Michelle Ferreri
Michelle Ferreri | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Peterborough—Kawartha | |
| In office September 20, 2021 – April 28, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Maryam Monsef |
| Succeeded by | Emma Harrison |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Douro, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Peterborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | Trent University |
| Occupation |
|
Michelle Leahy Ferreri is a Canadian politician who was the member of Parliament (MP) representing the riding of Peterborough—Kawartha from 2021 until her defeat in the 2025 federal election. A member of the Conservative Party, she served as shadow minister of tourism and families, children, and social development under Erin O'Toole and Pierre Poilievre. Ferreri was television news anchor and consultant before entering politics.
Early life and career
Ferreri is a graduate of Trent University, where she majored in biology and anthropology, and Loyalist College, where she studied biotechnology.[1]
Ferreri worked as a television news anchor for the local Peterborough television station CHEX-DT from 2003 to 2014.[2][3] Before entering federal politics, Ferreri described herself on her website as a vlogger, speaker, and a marketing consultant.[4]
Political career (2021–2025)
Ferreri was elected to the House of Commons in the 2021 federal election defeating Liberal cabinet minister Maryam Monsef.[5][6] After her election, she continued to upload videos talking about politics to her accounts and planned to use her accounts to promote the riding.[4]
In November 2021, Ferreri was appointed by Erin O'Toole as shadow minister of tourism.[7] In October 2022, after new Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre won the party's leadership election, Ferreri was appointed to as shadow minister of families, children and social development.[8]
In December 2021, Ferreri implemented paywall to view her Facebook video uploads. She later apologized after some subscribers spread a March 2020 video in which she drank wine and used expletives as falling below the standard that she wanted to uphold as an elected politician and removed the paywall.[4]
In March 2022, Ferreri faced criticism after stating in the House of Commons that she was "...a single mom with six children". In actual fact, she is a mother of three, and her partner has three children from his prior marriage. She clarified this in the House on March 22.
In December 2023, Ferreri backed an official House of Commons e-petition with 170,000 signatures that called for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign and call a snap election, citing non confidence.[9]
In July 2024, after Ferreri commended Peterborough Police for arresting a man accused of burning a stolen Pride flag while using homophobic slurs and charging him with criminal harassment in a post on X, formerly Twitter, she received dozens of angry social media posts, including some that called her a fake Conservative and being a groomer for her support of the LGBTQ community. In response to one comment criticizing An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (Bill C-16) that falsely equated gay people with pedophilia, Ferreri criticized that position, saying that they were "not pedophiles. Pedophiles are pedophiles, don't lump the radical woke with them."[10]
In August 2024, Ferrerri called on fellow MPs on the status of women committee to recall themselves for an emergency committee meeting after an incident the previous month in which two witnesses left the committee in tears after procedural disputes derailed the hearing. At the time, Ferreri had apologized on behalf of the committee as did Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld in a later statement.[11]
Later that month, Ferreri deleted a post that claimed that Canada's increased cost of living was causing parents to trafficking their kids after a visit to the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre in Peterborough. She described the post as "inartfully worded". The executive director of KSAC issued a statement saying that parents trafficking their children has been an issue for several decades and the centre did not any particular political party or government responsible.[12]
During the 2025 federal election, Ferreri was opposed by a registered third-party campaign group, "No More MP Ferreri".[13] Ferreri was defeated by Liberal candidate Emma Harrison, who won 54.25% of the vote to Ferreri's 41.04%.[14]
Personal life
Ferreri and her husband divorced by 2019. They share three children together.[15]
She is currently in a relationship with Ryan Moore, who has three daughters from a previous relationship.[16][17]
Electoral record
Peterborough
| 2025 Canadian federal election: Peterborough | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Emma Harrison | 42,890 | 54.25 | +19.43 | ||||
| Conservative | 32,446 | 41.04 | +1.85 | |||||
| New Democratic | Heather Ray | 2,406 | 3.04 | –16.12 | ||||
| Green | Jazmine Raine | 655 | 0.83 | –1.40 | ||||
| People's | Jami-Leigh McMaster | 272 | 0.34 | –3.97 | ||||
| Independent | Chad Jewell | 222 | 0.28 | N/A | ||||
| Christian Heritage | Matthew Grove | 168 | 0.21 | N/A | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 79,059 | 99.71 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 314 | 0.29 | ||||||
| Turnout | 79,373 | 74.33 | +3.94 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 106,789 | |||||||
| Liberal notional gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.79 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[18][19] | ||||||||
Peterborough—Kawartha
| 2021 Canadian federal election: Peterborough—Kawartha | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | 27,402 | 39.03 | +4.14 | $105,628.34 | ||||
| Liberal | Maryam Monsef | 24,664 | 35.13 | –4.12 | $115,503.91 | |||
| New Democratic | Joy Lachica | 13,302 | 18.94 | +1.93 | $30,208.37 | |||
| People's | Paul Lawton | 3,073 | 4.38 | +3.10 | $11,111,91 | |||
| Green | Chanté White | 1,553 | 2.21 | –4.85 | $8,788.53 | |||
| Independent | Robert M. Bowers | 218 | 0.31 | +0.05 | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes | 70,212 | 99.44 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 395 | 0.56 | ||||||
| Turnout | 70,607 | 70.09 | +0.09 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 100,735 | |||||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.13 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[20] | ||||||||
References
- ^ "Michelle Ferreri — Local". PtboCanada. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- ^ "Ferreri leaving CHEX-TV". The Peterborough Examiner. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ "Trent Alumni Congratulates New Peterborough-Kawartha MP". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
- ^ a b c Kovach, Joelle (December 3, 2021). "Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri apologizes for salty online rant from last year". The Peterborough Examiner. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Michelle Ferreri sworn in as MP for Peterborough-Kawartha - Peterborough | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
- ^ "PETERBOROUGH-KAWARTHA VOTES: Ferreri projected to defeat Monsef". MyKawartha.com. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ Davis, Greg (November 9, 2021). "Peterborough-area MPs Ferreri, Schmale, Lawrence named to Conservative Party's shadow cabinet". Global News. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ Davis, Greg (October 12, 2022). "Peterborough-area Conservative MPs Ferreri, Lawrence given new shadow cabinet roles". Global News. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Ontario MP-backed petition calling for snap election has over 170K signatures". National Post. December 4, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ Tasker, John Paul (July 9, 2024). "Conservative MP attacked online after praising police for arrest in alleged homophobic crime". CBC News. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Conservative MP calls for emergency committee meeting to study violence against women". CBC News. The Canadian Press. August 16, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Tory MP deletes post that claimed cost of living is driving parents to traffic kids". CBC News. The Canadian Press. August 21, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Here's how some prominent candidates performed in this federal election". CHCH. The Canadian Press. April 29, 2025. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ "Peterborough live federal election results". Toronto Star. April 29, 2025. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ Ferreri, Michelle (June 16, 2019). "Ok so here we are another first". www.facebook.com.
- ^ "Michelle Ferreri — Local". PtboCanada. 2023-06-28. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- ^ "Meet Michelle Ferreri | MP for Peterborough–Kawartha". Michelle Ferreri. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- ^ "Voter information service". Elections Canada. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
- ^ "Election Night Results - Electoral Districts". Elections Canada. 29 April 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2021.