October 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004213947/http://www.sortie13.com/affaires-municipales-melanie-joly.html. live.
  13. Web site: Élections municipales 2013 - Résultats ICI.Radio-Canada.ca. Radio-Canada.ca. August 17, 2015. April 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170406054610/http://ici.radio-canada.ca/sujet/elections-municipales-2013-resultats. dead.
  14. News: Hugo. De Grandpré. Mélanie Joly dans Ahuntsic: des libéraux réitèrent leur intention d'être candidats. February 19, 2015. La Presse. February 19, 2015. February 20, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150220005244/http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-canadienne/201502/19/01-4845594-melanie-joly-dans-ahuntsic-des-liberaux-reiterent-leur-intention-detre-candidats.php. live.
  15. News: Election results: Mélanie Joly wins as Maria Mourani fails to stop second wave in Ahuntsic-Cartierville. Montreal Gazette. October 20, 2015. January 27, 2019. July 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210724182224/https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/election-results-melanie-joly-leads-in-early-results-in-ahuntsic-cartierville. live.
  16. Web site: The Honourable Mélanie Joly. November 4, 2015. Prime Minister's Office. November 7, 2016. July 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190706060428/https://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister/honourable-melanie-joly. dead.
  17. News: Leblanc. Daniel. October 8, 2018. Prime Minister Trudeau has last shot to help Michaëlle Jean stay on as Francophonie leader. The Globe and Mail. February 10, 2021. October 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181009065544/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-prime-minister-trudeau-has-last-shot-to-help-michaelle-jean-stay-on-as/. live.
  18. Web site: Prairies Economic Development. August 9, 2021. October 24, 2021. April 19, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230419061058/https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development.html. live.
  19. Web site: Pacific Economic Development. June 27, 2021. October 26, 2021. October 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211026155225/https://www.canada.ca/en/pacific-economic-development.html. live.
  20. Web site: Introduction of Bill C-32, an Act for the Substantive Equality of French and English and the Strengthening of the Official Languages Act. June 15, 2021. October 24, 2021. November 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211102225101/https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2021/06/introduction-of-bill-c-32-an-act-for-the-substantive-equality-of-french-and-english-and-the-strengthening-of-the-official-languages-act.html. live.
  21. Web site: Modernization of the Official Languages Act. February 3, 2021. October 24, 2021. October 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211020044246/https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/canadians-official-languages-act.html. live.
  22. News: Curry. Bill. Kirkup. Kristy. Raman-Wilms. Menaka. Dickson. Janice. October 26, 2021. Trudeau cabinet shuffle: Anita Anand moves to Defence, Steven Guilbeault to Environment, Mélanie Joly to Foreign Affairs. en-CA. The Globe and Mail. October 26, 2021. October 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231010091136/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-justin-trudeau-shuffles-cabinet-to-appoint-guilbeault-at-environment/. live.
  23. Web site: Raycraft. Raycraft. December 20, 2021. Foreign Affairs Minister Joly tests positive for COVID-19. CBC News. December 21, 2021. May 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220512172911/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/foreign-affairs-minister-positive-test-covid-1.6292997. live.
  24. Web site: January 23, 2022. Russian ships, tanks and troops on the move to Ukraine as peace talks stall. January 25, 2022. the Guardian. en. July 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220719101624/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/23/russian-ships-tanks-and-troops-on-the-move-to-ukraine-as-peace-talks-stall. live.
  25. News: Gordon. Joanna Sugden, Yaroslav Trofimov and Michael R.. January 25, 2022. What Does Russia Want With Ukraine? Tensions Between Putin and NATO Explained. en-US. Wall Street Journal. January 25, 2022. 0099-9660. July 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220719193341/https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-ukraine-putin-nato-11643121821. live.
  26. News: January 22, 2022. Momentum is building for war in Ukraine. The Economist. January 25, 2022. 0013-0613. July 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220720105914/https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/01/22/momentum-is-building-for-war-in-ukraine. live.
  27. Web site: Canadian embassy in Kyiv still shuttered despite 'reopening' in May. January 13, 2024. January 13, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113144726/https://globalnews.ca/news/9026892/ukraine-war-canada-embassy-kyiv/. live.
  28. Web site: Canada bans Russian steel, aluminum imports as Joly raises 'regime change' in Moscow . . 2023-03-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328041241/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/russia-steel-joly-1.6775203 . 2023-03-28 . live . Robertson . Dylan.
  29. News: 13 May 2022 . Erdogan says Turkey not supportive of Finland, Sweden joining NATO . Reuters . May 18, 2022 . May 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220513152702/https://www.reuters.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-not-positive-finland-sweden-joining-nato-2022-05-13/ . live .
  30. Web site: Brzozowski . Alexandra . 2022-05-16 . Sweden takes formal decision to apply for NATO membership . www.euractiv.com . en-GB . May 18, 2022 . May 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220516173535/https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/sweden-takes-formal-decision-to-apply-for-nato-membership/ . live .
  31. Web site: Canada will expel Chinese diplomats if there is evidence of wrongdoing: Joly . March 9, 2023 . March 11, 2023 . March 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230311150305/https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canada-will-expel-chinese-diplomats-if-there-is-evidence-of-wrongdoing-joly-1.6306126 . live .
  32. Web site: Canada expelling diplomat accused of targeting MP Michael Chong's family . May 9, 2023 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230618091347/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-expelling-chinese-diplomat-1.6836336 . June 18, 2023 . live .
  33. News: China views Canada as a 'high priority' for interference: CSIS report . The Globe and Mail . May 2023 . May 9, 2023 . May 7, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230507150050/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-china-targets-mps-csis/ . live .
  34. News: Kaushik . Krishn . Jain . Rupam . Rajesh . Y. P. . Kaushik . Krishn . 2023-09-22 . India stops new visas for Canadians, asks Ottawa to downsize missions as spat worsens . Reuters . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230922050604/https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-suspends-visa-services-canadian-citizens-bls-international-website-2023-09-21/ . 22 September 2023.
  35. News: Tasker . John Paul . 18 September 2023 . Trudeau accuses India's government of involvement in killing of Canadian Sikh leader . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . 19 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230919041846/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-indian-government-nijjar-1.6970498 . live .
  36. Web site: Joint statement on Azerbaijan's attack on Nagorno-Karabakh . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230922111407/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/delegations/en/joint-statement-on-azerbaijan-s-attack-o/product-details/20230919DPU37422. 22 September 2023. European Parliament.
  37. Web site: Canada calls for cessation of hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. 20 September 2023. canada.ca. 21 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230921100809/https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2023/09/canada-calls-for-cessation-of-hostilities-in-the-nagorno-karabakh-region.html. live.
  38. News: Under criticism, Canada sticks to call for humanitarian truce, not a ceasefire — but says the world is watching . Toronto Star . October 30, 2023 . November 1, 2023 . November 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231101114858/https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/under-criticism-canada-sticks-to-call-for-humanitarian-truce-not-a-ceasefire-but-says-the/article_ad841e26-8985-573c-865d-cc4f5ef95771.html . live .

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