17 Facts About Mark Gerretsen

Mark Gerretsen was first elected in the 2015 federal election, and re-elected in 2019 and 2021.

Mark Gerretsen currently serves on the Standing Committee for Procedure and House Affairs and is the former Chair of the Ontario Liberal Caucus.

Mark Gerretsen previously served as the Parliamentary secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, a position he held effective December 3,2021.

Mark Gerretsen was born in Kingston, Ontario, the son of Assunta and John Mark Gerretsen.

Mark Gerretsen's mother emigrated from San Bartolomeo in Galdo Italy to Kingston in 1956.

Mark Gerretsen holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Queen's University and studied computers at St Lawrence College.

Mark Gerretsen was first elected to Kingston City Council in 2006, where he represented the Portsmouth District.

In 2012, Mark Gerretsen was elected to represent the City of Kingston on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Board of Directors.

Mark Gerretsen gained some notoriety in 2013 when he voiced his displeasure regarding the street partying that occurs during Queen's University's Homecoming.

The event had taken a five-year hiatus due to rowdy behaviour and significant costs to the municipality for policing and clean up, and Mark Gerretsen had reservations about the event's return.

Mark Gerretsen visited Aberdeen Street that weekend to assess the situation.

Mark Gerretsen was first elected as a Member of Parliament in the 2015 federal election, replacing first-term Liberal MP Ted Hsu, who chose not to seek re-election.

Mark Gerretsen was a member of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development for two and a half years.

In June 2018, Mark Gerretsen was one of three Liberal MPs who voted in favour of a motion proposed by the New Democratic Party to stop the project.

Currently, Mark Gerretsen is Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, as well as a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

On September 19,2024, Mark Gerretsen issued a public retraction for spreading disinformation about commentator Kat Kanada and announced that he was making a personal donation to a charity chosen by her.

Personally, Mark Gerretsen was an early participant in the province of Ontario's Microfit program aimed at encouraging homeowners to install solar panels to feed electricity back into the grid.