Laura Albanese is the Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario for the riding of York South- Weston in the northwest part of Toronto. A candidate in the York South-Weston by-election in February 2007, Ms. Albanese was elected as a Liberal in the Ontario General Election of October 2007.

Under the Premiership of Dalton McGuinty, Laura Albanese was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Culture. She is currently the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and sits as a member of Government Agencies. She has also been a member of the Standing Committees on Public Accounts,the Cabinet Committee on Emergency Management and the Committee on the Legislative Assembly.

MPP Albanese is proud to serve as a voice for the community of York South-Weston where she has lived for all of her adult life and believes that there is much to accomplish.

Prior to her election as a Member of Provincial Parliament, Laura Albanese enjoyed a career spanning over two decades in broadcast journalism. Throughout this time, Albanese played a central role in Italian language programming, holding key responsibilities with OMNI News in a number of capacities including anchoring, hosting, reporting and producing.

Laura Albanese was best known as Co-Anchor of OMNI News: Italian Edition, a one hour daily Italian language newscast. She was also Associate Producer of Italian News and Public Affairs Programming.

Laura Albanese has had occasion to cover some of the most significant news events of our times, ranging in recent years from 9/11/01, to the Gulf Wars, the funeral of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

Laura Albanese is also proud of her voluntary contributions to various organizations including: the Easter Seals Society, Canadian Cancer Society, Sick Children's Hospital, Villa Charities, Caritas Project, Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association, Italian Trade Commission and Villa Leonardo Gambin.

Laura was born in Taranto, Italy, in 1957, and after moving back and forth between Canada and Italy (and being influenced by both cultures), decided in 1981 to take up permanent residence in Toronto, Canada, where she now lives with her husband, artist Germinio Pio Politi, her two adult children and her mother.

In 2006, MPP Albanese was named one of 32 Inspiring Canadian Women of Italian Origin by the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Toronto.

She was also recognized as Personality of the Year from the Puglia Federation in 2004.

Laura Albanese speaks fondly of her life in Ontario: “The cross-cultural experience has served me well throughout my career; it has allowed me to relate world events to my local community, always with a particular point of view and a decidedly multicultural sensibility.”