Jim Karygiannis is the Liberal Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt.
Jim Karygiannis was first elected to the House of Commons in 1988. On January 23, 2006 he was re-elected for a sixth consecutive term with 63% of the popular vote in his riding, which was among the top three ridings in Ontario.
Prime Minister Paul Martin appointed Mr. Karygiannis Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development in October 2005. Jim was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, with special emphasis on Transport and the Environment on December 12, 2003. He served in that post until 2005.
During his first five years as a Member of Parliament, Jim was the Associate Critic for Small Business from 1988 to 1990 and served as the Associate Critic for the Departments of National Revenue and Multiculturalism from 1990 to 1993. A strong advocate for changes to the Young Offenders Act, in 1989 he introduced a Private Members Bill amending this Act. Although the Bill was defeated, the government of the day soon introduced similar legislation.
Jim presently serves on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration of the House of Commons. He continues to make significant contributions on the important issues that come before Committee.
Scarborough-Agincourt is one of the most ethnically diverse federal ridings in Canada. Jim Karygiannis is an effective voice for the people he serves, taking their concerns, on a wide variety of issues, including: immigration; taxation; justice; and, Canadas global responsibilities to caucus for debate.
Jim Karygiannis has participated in several humanitarian initiatives to help rebuild countries in the aftermath of devastating national and/or natural disasters. He has long advocated a permanent made in Canada solution to help strengthen Canadas response to international crises. In his view, Canadas response must include a mechanism for re-uniting Canadian citizens with their loved ones abroad who have been adversely affected by a catastrophic event.
In November 2007, Cyclone Sidr slammed into the coastal region of Bangladesh. Immediately following this disaster, Jim contacted members of the local community to hear their concerns. Jim visited the devastated areas and witnessed, first-hand, the emergency response efforts of Canadian aid agencies. He documented his observations in a report to the Government of Canada and the Minister responsible for the Canadian International Development Agency with respect to Canada’s humanitarian response.
Jim responded quickly to the news of the deadly landslide in Guinsaugon, Philippines in February 2006. Within hours of the tragedy, he met with members of the local community to discuss their concerns for an immediate humanitarian response by the Canadian Government in the region.
When the deadly earthquake hit India, Pakistan and Afghanistan in October 2005, Jim immediately began working with members of the Canadian South Asian Community, to help establish their priorities for humanitarian aid for those in need. He helped to ensure that the Canadian Government was aware of the communitys concerns.
He was among the first to reach out following Hurricane Katrina that hit the U. S. Gulf Coast in 2005. In response to inquiries from constituents who asked what they could do to assist the survivors of Katrina, Jim convened a Katrina Relief Round Table. The U.S. Consul General to Toronto discussed with community leaders and concerned residents ways in which they could best help their neighbours in need.
Early in 2005, Guyana was being deluged with rain that resulted in massive flooding. In February, at the behest of constituents and leaders of the Guyanese Canadian community, Jim traveled to Guyana to survey the damage caused by flooding. His report was instrumental in the Government of Canadas commitment, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), of $2.7 million in aid to Guyana.
In the days immediately following the 2004 tsunami, Jim met with constituents who were worried about the plight of their families and wanted to know if Canadian humanitarian aid was being delivered where it was needed. In January 2005, he visited several tsunami ravaged areas of Sri Lanka and reported his findings to the community and to the Prime Minister.
In the aftermath of the earthquake that rocked Bam, Iran in December 2003, he engaged community leaders in dialogue about Canadas commitment to the call for international assistance. Jim traveled to the earthquake zone of Ahmadabad, India, in 2001, to assess the devastation. Upon his return, he apprised Cabinet Ministers about the needs of survivors.
Jim Karygiannis believes that strengthening bilateral trade relations with Canada is important in the development of emerging global markets. In this regard, he has participated in many trade missions to India, Pakistan, China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and Egypt. He was also a member of the Government of Canadas Team Canada mission to China in 2001.
Jim has witnessed democracy in action abroad. He traveled to Somaliland as an International Observer for the Presidential Election held in 2003. In 1999, he was a member of the International Observer team that traveled to Russia for the elections to the Duma or Russian Parliament.
April 2005 marked the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Jim Karygiannis led a Canadian delegation of Parliamentarians and members of the Canadian Armenian Diaspora to the official ceremony marking this sombre occasion, at the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, Armenia. In 2004, the Parliament of Canada voted to recognize the Armenian Genocide. He had pressed Parliament to move in this direction for over sixteen years.
During his tenure as Member of Parliament, many organizations have shown their appreciation to Jim for his humanitarian efforts and community outreach. In 1999, the President of the Hellenic Republic awarded him the decoration of the Officer of the Order of Phoenix in recognition of his many public service contributions. Born in Athens, Greece in 1955. Jim immigrated to Canada as a teenager with his family, settling in Toronto, Ontario in 1966. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Engineering. He also holds a Fellowship of Business Administration from the Canadian School of Management. He worked in the family business until 1988 when he was elected.
Jim Karygiannis is married and is the father of five daughters.
Jim believes in the power and potential of the human race. He is often quoted as saying that R.A.C.E. stands for Respecting our neighbours, Accepting our differences, Celebrating our rich diversity and Embracing our heritage.
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发表于 2008-9-26 08:34:59
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