Matthew Luloff

Federal government

Upon leaving the Canadian Armed Forces & completing a degree at the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa,^[7] Luloff transitioned to a different form of public service, working for several members of Parliament, including John McKay and Judy Foote.^[8]

Following Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party election victory in 2015, Luloff began a role as Issues Manager in the office of Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence.^[9]

Municipal councillor

In October 2018, Luloff ran in a field of 17 candidates vying for the role of City Councillor for Orleans Ward, winning by a margin of almost 300 votes.^[9]

Because of his history with music, one of Luloff's first priorities was to expand the City of Ottawa's Public Library music instrument lending program, which he was successful with in November 2019.^[10] The program was expanded include four local branches thanks to donations from Sun Life Financial.^[10]

In addition to being named Deputy Mayor by Mayor Jim Watson,^[11] Luloff was also appointed the Council Liaison for Veteran and Military Issues.^[12] In this capacity, he launched the Veteran's Task Force, a network of partners working to inspire social responsibility, proactive collaboration and support for veterans and their families.^[13]

In 2020, Luloff was chosen by council to become the city's newest Chair of the Public Library Board.^[14] In this role, he set to work to abolish overdue penalties for book lending, joining only a handful of other public library systems to go fine-free.^[15] Explaining why this move was important Luloff explained, "We can talk as a board all we want about addressing racial and income inequality, or we can actually address racial and income inequality."^[16] Luloff led the board in 2022 in establishing a new intellectual freedom policy for the Ottawa Public Library, one of the most liberal and permissive in North America.^[17]

Luloff was chosen by council in December 2020 to replace Jenna Sudds as Chair of Community and Protective Services Committee.^[18]

Luloff was easily re-elected in the 2022 Ottawa municipal election in the renamed Orléans East-Cumberland Ward.

In 2023, Luloff raised constituent concerns that the construction of 81 affordable housing units in his ward would adversely affect parking. The project was approved after a week and a half delay.^[19][20]

Federal politics

Luloff was going to be the Conservative Party of Canada candidate in the Next Canadian federal election in Orléans.^[21] However, on July 10, 2024 he withdrew as a candidate. It was later revealed that he had been charged with impaired driving.^[22]

Impaired driving charges

In July 2024, Luloff was charged with impaired driving. Ottawa Police arrested him on July 6, 2024, and he faced two counts: operating a motor vehicle while impaired and having a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit within two hours of driving. Following his arrest, Luloff resigned his nomination as the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for the federal riding of Orléans, citing a “personal matter.”^[23]

Luloff pleaded not guilty to the impaired driving charges in provincial court. At the trial, which began in early 2026, the Crown presented witness testimony about allegedly erratic driving and evidence including a video of Luloff’s breath test showing readings above twice the legal limit, which was played in court.^[24] Defence counsel raised several Charter of Rights challenges regarding the admissibility of evidence, including arguments about police conduct and procedural issues.^[25]

In March 2026, he was found guilty of the impaired driving charges. He was fined $3,500, plus a 30 per cent victim surcharge, and was banned from driving for one year.^[26]

Music and podcast

In addition to public service, Luloff is a musician. Starting at age 14, he has been involved in the local music scene in various bands and ensembles. Hearts&Mines, a manifestation of both his passion for Rock & Roll plus the traumas suffered while serving overseas.^[27]

Luloff also produces music on his own, ranging from electronic dance music through his Still Cities project,^[28] to acoustic self-titled solo albums, the newest of which is in the works and set for release sometime in 2021.

Additionally, Luloff hosts a regular podcast entitled Veteran X, a podcast about the scars of real battles "What we start to see is a common thread that a lot of people are feeling the exact same way so basically what Veteran X tells you is you're not alone."^[27]