Chungsen Leung

Chungsen Leung
梁中心
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Willowdale
In office
May 30, 2011 – October 19, 2015
Preceded by Martha Hall Findlay
Succeeded by Ali Ehsassi
Personal details
Born (1950-07-14) July 14, 1950
Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Political party Conservative
Residence Toronto, Ontario
Alma mater Carleton University
University of Southern California

Chungsen (C. S.) Leung (Chinese: 梁中心) (born July 14, 1950)[1] is a Taiwanese born Canadian businessman and Conservative politician who was formerly the MP for Willowdale. After his election in the 2011 federal election, Leung was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, a role he held until his defeat in the 2015 federal election.

Early life and education

Chungsen Leung was born in Taipei, Taiwan on July 14, 1950.[1] He pursued his secondary education in Japan.[2] As the international community gradually recognized the mainland People's Republic of China in the 1960s, he feared that he could become stateless as a person born in Taiwan.[3] He immigrated to Canada in 1968, where he received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in economics and business at Carleton University.[4][5] Leung later earned a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Management and Engineering from the University of Southern California.[5]

Business career

Leung is an entrepreneur with business experiences in disaster mitigation management, urban mass transit projects, building environmentally friendly houses, air & water purification systems, sports equipment retailing and red deer farming too. Chungsen also has business experience in the tourism and hospitality sector.

He was a business owner and chief executive officer of four Richmond Hill small and medium size enterprises, as well as, a past director and audit chair of the Xenos Group,[6] a Toronto Stock Exchange listed public company in software development and engineering, and a director with Active Growth Capital.[7][8]

His international business experience includes being a member of numerous federal and provincial trade missions during the last two decades; the Toronto-Chongqing Sister City Twinning Mission; organizing the 1st Team Richmond Hill Mission to Asia Pacific; Richmond Hill – Shijiazhuang Sister City Twinning Mission, a member of the Advisory Board for Ontario Export Inc. and the bid team leader to host the 1997 World Chinese Entrepreneur Convention in Toronto.

Leung has been: founding president of the Richmond Hill & Markham Chinese Business Association, a corporate cabinet director of the Conservation Foundation of Greater Toronto, a member of the Richmond Hill Naturalist, a director of the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce and numerous other bi-lateral trade or business related associations.[9][10]

Leung is a director of the York Central Hospital Foundation, and a director of the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority Foundation.[11]

Politics

Before becoming the Conservative Party candidate in 2011, he was previously the party's candidate for Richmond Hill in the 2008 federal election, losing to Liberal candidate Bryon Wilfert,[12] and the candidate for Willowdale representing the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in the 2000 federal election, losing to Liberal candidate Jim Peterson.[13]

Leung was successfully elected to the House in 2011 as the MP for Willowdale, and has served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism since May 25, 2011.[1] During a meeting organized by The Association of North American Ethnic Journalists & Writers in January 2015, Leung was questioned over the closure of the Canadian embassy in Iran and was recorded saying: "Let me ask you, if you like Iran so much, then why do you come to Canada?" during a heated exchange.[14] Although Leung's staff indicated that this could have been the result of a miscommunication during cross-talk, it was a comment which angered some of those present, and Leung sent an email statement shortly after the incident stating that it was not his "intention to offend anyone. I regret if some attendees felt offended." [14]

Leung was defeated in the 2015 federal election by Liberal candidate Ali Ehsassi.[15]

Personal life

Chungsen Leung is married to Deborah Chute, and together they have one child, Elysia.[5] He has lived in the Willowdale riding for over two decades.[4]

Leung underwent training to play the bagpipes at Cape Breton's Gaelic College after becoming enamoured with the instrument during a family vacation to Scotland.[16] Leung played two times for Queen Elizabeth II: once in 2002 for her Ontario Golden Jubilee celebrations and again in 2004, when he was asked to play for her in her summer retreat at Balmoral Castle.[16] Leung also played the bagpipes for Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge during their 2011 royal tour of Canada.[16]

Chungsen Leung is a cross country skier, a scuba instructor, an Eagle Scout and the Parliamentary Liaison to Scouts Canada.

In 2003, Leung and his wife, Deborah Chute, received five national “Green” awards for building their energy efficient and environmentally friendly house in Richmond Hill. These awards are: Enerquality Corporation for a super R-2000 house, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation for a healthy home, Canadian Home Builder Association for best environmental practices, Enbridge for low gas consumption guarantee, and Enerwork for being one of the first to use solar energy heating.

Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
LiberalAli Ehsassi 24,519 53.4 +13.5 –
ConservativeChungsen Leung 16,990 37.0 -4.7 –
New DemocraticPouyan Tabasinejad 3,203 7.0 -11.4 –
GreenJames Arruda 1,025 2.2 +1.81 –
IndependentBirinder Singh Ahluwalia 216 0.5 – –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 45,953100.0   $206,712.87
Total rejected ballots 2510.5-0.1
Turnout 46,20461.46+3.06
Eligible voters 75,172
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +9.1
Source: Elections Canada[17][18]
Canadian federal election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
ConservativeChungsen Leung 22,207 41.7 +9.2
LiberalMartha Hall Findlay 21,275 39.9 -8.8
New DemocraticMehdi Mollahasani 9,777 18.4 +8.2
Total valid votes/Expense limit 53,259 100.0
Total rejected ballots 295 0.6 +0.2
Turnout 53,554 58.4 +6.5
Eligible voters 91,631 ––
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +9.0

References

  1. 1 2 3 "LEUNG, Chungsen, B.A., M.Sc.". Library of Parliament. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  2. ↑ 联邦大选 梁中心为保守党出征
  3. ↑ From Taiwan's shores to Canadian MP, in one generation
  4. 1 2 Cross, Allison (3 May 2011). "Conservatives take Liberal safe seat in Willowdale". Toronto Star. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Richmond Hill". CBC News. 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  6. ↑ Chungsen Leung: Executive Profile and Biography - Businessweek businessweek.com, April 19, 2011
  7. ↑ Active Growth Capital Inc (ACK.V) People Reuters.com Reuters.com April 22, 2011
  8. ↑ Company Summary TSX April 22, 2011
  9. ↑ Federal Election Willowdale N.E. Neighbourhood Association willowdaleneighbourhood.ca, April 19, 2011
  10. ↑ Richmond Hill Naturalists Blog rhnaturalists.ca, April 22, 2011 Archived June 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ TRCA Board of Directors trca.on.ca, April 18, 2011.
  12. ↑ Richmond Hill - Canada Votes - CBC.ca cbc.ca, April 19, 2011.
  13. ↑ Elections Canada Poll-by-poll Result Files, 1997 and 2000 General Elections. elections.ca, April 18, 2011.
  14. 1 2 "Toronto MP issues apology after comments anger Iranian-Canadians". CTV. January 27, 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Megan (20 October 2015). "The loneliness of a losing candidate". Maclean's. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 Raj, Althia (30 June 2011). "Bagpiping MP to play for Will and Kate". Postmedia News. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  17. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Willowdale, 30 September 2015
  18. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates

External links

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