Two Liberal MPs were suspended from caucus Wednesday over allegations of personal misconduct, which both deny. They are:
Scott Andrews
Andrews has been his party’s ethics critic and a bulldog in question period, attacking the Conservative government over its own scandals.
The 39-year-old MP for the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of Avalon has been married for 12 years and has two young sons, according to the biography on his MP website. “Scott met his wife Susan Mosher through their shared love of sports, in particular volleyball,” says his biography.
The family lives in Conception Bay South, N.L.
Andrews has regularly assailed the Conservatives over the Senate expenses scandal and Tory MPs’ campaign spending, as well as going after the NDP for its use of parliamentary resources at party satellite offices in Quebec.
Born in St. John’s, N.L., Andrews was first elected as Liberal MP in 2008 after having served on the Conception Bay South town council and was formerly executive director of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. In winning the seat in 2008 and 2011, he defeated Conservative candidate (now Senator) Fabian Manning.
Andrews was one of a handful of Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal MPs who broke ranks with his then-leader, Michael Ignatieff, in 2009 to vote against the federal budget (during minority government years) because it reduced federal transfers to the province.
Andrews attended Memorial University of Newfoundland and holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and business administration, along with certificates in Newfoundland studies and public administration.
“Scott is a great communicator and understands how to work with people to get the job done,” says his MP website.
Massimo Pacetti
Suspended Montreal Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti, 52, is an accountant by training, a former rugby player and is married with two young children.
Pacetti kept a low profile on Parliament Hill compared to some of his Liberal colleagues who are more frequently in the media.
Pacetti was first elected to the House of Commons in a 2002 byelection for the riding of St-Léonard-St. Michel and has been re-elected four times. He is a former deputy whip of the Liberal party and was recently the vice-chair of the international trade committee.
He has also served as chairman of the Canada-Italy Inter-Parliamentary Group.
Before entering public life, he managed his own accounting firm, which he founded in 1993, according to his MP biography. Pacetti served as a school trustee from 1998 to 2002, before winning a seat in the House of Commons.
Last year, Pacetti applied to be a contestant on the reality series the Amazing Race Canada with his longtime friend Remo Scappaticci, but they were unsuccessful.
In 2012, Pacetti gave a speech in the House of Commons denouncing a private member’s bill to reopen the abortion debate.
That same year, he also proposed an income-tax deduction to try to persuade more Canadians to vacation at home.
Pacetti actively lobbied his former Liberal government to make access to foreign language television channels, including programming from Italy, to be legally available in Canada.
— With a file from the Montreal Gazette.
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