Chungsen (C. S.) Leung (Chinese: 梁中心) (born July 14, 1950)^[1] is a Taiwanese-born Canadian businessman and Conservative politician who was formerly the MP for Willowdale. After his election in the 2011 federal election, Leung was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, a role he held until his defeat in the 2015 federal election.

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Quick Facts Member of Parliament for Willowdale, Preceded by ...

Chungsen Leung
梁中心
Member of Parliament for Willowdale
In office May 2, 2011 – October 19, 2015
Preceded by	Martha Hall Findlay
Succeeded by	Ali Ehsassi
Personal details
Born	(1950-07-14) July 14, 1950 (age 73) Taipei, Taiwan
Political party	Conservative
Residence(s)	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	Carleton University University of Southern California

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Chungsen Leung was born in Taipei, Taiwan on July 14, 1950.^[1] He pursued his secondary education in Japan.^[2] As the international community gradually recognized the mainland People's Republic of China in the 1960s, he feared that he could become stateless as a person born in Taiwan.^[3] He immigrated to Canada in 1968, where he received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in economics and business at Carleton University.^[4][5] Leung later earned a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Management and Engineering from the University of Southern California.^[5]

Leung is an entrepreneur with business experiences in disaster mitigation management, urban mass transit projects, building environmentally friendly houses, air & water purification systems, sports equipment retailing and red deer farming. Chungsen also has business experience in the tourism and hospitality sector.^{[citation needed]}

He was a business owner and chief executive officer of four Richmond Hill small and medium size enterprises, as well as, a past director and audit chair of the Xenos Group,^{[6][failed verification]} a Toronto Stock Exchange listed public company in software development and engineering, and a director with Active Growth Capital.^{[7][failed verification][8][failed verification]}

His international business experience includes being a member of numerous federal and provincial trade missions during the last two decades; the Toronto-Chongqing Sister City Twinning Mission; organizing the 1st Team Richmond Hill Mission to Asia Pacific; Richmond Hill – Shijiazhuang Sister City Twinning Mission, a member of the Advisory Board for Ontario Export Inc. and the bid team leader to host the 1997 World Chinese Entrepreneur Convention in Toronto.^{[citation needed]}

Leung has been: founding president of the Richmond Hill & Markham Chinese Business Association, a corporate cabinet director of the Conservation Foundation of Greater Toronto, a member of the Richmond Hill Naturalist, a director of the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce and numerous other bi-lateral trade or business related associations.^[9][10]

Leung is a director of the York Central Hospital Foundation, and a director of the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority Foundation.^[11]

Before becoming the Conservative Party candidate in 2011, he was the party's candidate for Richmond Hill in the 2008 federal election, losing to Liberal candidate Bryon Wilfert.^[12] He was also the candidate for Willowdale representing the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in the 2000 federal election, losing to Liberal candidate Jim Peterson.^[13]

Leung was elected to the House in 2011 as the MP for Willowdale, and has served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism since May 25, 2011.^[1] During a meeting organized by The Association of North American Ethnic Journalists & Writers in January 2015, Leung was questioned over the closure of the Canadian embassy in Iran and was recorded saying: "Let me ask you, if you like Iran so much, then why do you come to Canada?" during a heated exchange.^[14] Although Leung's staff indicated that this could have been the result of a miscommunication during cross-talk, it was a comment which angered some of those present, and Leung sent an email statement shortly after the incident stating that it was not his "intention to offend anyone. I regret if some attendees felt offended."^[14]

Leung was defeated in the 2015 federal election by Liberal candidate Ali Ehsassi.^[15]

Chungsen Leung is married to Deborah Chute, and together they have one child, Elysia.^[5] He has lived in the Willowdale riding for over two decades.^[4]

Leung trained to play the bagpipes at Cape Breton's Gaelic College after becoming enamored with the instrument during a family vacation to Scotland.^[16] Leung played two times for Queen Elizabeth II: once in 2002 for her Ontario Golden Jubilee celebrations and again in 2004, when he was asked to play for her in her summer retreat at Balmoral Castle.^[16] Leung also played the bagpipes for Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge during their 2011 royal tour of Canada.^[16]

Chungsen Leung is a cross country skier, a scuba instructor, an Eagle Scout and the Parliamentary Liaison to Scouts Canada.^{[citation needed]}

In 2003, Leung and his wife, Deborah Chute, received five national "Green" awards for building their energy efficient and environmentally friendly house in Richmond Hill. These awards are: Enerquality Corporation for a super R-2000 house, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation for a healthy home, Canadian Home Builder Association for best environmental practices, Enbridge for low gas consumption guarantee, and Enerwork for being one of the first to use solar energy heating.^{[citation needed]}