Doly Begum is the Member of Parliament for Scarborough Southwest, and the first Member of Parliament of Bangladeshi origin in Canada’s history. As a lifelong advocate for the working families of Scarborough, Doly has dedicated her career to fighting for the priorities of her community: affordable housing, accessible health care, better public transit, safer neighbourhoods, and a more equitable Canada. Before entering politics, Doly served as chief coordinator of the Keep Hydro Public campaign, a province-wide effort to oppose the privatization of Ontario’s public electricity system. Under her leadership, the campaign successfully stopped the privatization of Toronto Hydro and Wasaga Distribution, protecting public ownership and affordable electricity for thousands of Ontarians. In 2018, Doly took her advocacy to Queen’s Park, winning election as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough Southwest and becoming the first Bangladeshi Canadian ever elected to public office in Canada. During her time at Queen’s Park, she served as Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition, as Critic for Public Transit, Equity and Anti-Racism, and as Critic for Citizenship, Immigration, and International Credentials. She also served as First Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and as a member of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies. In the Ontario legislature, Doly co-sponsored legislation to reduce barriers for internationally trained healthcare workers, and supported bills on consumer protection, car insurance reform, and climate accountability for fossil fuel companies. She also led the successful effort to establish June as Filipino Heritage Month in Ontario. Doly has been a leading voice pushing the federal government to take stronger action in response to the Rohingya genocide. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in Development, Administration and Planning from University College London. Today, Doly serves as a member of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) and the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights (JUST) in Ottawa, continuing her lifelong work of standing up for working families, advancing equity, and ensuring that every community has a seat at the table.