{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1990)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Laurin Liu | honorific_suffix = | image = Laurin Liu.jpg | riding = Rivière-des-Mille-Îles | parliament = Canadian | term_start = May 2, 2011 | term_end = October 19, 2015 | predecessor = Luc Desnoyers | successor = Linda Lapointe | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|11|13}} | birth_place = Calgary, Alberta, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | profession = Journalist, student | party = New Democratic Party | footnotes = | spouse = }} '''Laurin Liu''' ({{lang-zh|t=劉舒雲|s=刘舒云|j=Lau4 Syu1 Wan4|first=t}}, born November 13, 1990) is a Canadian politician who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2011 federal election.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/places/quebec-ridings/election-fed2011/r24057/ Election 2011: Rivière-des-Mille-Îles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827082600/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/places/quebec-ridings/election-fed2011/r24057/ |date=27 August 2011 }}. ''The Globe and Mail'', May 2, 2011.</ref> She represented the electoral district of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles as a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2011 to 2015. Born in Calgary in 1990,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=06d5b7d7-0b78-47d6-ba35-64d00315a605 |title=Age no barrier to rising NDP 'star' Laurin Liu |access-date=2013-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103130231/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=06d5b7d7-0b78-47d6-ba35-64d00315a605 |archive-date=2013-11-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/text-message-tweaked-rookie-new-democrat-to-her-surprise-victory/article2019796/ Text message tweaked rookie New Democrat to her surprise victory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304221508/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/text-message-tweaked-rookie-new-democrat-to-her-surprise-victory/article2019796/ |date=4 March 2016 }}. ''The Globe and Mail'', May 12, 2011.</ref> she was the youngest female Member of Parliament in Canadian history.
She was one of five candidates, alongside Mylène Freeman, Matthew Dubé, Charmaine Borg and Jamie Nicholls, who were McGill University students when elected in the 2011 election following the NDP's unexpected mid-campaign surge in Quebec.<ref name=Gazette1>[https://montrealgazette.com/life/McGill+head+House+Commons/4722338/story.html "McGill 5 head off to House of Commons"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831131116/http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/McGill+head+House+Commons/4722338/story.html |date=31 August 2011 }}. ''The Gazette'', May 4, 2011.</ref> In the 2015 election, all were defeated with the exception of Dubé. At the time of her election in 2011, she was pursuing a double major in History and Cultural Studies.<ref name=McGill1>{{cite news |url=http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2011/05/four-mcgill-students-elected-to-parliament/ |newspaper=McGill Daily |title=Four McGill students elected to parliament |author=Henry Gass |date=May 4, 2011 |accessdate=May 4, 2011 |archive-date=5 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505171102/http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2011/05/four-mcgill-students-elected-to-parliament/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Early life == Liu was raised in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.<ref name="Star1">{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1010978--how-i-learned-to-be-an-mp |newspaper=The Toronto Star |title=How I learned to be an MP |author=Joanna Smith |date=June 17, 2011 |accessdate=June 18, 2011 |archive-date=24 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024105630/http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1010978--how-i-learned-to-be-an-mp |url-status=live }}</ref> Prior to attending McGill, she was a student at Royal West Academy and Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf.<ref name="Gazette1" /> At Jean-de-Brébeuf, she became politically active by founding the NDP campus club. She later moved on to be co-president of the youth wing of the Quebec section of the NDP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Canada/Montreal/1305551527/ID=1907944372|title=Laurin Liu, NDP MP|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=May 4, 2011|archive-date=20 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120105840/http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Canada/Montreal/1305551527/ID=1907944372|url-status=live}}</ref>
She was active on campus as a board member of CKUT radio, a representative to the CKUT Programming Committee, an employee of McGill University's undergraduate student union, and a staff member of the McGill Daily.<ref name="McGill1" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-really-new-democrats |newspaper=National Post |title=The REALLY New Democrats |author=Tamsin McMahon |date=May 4, 2011 |access-date=May 4, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mcgilltribune.com/ssmu-elections-2011/laurin-liu-1.2074963 |newspaper=The McGill Tribune |title=Laurin Liu Candidate Bios - CKUT Board |date=March 7, 2011 |accessdate=May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423072743/http://www.mcgilltribune.com/ssmu-elections-2011/laurin-liu-1.2074963 |archive-date=April 23, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Liu, whose parents came to Canada from Guangzhou in the 1980s, is fluent in French, English, and Cantonese.<ref name=Gazette1/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/986654--canada-s-youngest-mps-confident-they-have-what-it-takes?bn=1 |newspaper=The Toronto Star |title=Canada's youngest MPs confident they have what it takes |author=Lorianna De Giorgio |date=May 6, 2011 |accessdate=May 6, 2011 |archive-date=24 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024041252/http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/986654--canada-s-youngest-mps-confident-they-have-what-it-takes?bn=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== MP for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles == Liu had not expected to win, and spent most of the campaign helping NDP Quebec lieutenant Tom Mulcair win reelection. She was working in a polling station in Mulcair's Outremont riding as an NDP scrutineer<ref>{{cite news |agency=The Toronto Star |first=Catherine |last=Porter |date=May 13, 2011 |title=Porter: NDP's young political junkies are ready for dose of reality |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/991349--porter-ndp-s-young-political-junkies-are-ready-for-dose-of-reality |accessdate=May 15, 2011 |archive-date=7 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107042518/http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/991349--porter-ndp-s-young-political-junkies-are-ready-for-dose-of-reality |url-status=live }}</ref> when a friend texted her that she was leading Bloc Québécois incumbent Luc Desnoyers.<ref name=Gazette1/>
Ultimately, she defeated Desnoyers by an 11,000-vote margin. By comparison, no NDP candidate had finished higher than fourth since the riding's creation in 1997; nor had any previous NDP challenger managed to garner the 10% necessary for their expenses to be refunded. At the age of 20 years, 196 days, Liu became the youngest woman in Canadian history to be elected to Parliament. She was the second-youngest MP in the 41st Canadian Parliament, after Pierre-Luc Dusseault.
=== In Parliament ===
Liu was named deputy critic for the environment.<ref>[https://www.ndp.ca/shadow-cabinet "Shadow Cabinet."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151111155251/http://www.ndp.ca/shadow-cabinet |date=11 November 2015 }} NDP. Accessed 6 December 2011.</ref> In this capacity, she represented the NDP at the December 2011 conference on climate change in Durban, South Africa, where she denounced the Conservative government's environmental policies.<ref>[https://www.ndp.ca/press/ndp-to-attend-durban-to-promote-canadian-leadership-jobs "NDP to attend Durban to promote Canadian leadership and jobs."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804125820/http://www.ndp.ca/press/ndp-to-attend-durban-to-promote-canadian-leadership-jobs |date=4 August 2012 }} NDP. December 2, 2011. Accessed December 6, 2011.</ref>
In the 2012 NDP leadership race following the death of Jack Layton, Liu supported Peggy Nash.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://peggynash.ca/2012/two-more-quebec-mps-step-out-to-endorse-peggy-nash-for-ndp-leadership/ |title=Two more Quebec MPs step out to endorse Peggy Nash for NDP leadership |publisher=Peggynash.ca |accessdate=February 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310105802/http://peggynash.ca/2012/two-more-quebec-mps-step-out-to-endorse-peggy-nash-for-ndp-leadership/ |archive-date=March 10, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Following the accession of Tom Mulcair as party leader, Liu was named deputy critic for science and technology. She spoke out numerous times in the House of Commons against the "muzzling" of federal scientists by the Conservative government. On June 10, 2012, Liu attended the "Death of Evidence" march on Parliament Hill<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/death-of-scientific-evidence-mourned-on-parliament-hill-1.1218019|title=Death of scientific evidence mourned on Parliament Hill - CBC News|access-date=7 July 2014|archive-date=12 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512042831/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/death-of-scientific-evidence-mourned-on-parliament-hill-1.1218019|url-status=live}}</ref> which was led by groups of scientists following the elimination of the long-form census, the closure of the world-renowned Experimental Lakes Area as well as other cuts to environmental and scientific agencies contained in the Conservative Omnibus Bill C-38. In 2015, she was also named deputy critic for industry.
She advocated for parliamentary reform.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lui|first1=Laurin|title=Laurin Liu: How MPs can fix Parliament|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/laurin-liu-how-mps-can-fix-parliament/article8179984/|accessdate=30 March 2015|work=The Globe and Mail|date=5 February 2013|archive-date=19 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119100854/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/laurin-liu-how-mps-can-fix-parliament/article8179984/|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 15, 2012, Liu tabled a bill to ensure that low-income seniors eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement would receive the retirement income top-up without having to apply.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/guaranteed-income-supplement-should-be-automatic-ndp-says-1.1256552|title=Guaranteed Income Supplement should be automatic, NDP says|newspaper=CBC News|access-date=2017-01-18|archive-date=18 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118221454/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/guaranteed-income-supplement-should-be-automatic-ndp-says-1.1256552|url-status=live}}</ref> On May 29, 2014, Liu tabled a bill aimed at protecting homeowners from excessive bank penalties for mortgage prepayment. On June 16, 2014, Liu tabled The Intern Protection Act, which was seconded by fellow NDP MP Andrew Cash. This bill sought to provide protection for interns working in federally regulated industries.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ndp-bill-would-crack-down-on-wild-west-of-unpaid-internships/article19189914/ " NDP bill would crack down on ‘Wild West’ of unpaid internships "] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085548/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ndp-bill-would-crack-down-on-wild-west-of-unpaid-internships/article19189914/ |date=4 March 2016 }}.</ref> The bill was updated on November 25, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Language=F&Mode=1&billId=6784961|title=LEGISinfo - Projet de loi émanant d'un député C-636 (41-2)|website=www.parl.gc.ca|access-date=25 November 2014|archive-date=18 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218201055/http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Language=F&Mode=1&billId=6784961|url-status=live}}</ref> Liu also tabled a motion for a national strategy on eating disorders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-ndp-mp-wants-a-national-eating-disorder-strategy-285/|title=This NDP MP Wants a National Eating-Disorder Strategy {{!}} VICE|website=VICE|language=en-ca|access-date=2016-03-25|archive-date=11 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411233120/http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/this-ndp-mp-wants-a-national-eating-disorder-strategy-285|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== 2015 election and aftermath ===
In the 2015 election, Liu lost her seat to Liberal Linda Lapointe. Soon afterward, Liu denounced photos of Lapointe wearing an "unacceptable" Halloween costume—an Asian hat and robe—stating, "It's 2015. It's unacceptable to dress up as another culture, on Halloween or any other day." Soon after, Lapointe deleted the photos from her Facebook account.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/linda-lapointe-halloween-costume-1.3321990 "Liberal MP Linda Lapointe deletes photos of her 'unacceptable' Halloween costume: Laurin Liu, the riding's former MP and a Chinese-Canadian, calls the outfit shocking and offensive"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118102319/http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/linda-lapointe-halloween-costume-1.3321990 |date=18 November 2015 }} CBC. November 16, 2015. Accessed November 18, 2015.</ref>
==Post-parliamentary career== After her defeat in the 2015 election, Liu completed a master's degree in human rights at the London School of Economics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2016/10/26/canadas-treatment-of-migrants-not-as-rosy-as-it-may-seem/#.WIuWahDw2Ic|title=Canada's treatment of migrants not as rosy as it may seem {{!}} National Newswatch|website=www.nationalnewswatch.com|language=en|access-date=2017-01-27|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202055935/http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2016/10/26/canadas-treatment-of-migrants-not-as-rosy-as-it-may-seem/#.WIuWahDw2Ic|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Electoral record==
===Rivière-des-Mille-Îles===
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2015|Rivière-des-Mille-Îles (electoral district)|Rivière-des-Mille-Îles|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}} {{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Linda Lapointe|18,787|32.37|+21.27|–}} {{CANelec|CA|NDP|Laurin Liu|17,111|29.48|-19.64|–}} {{CANelec|CA|BQ|Félix Pinel|14,755|25.42|-1.70|–}} {{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Érick Gauthier|6,099|10.51|+0.21|–}} {{CANelec|CA|Green|Alec Ware|1,136|1.96|-0.41|–}} {{CANelec|CA|Independent|Luis Quinteros|158|0.27|n/a|–}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|58,046|100.00;| |$216,995.77}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|927|1.57|–}} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|58,973|72.42|–}} {{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|81,429}} {{CANelec/gain|CA|Liberal|NDP|+20.45}} {{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=24062&EV=41&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&PROV=QC&PROVID=24&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1|title=Voter Information Service - Who are the candidates in my electoral district?|website=www.elections.ca|access-date=3 November 2015|archive-date=3 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003065446/http://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/candidates?L=e&ED=24062&EV=41&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&PROV=QC&PROVID=24&MAPID=&QID=8&PAGEID=17&TPAGEID=&PD=&STAT_CODE_ID=-1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/canlim&document=index&lang=e Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815061116/http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand%2Fcanlim&document=index&lang=e |date=2015-08-15 }}</ref>}} {{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2011|Rivière-des-Mille-Îles (electoral district)|Rivière-des-Mille-Îles|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}} {{CANelec|CA|NDP|Laurin Liu|25,639|49.2|+35.9 | }} {{CANelec|CA|BQ|Luc Desnoyers|14,873|28.5|-16.8 | }} {{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Denis Joannette|5,300|10.2 | -7.2 | }} {{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Lucie Leblanc|5,057 |9.7 | -9.8 | }} {{CANelec|CA|Green|Gilles Bisson |1,229|2.4| -1.8 | }} {{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|52,098| 100.0 | }} {{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots| 973|1.8|–| }} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|53,071 |66.8|–| }} {{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|79,428||–| }} {{end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=17935}} *{{Official website|http://www.laurinliu.ca/en/}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Laurin}} Category:1990 births Category:Canadian people of Hong Kong descent Category:Women members of the House of Commons of Canada Category:Living people Category:McGill University alumni Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec Category:New Democratic Party MPs Category:People from Pointe-Claire Category:People from Saint-Eustache, Quebec Category:Politicians from Laurentides Category:Politicians from Calgary Category:Canadian people of Chinese descent Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians