Sven Spengemann

Sven Spengemann
Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
In office
December 13, 2021 – May 27, 2022[1]
Preceded byHimself
Succeeded byAli Ehsassi
In office
October 13, 2020 – August 15, 2021[2]
Preceded byMichael Levitt
Succeeded byVacant
Member of Parliament
for Mississauga—Lakeshore
In office
October 19, 2015 – May 27, 2022[3]
Preceded byStella Ambler
Succeeded byCharles Sousa
Personal details
Born (1966-10-03) October 3, 1966 (age 58)
Berlin, Germany[3]
NationalityCanadian
Political partyLiberal
Domestic partnerKirsty Duncan[4]
Residence(s)Etobicoke, Ontario[5]
Alma materUniversity of Toronto Mississauga (BSc)
York University (LLB)
College of Europe (LLM)
Harvard University (LLM, SJD)
ProfessionAttorney
AwardsFulbright Fellowship

Sven Michael Spengemann (born October 3, 1966)[3] is a German-Canadian lawyer, bureaucrat and politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Mississauga—Lakeshore in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election.

He was re-elected in the 2019 federal election and the 2021 federal election.

Spengemann announced on May 18, 2022 that he would be resigning as the MP for Mississauga—Lakeshore to accept a role with the United Nations.[6][7]

Early life

Spengemann immigrated to Canada at age 14 with his family, and settled in the Credit Woodlands neighbourhood of Mississauga.[8] He completed his secondary education at The Woodlands School.[9]

Education

Spengemann earned a B.Sc. in psychology from the Mississauga campus of the University of Toronto in 1990.[10]

Spengemann obtained an LL.B from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in 1998 and an LL.M focused on European Union Law from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, in 1999. He earned a second LLM (international law) and a doctorate of juridical science at Harvard Law School in the field of political and constitutional theory, under the direction of Anne-Marie Slaughter, in 2006.[11] In the course of his studies, Spengemann earned a number of awards and distinctions, including a Canada-US Fulbright Scholarship (2001).[12]

Career

From 1991 to 1995, Spengemen worked with Toronto-Dominion Bank, supervising their Green Line Investor Services. During this time, he oversaw a team of client service employees and compliance management.[13]

From 2003 to 2005, Spengemann served as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Government of Canada’s Privy Council Office, examining national security law and international regulatory issues in the Canada-U.S. bilateral relationship.[13]

From 2005 to 2012, Spengemann served as a legal adviser and senior constitutional officer with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. During his service, he negotiated legal protocols with U.S. and Coalition military forces to ensure security, medical and operational support for the UN's activities in the country. Additionally, he led a team of international and Iraqi experts to assist the new Parliament of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government with constitutional and legislative reforms, including oil & gas management, human rights, institutional design and federalism.[14]

His work in Iraq earned him an Osgoode Hall Gold Key alumni award and recognition as a democracy expert in the University of Toronto’s 'Boundless' Campaign. In 2011, he spent a four-month sabbatical leave as a visiting scholar at the university's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, with a joint appointment to the Balsillie School of International Affairs at the University of Waterloo.[citation needed]

Following his U.N. service in 2012, he became a visiting professor and BMO Visiting Fellow at York University, teaching graduate courses at its Glendon School of Public and International Affairs.[13] He resigned from this role in 2014 to enter electoral politics.[citation needed]

Politics

In 2012, Spengemann became a member of the Liberal Party Riding Association of Mississauga–Lakeshore and took on the portfolio of Vice President for Communications and Outreach. In early 2014, Spengemann declared his intention to seek the federal Liberal nomination for the riding and won the nomination in September of that year.[15] Spengemann is a supporter of Justin Trudeau.

In the 2015 federal election, Spengemann defeated Conservative incumbent Stella Ambler to win the new Mississauga—Lakeshore electoral district, and secured his seat in both the 2019 and 2021 elections.[16]

Spengemann is fluent in English and French, as well as German.[citation needed]

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election: Mississauga—Lakeshore
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sven Spengemann 25,284 44.94 -3.46 $100,636.46
Conservative Michael Ras 21,761 38.68 +1.40 $95,632.95
New Democratic Sarah Walji 5,488 9.75 +1.39 $6.00
People's Vahid Seyfaie 2,367 4.21 +3.03 $646.34
Green Elizabeth Robertson 1,265 2.25 -2.36 $1,660.10
Rhinoceros Kayleigh Tahk 94 0.17 - $8.07
Total valid votes/Expense limit 56,259 99.08 $117,701.69
Total rejected ballots 524 0.92 +0.26
Turnout 56,783 63.79 -4.12
Eligible voters 89,017
Liberal hold Swing -2.43
Source: Elections Canada[17]
2019 Canadian federal election: Mississauga—Lakeshore
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sven Spengemann 29,526 48.40 +0.69 $104,588.59
Conservative Stella Ambler 22,740 37.28 -3.95 $110,262.85
New Democratic Adam Laughton 5,103 8.37 +0.38 none listed
Green Cynthia Trentelman 2,814 4.61 +2.26 $2,524.73
People's Eugen Vizitiu 717 1.18 - none listed
United  Carlton Darby 99 0.16 - $0.00
Total valid votes 60,999 99.34
Total rejected ballots 407 0.66 +0.21
Turnout 61,406 67.91 -0.79
Eligible voters 90,419
Liberal hold Swing +2.32
Source: Elections Canada[18]
2015 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sven Spengemann 28,279 47.71 +10.86 $74,169.40
Conservative Stella Ambler 24,435 41.22 -5.68 $221,638.11
New Democratic Eric Guerbilsky 4,735 7.99 -4.80 $6,908.86
Green Ariana Burgener 1,397 2.36 -0.72 $1,924.23
Libertarian Paul Wodworth 316 0.53 - $1,166.63
Marxist–Leninist Dagmar Sullivan 111 0.19 -
Total valid votes/expense limit 59,273 100.00 $224,818.71
Total rejected ballots 271 0.46
Turnout 59,544 68.99
Eligible voters 86,308
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +8.27

References

  1. ^ "COMMITTEE MEMBERS". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  2. ^ "COMMITTEE MEMBERS". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Mr. Sven Spengemann, M.P." Parlinfo. Library of Parliament. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  4. ^ https://x.com/SvenTrueNorth/status/1851980154572046684
  5. ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  6. ^ Tumilty, Ryan (May 18, 2022). "Liberal MP Sven Spengemann to resign from GTA seat almost eight months after re-election". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Cornwell, Steve (May 19, 2022). "Mississauga Liberal MP resigns to work for United Nations less than a year after re-election". The Mississauga News. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  8. ^ Veniez, Daniel D. (July 8, 2014). "What the Trudeau Effect Has Done for the Liberal Party". HuffPost Canada. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "About Sven Spengemann". Sven Spengemann Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Lakeshore. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  10. ^ "Sven Spengemann". University of Toronto Mississauga. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  11. ^ "Sven Spengemann". ipolitics.ca. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  12. ^ Veniez, Daniel D. (July 8, 2014). "What the Trudeau Effect Has Done for the Liberal Party". huffingtonpost.ca. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  13. ^ a b c "Sven Spengemann". LinkedIn.
  14. ^ "Sven Spengemann". svenspengemann.libparl.ca. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  15. ^ "Election briefs". mississauga.com. Metroland. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  16. ^ "Liberal candidate Sven Spengemann wins Mississauga-Lakeshore". Toronto Star. October 20, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  17. ^ "forty-fourth general election 2021 — Poll-by-poll results". Elections Canada. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "forty-third general election 2019 — Poll-by-poll results". Elections Canada. Retrieved December 12, 2022.