Canada’s 41st Parliament still rich on lawyers, but adds a little punk rock to boot

The 308 individuals who have taken their seats in the 41st Parliament this week are a diverse lot, including the usual cabal of lawyers and business leaders, but adds a smattering of musicians and artists.

The Parliament of Canada website states 64 of our newly elected MPs were once in business, 43 were lawyers, 37 worked as consultants, 33 were teachers, 20 were professors, 20 worked as farmers and 15 called themselves journalists.

But not to be outdone, this edition of Canada's Parliament does include some "artistes."

Eight MPs, seven of whom are from the NDP caucus, claim to have once been musicians.

Two of the musicians, Andrew Cash and Charlie Angus, were bandmates in the 1980's punk rock band L'Etranger.

The band was best known for its anti-apartheid single "One People", which gained prominence in the mid-eighties as one of the first independent videos ever to gain airplay on MuchMusic.

Angus subsequently left L'Etranger and joined the Juno-nominated alternative folk band Grievous Angels.

New Democrat MP Tyrone Benskin was an actor. He appeared in more than 100 film and television projects, including the television series' Due South and Riverdale.

For the rock-em, sock-em question periods, MPs may just want to befriend Conservative MP and black belt Dan Albas. The 34-year-old martial arts instructor from Penticton B.C. is entering his first Parliament, replacing long-time party stalwart Stockwell Day.

One of the more peculiar job descriptions on the website is that of NDP MP Peter Stoffer who listed his occupation as a "country gentleman."

Why not?" Stoffer told Postmedia News.

"Everyone puts all these big, fancy things down. I figured, country gentleman. I had so many different jobs, let's just put them all into one."

For decades it seemed Canada's Parliament was merely a chamber full of lawyers. In 1949, during Canada's 21st Parliament, 34 per cent of those elected were at one time members of the bar compared to only 14 per cent now.

From punk rocker to country gentleman, it should make for some interesting times ahead.

(Charlie Angus: CP Photo)