Maria Mourani

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Maria Mourani
Maria Mourani 2008.jpg
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Ahuntsic
In office
2006–2015
Preceded by Eleni Bakopanos
Succeeded by Mélanie Joly
Personal details
Born (1969-05-19) May 19, 1969 (age 54)
Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Nationality Canadian
Political party Bloc Québécois (2006-2013)
Independent (2013-present)
Other political
affiliations
New Democratic Party of Canada
Residence Montreal
Alma mater Université de Montréal
Profession Criminologist, probation officer, rehabilitation counsellor, researcher, sociologist, teaching assistant

Maria Mourani (born May 19, 1969) was an independent Member of Parliament in the federal riding of Ahuntsic in Canada. She was formerly a member of the Bloc Québécois. She joined the New Democratic Party in November 2014 but was not a member of the party's caucus due to the party's policy against crossing the floor; she stood for the NDP in the 2015 Canadian federal election, but did not win.[1]

Before politics

Born in Africa of Lebanese descent, Mourani immigrated to Canada in 1988 and has held positions as rehabilitation consultant, professor, researcher, and probation officer. She is a former probation officer for Correctional Service of Canada. She is a former member of the Saint-Laurent volunteer action, Henri-Beaulieu school establishment council, Founoun artistic journal, Quebec Association of Criminologists, and the Reflection Committee and Social Action. She is the former President of the Bloc's citizen's committee and on the Parti Québécois riding executive in the provincial riding of Acadie and the Committee director of the PQ orientation congress. She was also a freelance writer for L'Avenir.

Maria Mourani is also the author of La face cachée des gangs de rue (October 2006), a book about street gangs in Montreal. She followed it up with a second book on street gang networks in Canada, United States and Central America entitled Gangs de rue inc. (September 2009).[2][3]

She is co-founder and co-president of the Canadian Lebanese Friendship Association in the Canadian Parliament as well as the President of the Algerian Canadian Friendship Association.

On 15 August 2008, she was awarded an honorary medal in Beirut, Lebanon by the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU).

Political career

In the 2003 Quebec election, she ran unsuccessfully as the PQ candidate in Acadie.[4]

She was elected in the 2006 Canadian federal election and reelected in 2008 and 2011. She was consequently assigned as the Bloc Québécois Critic on Public Security and on the Status of Women in the Canadian Parliament.

After the 2011 federal election Mourani was one of only four Bloc Québécois MPs left in the House of Commons, the only Bloc member from the Montreal area, and the only female Bloc MP in the 41st Parliament.[5]

She declared her candidacy in the Bloc Québécois leadership election that was held to choose a successor to Gilles Duceppe and ran on a platform of making the Bloc more independent from the Parti Québécois.[6][7] She was defeated on the second ballot by former MP Daniel Paillé on December 11, 2011.[8]

She was expelled from the Bloc Quebecois caucus on September 12, 2013, for opposing the Quebec Charter of Values and has subsequently sat as an independent.[9]

On December 18, 2013, Mourani surprised citizens by announcing she was no longer in support of Quebec sovereignty and believed that Canadian federalism and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was better at protecting the Quebecois identity and the identity of all citizens of Quebec.[10][11][12]

On November 19, 2014, Mourani announced that she would run for the NDP in the next election, though as per the party's policy on crossing the floor she will remain an independent MP until the election is held.[13]

On January 21, 2015 she was acclaimed the NDP's candidate in Ahuntsic-Cartierville for the 2015 Canadian federal election,[14] but lost her seat to rival Liberal candidate Mélanie Joly.

Bibliography

Books
  • La face cachée des gangs de rue, Les Éditions de l'Homme, 2006, 211 pages ISBN 978-2-7619-2253-1
  • Gangs de rue inc. : leurs réseaux au Canada et dans les Amériques, Les éditions de l'Homme, 2009, 416 pages, ISBN 978-2-7619-2683-6
Others
  • Rose Dufour, Ina Motoi (preface by Maria Mourani and Hélène Manseau), La femme, sa sexualité et son pouvoir sexuel: programme d'appropriation de sa sexualité, Les Presses de l'Université du Québec, 2011
  • Notre indépendance: 28 Québécois s'expriment (collective book, under the direction of Catherine Fillion-Lauzièr, Stanké, 2012

Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 2015: Ahuntsic-Cartierville
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Liberal Mélanie Joly 26,026 46.8 +15.7
New Democratic Maria Mourani 16,684 30.0 +0.1
Bloc Québécois Nicolas Bourdon 7,346 13.2 -15.1
Conservative Wiliam Moughrabi 4,051 7.3 -1.3
Green Gilles Mercier 1,175 2.1 +0.7
Rhinoceros Catherine Gascon-David 285 0.5
Total valid votes/Expense limit 100.0     $220,041.13
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters 82,863
Source: Elections Canada[15][16]
Canadian federal election, 2011: Ahuntsic
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Bloc Québécois Maria Mourani 14,908 31.80 -7.68
New Democratic Chantal Reeves 14,200 30.29 +21.32
Liberal Noushig Eloyan 13,087 27.91 -10.68
Conservative Constantin Kiryakidis 3,770 8.04 -2.32
Green Ted Kouretas 620 1.32 -1.25
Rhinoceros Jean-Olivier Berthiaume 299 0.64
Total valid votes/Expense limit 46,884 100.00
Total rejected ballots 516 1.09 -
Turnout 47,400 64.98 -0.66
Bloc Québécois hold Swing -14.50


Canadian federal election, 2008: Ahuntsic
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Bloc Québécois Maria Mourani 18,815 39.48 +0.57 $53,286
Liberal Eleni Bakopanos 18,392 38.59 +1.30 $51,887
Conservative Jean Précourt 4,937 10.36 -1.89 $56,496
New Democratic Alexandra Bélec 4,276 8.97 +1.07 $6,663
Green Lynette Tremblay 1,228 2.57 -1.10 $20
Total valid votes/Expense limit 47,648 100.00 $82,379
Total rejected ballots 523 1.09
Turnout 48,181 65.64
Bloc Québécois hold Swing -0.40


Canadian federal election, 2006: Ahuntsic
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Bloc Québécois Maria Mourani 19,428 38.91 -2.34 $69,180
Liberal Eleni Bakopanos 18,594 37.24 -6.51 $64,168
Conservative Etienne Morin 6,089 12.25 +7.01 $16,100
New Democratic Caroline Desrosiers 3,948 7.90 +1.70 $4,702
Green Lynette Tremblay 1,836 3.67 +0.99 $411
Total valid votes/Expense limit 49,895 100.00 $77,453
Bloc Québécois gain from Liberal Swing -2.1


Canadian federal election, 2004: Ahuntsic
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Liberal Eleni Bakopanos 21,234 43.75 -10.13 $59,946
Bloc Québécois Maria Mourani 20,020 41.25 +9.02 $53,286
New Democratic Annick Bergeron 3,013 6.20 +4.33 $3,308
Conservative Jean E. Fortier 2,544 5.24 -3.85 $39,703
Green Lynette Tremblay 1,301 2.68 +0.57 $2,388
Marijuana F.X. de Longchamp 314 0.64
Marxist–Leninist Marsha Fine 102 0.21 -0.09
Total valid votes/Expense limit 48,528 100.00 $77,288
     Liberal hold Swing -9.6


Quebec general election, 2003: Acadie
Party Candidate Votes % ∆%
Liberal Yvan Bordeleau 23,211 70.39 −4.80
Parti Québécois Maria Mourani 6,702 20.33 +1.22
Action démocratique Jean-Pierre Chamoun 2,253 6.83 +2.18
Bloc Pot Jonathan Bérubé 440 1.33
Independent André Parizeau 161 0.49
Marxist–Leninist Linda Sullivan 111 0.34
Equality Marina Paümann 95 0.29
Total valid votes 32,973 99.05
Total rejected ballots 316 0.95
Turnout 33,289 65.66 −12.39
Electors on the lists 50,699

References

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  6. "MP Maria Mourani bids for Bloc Québécois leadership". CBC News, September 21, 2011.
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  8. "Daniel Paille new leader of Bloc Quebecois". CBC News, December 11, 2011.
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  11. https://www.dropbox.com/s/9vk38kel5eonpq4/Lettre%20Maria%20Mourani_18%20dec%202013.pdf Mourani's Letter to the Public
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  15. Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Ahuntsic-Cartierville, 30 September 2015
  16. Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates

External links