Matthew Green was first elected Member of Parliament for Hamilton Centre in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. Previously, he served for the 2014-2018 term as the Ward 3 Councillor on Hamilton City Council.
In all of his work as an elected official, and earlier as a small business owner and as the former executive director of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, Matthew has consistently advocated for initiatives and policies that promote environmental protection, racial and social equity, and economic justice.
The first person of colour to be elected to Hamilton City Council, Matthew Green is the son of a former ironworker and retired school teacher who plays in a gospel and blues band and a mother who retired from years of public service with Industry Canada while continuing to support climate and Indigenous justice campaigns into her own retirement. Matthew believes deeply in governments that support anti-poverty initiatives and that recognize and support working-class people. He knows that the same Hamilton steel industry that employed thousands of workers and stimulated significant industrial development in Canada also withered and left many families economically vulnerable.
Matthew’s background is firmly rooted in community organization. Among his many accomplishments, he has advocated for barrier-free access to healthy living on First Nations territory and in the inner city of Hamilton, successfully opposed the opening of a casino in his city, and fought to make Hamilton the first city in Ontario to adopt an environmental bill of rights and to license Payday loan regulations on predatory lenders. Additionally, his opposition to police carding and racial profiling helped bring about more stringent provincial policies on how local police interact with communities.
Matthew is honoured to be the NDP Critic for Ethics, Treasury Board, Deputy Critic for Employment and Workforce Development, Deputy Critic for Labour, and Deputy Critic for Public Services and Procurement. He also serves as the Joint Chair for the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency. He strives to ensure that the working-class values of Hamilton are represented in Ottawa, and is committed to fighting for universal pharmacare, affordable housing, urgent action on the environment, racial justice, and the rights of Indigenous peoples.
Matthew has a B.A. in political science and legal studies from Acadia University, as well as certificates in government leadership and social enterprise initiatives from Harvard University.
Having played free safety for the Acadia and McMaster University football teams, Matthew maintains an avid interest in local amateur sports, culture and the arts.