Mac Harb
| The Honourable Mac Harb | |
|---|---|
| Senator for Ontario | |
|
In office September 9, 2003 – August 26, 2013 | |
| Appointed by | Jean Chrétien |
| MP for Ottawa Centre | |
|
In office November 21, 1988 – September 8, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Cassidy |
| Succeeded by | Ed Broadbent |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 10, 1953 Chaat, Lebanon |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party |
Independent (May 10, 2013-August 26, 2013) Liberal Party of Canada (September 9, 2003-May 9, 2013) |
| Occupation | Politician, engineer, professor |
Mac Harb (born November 10, 1953) is a retired Canadian parliamentarian. Mac Harb spent 25 years in Parliament first as a Member of the House of Commons and then as a Senator.
Life and career
Harb was born in Chaat, Lebanon, and emigrated to Canada to study at the University of Ottawa in 1973. He subsequently worked as an engineer at Northern Telecom and a professor at Algonquin College in Ottawa. Harb was elected to Ottawa City Council in 1985 and served as deputy mayor in 1987 and 1988.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1988 federal election as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Ottawa Centre. He supported Jean Chrétien's bid to succeed John Turner as leader of the Liberal Party in 1990, and remained a Chrétien loyalist throughout his career as an MP.
In September 2003, Harb was appointed to the Canadian Senate on Chrétien's recommendation.
In March 2009, Harb attempted to introduce a bill that would have limited the East Coast seal hunt to only those with aboriginal treaty rights.[1] He also attempted to introduce a bill in June 2011 that would outlaw commercial seal hunting, and had introduced a third bill against the seal hunt in May 2012. PETA subsequently honoured him as their "Canadian Person of the Year".[2]
On December 6, 2012, Mac Harb was named in relation to the Canadian Senate expenses scandal due to expenses for a property in Pembroke, Ontario.[3] He announced his retirement from the Senate on August 26, 2013.[4]
References
- ↑ "Seal hunt ban gets icy reception in Senate". CBCNews. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
- ↑ Robin Levinson (December 27, 2012). "Harb accepts PETA award for his efforts to stop 'inhumanity' of the seal hunt". Ottawa Citizen.
- ↑ Timeline: Key dates in the evolution of the Senate expense-claim controversy
- ↑ Senate scandal: Mac Harb resigns