31 Facts About Mark Holland

Mark Holland was born on October 16,1974 and is a Canadian politician who served as Minister of Health from July 26,2023 to March 14,2025.

Mark Holland was first elected to parliament in 2004 and served until 2025 with the exception of four years after losing his seat in the 2011 election.

Mark Holland served as Government House Leader from 2021 to 2023, and as Chief Government Whip from 2018 to 2021.

Mark Holland was re-elected in the 2006 and 2008 elections, but was defeated in 2011.

Mark Holland worked for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, before returning to politics to run in the 2015 election, where he was elected to represent Ajax.

Mark Holland was born on October 16,1974, in Pickering, Ontario.

Mark Holland majored in political science and history at the University of Toronto and graduated in 1996.

Mark Holland worked as an assistant to Member of Parliament Dan McTeague and at the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.

Mark Holland worked for the Royal Bank of Canada and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

Mark Holland served as a city councillor for the city of Pickering from 1997 to 2004, and as a councillor for the Regional Municipality of Durham from 2000 to 2004.

Mark Holland created the Millennium Waterfront Committee in Pickering in 1998 and led the redevelopment of Pickering's waterfront.

Mark Holland founded the Region of Durham's Youth Partnership Initiative, the City of Pickering's Winterfest and was a member of the board of directors for Veridian Corporation.

Mark Holland was a member of the Durham Region Police Services Board, past vice-chair of both the Ajax-Pickering Social Development Council and the Ajax-Pickering Block Parent program and a past member of Durham Region's finance and administration committee.

Mark Holland continues to be a member of the Durham West Arts Centre and was one of their founding members.

Mark Holland is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Ajax-Pickering from 2004 to 2011, and representing Ajax since 2015.

Mark Holland has served as vice-chair of the Public Accounts Committee, vice-chair of the Public Safety and National Security Committee, critic for Natural Resources, critic for Public Works and Procurement, critic for the Canada Border Services Agency, associate critic for Treasury Board, as a member of the Finance Committee, Industry Committee, Public Accounts Committee, Government Operations Committee and on the Cities and Communities Caucus.

In Parliament, Mark Holland brought up a private member's bill to advocate for the cause of lowering the voting age.

Mark Holland asked that an elections unit be taught in high schools before elections take place, to inform students on current events and issues at debate.

In October 2006, Mark Holland re-introduced as a private members bill a former Liberal government bill to reform the animal cruelty sections of the Criminal Code of Canada, which have changed little since 1892.

Mark Holland supported Gerard Kennedy's leadership bid for the federal Liberal Party and was Kennedy's Ontario campaign chair.

When Kennedy dropped off after the second ballot to support former Environment Minister Stephane Dion, Mark Holland went with him and was seen as key in building a bridge between the two camps.

Mark Holland was the Ontario co-chair of Michael Ignatieff's 2008 leadership campaign.

On January 18,2007, Mark Holland was named the critic for Natural Resources in Dion's shadow cabinet.

Mark Holland was named critic for Public Safety and National Security, a post he held until his defeat in 2011.

Mark Holland was unseated by Chris Alexander, a former diplomat who ran as a Conservative.

Mark Holland has recently admitted that he attempted suicide after that defeat, saying ""I was told that I was toxic.

Mark Holland became the director of health promotion and public affairs with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada following his 2011 defeat.

Mark Holland served as the Heart and Stroke Foundation's executive director for the Ontario Mission and national director of children and youth, before returning to federal politics in 2015.

In 2015, Mark Holland was nominated the Liberal candidate for the new riding of Ajax, essentially the southern portion of his old riding, thus positioning him for a rematch against sitting MP Chris Alexander.

In December 2015, Mark Holland was announced as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Democratic Institutions.

Mark Holland served until October 2021, when he became Government House Leader, which he held until his July 2023 appointment as Minister of Health.