The Honourable James Flaherty PC, MP

The Honourable James Flaherty PC, MP

James M. Flaherty is a third-term Member of Parliament for Whitby–Oshawa (Ontario). He serves as Canada's Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the Greater Toronto Area. He is a Governor of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. As Minister of Finance he is an ex-officio member of all Cabinet Committees.

Minister Flaherty was recently awarded Euromoney Magazine's Finance Minister of the Year award. Euromoney credited him with enhancing Canada's reputation for sound fiscal policy while taking full account of social justice and overseeing a strong regulatory regime that has kept the financial sector out of chaos. He has also been described as a pillar in both the G-7 and the G-20.

In 2010, Minister Flaherty was chair of the G-7 Finance Ministers and chair of the annual Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting.

Previously, for more than 10 years, he served as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby–Ajax (Ontario). He served as Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, Attorney General and Minister of Labour.

He graduated from Princeton University cum laude and then graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the Bar in Ontario with honours and practised law for more than 20 years before being elected to public office.

He is married to Christine Elliott, who serves as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby–Oshawa. They live in Whitby with their triplet sons.