Ron McKinnon
Kenneth Ronald McKinnon is a Canadian politician. He is a member of the Liberal Party and has represented Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam in the House of Commons of Canada since the 2015 federal election. He was re-elected in 2019, 2021 and 2025.
Early life and education
Born in Alberta, McKinnon holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and an honours diploma in Computer Technology from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.Political career
McKinnon first ran for election in the 2008 federal election in Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, but was defeated, receiving just 14.8% of the votes.In the 2015 federal election, McKinnon ran again in the newly created riding of Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, which was created in the 2012 federal electoral redistribution. He was elected, receiving 35.3% of the vote, defeating Conservative Party candidate Douglas Horne, a former BC Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. His victory was seen as a surprise by many, as the area had consistently voted Conservative prior.
During the 42nd Parliament, McKinnon introduced , the in the House of Commons on February 22, 2016. The bill amended the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to grant immunity from prosecution for the possession of controlled substances when individuals seek emergency medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug overdose. This aimed to reduce the fear of arrest and encourage people to seek the necessary medical care. The bill was adopted on May 4, 2017, with support from all parties.
McKinnon was re-elected in the 2019 federal election, receiving 34.7% of the votes. During the 43rd Parliament, McKinnon was elected Chair of the Standing Committee on Health.
In the 2021 federal election, McKinnon was again re-elected, receiving 38.5% of the vote. During the 44th Parliament, he was elected Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. On March 6, 2023 he introduced a private member's bill, , the Court Challenges Program Act which would enshrine the Court Challenges Program into Canadian law, a government-funded initiative that supports Canadians challenging laws and regulations that they believe violate their rights.
In the 2025 Canadian federal election, McKinnon was re-elected, receiving 47.4% of the votes, his highest ever result. He defeated former BC Liberal MLA and cabinet minister Iain Black. He was elected vice chair of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations in the 45th Canadian Parliament in 2025.
McKinnon has previously supported electoral reform, and proposed Canada adopt a ranked pairs voting system.