Bev Desjarlais

Bev Desjarlais (August 19, 1955, in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the northern Manitoba riding of Churchill as an independent. She was originally elected as a member for the social-democratic New Democratic Party, but announced she was leaving the caucus on October 17, 2005, after she was defeated by another candidate at her riding association's nomination meeting.

File:DesjarlaisParl.png

Bev Desjarlais in the House of Commons with Jack Layton and Libby Davies

Early life and career

Desjarlais graduated from Bert Fox Composite High School in 1973. She was an employee at the General Hospital in Thompson between 1974 and 1997, and was a ward clerk at the time of her election in 1997.^[1] She has also been a union steward with the United Food & Commercial Workers Union and a member of Canadian Parents for French.

Desjarlais's political career began in 1992, when she was elected as a school trustee for the Mystery Lake School Division. She became the board's Chair in 1994, and served until 1997.

Member of Parliament

History

In the Canadian federal election of 1997, Desjarlais ran as an New Democrat in Churchill against incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) Elijah Harper, who represented the Liberal Party. Although Harper had gained national fame in 1990 by stopping passage of the Meech Lake Accord, he was not a prominent Member of Parliament. Desjarlais defeated him, 9,616 votes to 6,852, and joined twenty other New Democrats on the opposition benches. Her opposition to the federal gun registry was a significant issue in the riding, and likely played a role in her victory.^[2] She served as NDP critic for housing,^[3] and the Treasury Board^[4], and was the party's representative on the Commons transport committee.^[5] In her capacity as Treasury Board Critic, she was a vocal supporter of pay equity.

Desjarlais again defeated Harper a second time in the 2000 general election, this time by a margin of 10,477 votes to 7,514. She was appointed as her party's Industry Critic after the election.^[6]

In 2001, Desjarlais took part in a training exercise designed to educate parliamentarians about the military. She joined the Canadian Air Force for a week, and took part in a search and rescue exercise in Northern Ontario.^[7] In 2003, she supported fellow Manitoba MP Bill Blaikie's bid to become NDP leader.^[8]

Desjarlais was re-elected in the 2004 election over a credible challenge from Liberal Ron Evans. She was named as NDP critic for Transport, Crown Corporations and the Canadian Wheat Board after the election.

Former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Ovide Mercredi announced his intention to challenge Desjarlais for the NDP nomination in Churchill in early 2005.^[9] He later withdrew his challenge.

Policy views

Desjarlais was one of the more socially conservative figures in the federal NDP ranks, and when in caucus was by far its most socially conservative member. She was the only NDP member to have voted against Bill C-38, which legalized same-sex marriage in Canada, on its third and final reading in 2005. This placed her in a conflict with both official NDP policy and party leader Jack Layton, who described same-sex marriage as a human rights issue and argued that caucus members would not be permitted to vote against equality rights.^[10] Desjarlais argued that voting against the bill reflected her own beliefs, as well as those of her constituents. As early as 2003, she was quoted as saying, "I recognize the party will not have a free vote on this and that discipline may take place, and I knew the ramifications before I made my decision."^[11] She was stripped her critic duties after the vote.^[12]

Desjarlais also opposes the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis.^[13] On other issues, her views are closer to official NDP policy. She is a strong defender of public health care^[14] and the rights of labour,^[15] and is a vocal supporter of aboriginal self-government.

Independent MP

On October 17, 2005 Desjarlais lost the NDP nomination battle in her riding to Niki Ashton, daughter of Manitoba cabinet minister Steve Ashton.^[16] Desjarlais later argued that her position on same-sex marriage was a prominent factor. On the same day as her defeat, she resigned from the NDP caucus and announced she would run as an independent in the 2006 federal election.^[17]

She is currently running for re-election as an independent. In early January 2006, she received an endorsement from Vote Marriage Canada, and group which opposes same-sex marriage.^[18]

External links

• Official site
• How'd They Vote?: Bev Desjarlais' voting history and quotes

Electoral record

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

2004 federal election: Churchill
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
New Democratic Party	(x)Bev Desjarlais	8,612	43.44		$45,503.18	Liberal	Ron Evans	7,604	38.35		$75,010.82	Conservative	Bill Archer	2,999	15.13		$10,398.38	Green	C. David Nickarz	612	3.09		$646.91
Total valid votes			19,827	100.00
Total rejected ballots			88
Turnout			19,915	41.40

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

2000 federal election: Churchill
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
New Democratic Party	(x)Bev Desjarlais	10,477	44.94		$41,854.47	Liberal	Elijah Harper	7,514	32.23		$55,871.45	Canadian Alliance	Jason Shaw	4,126	17.70		$7,444.04	Progressive Conservative	Doreen Murray	1,198	5.14		$2,722.40
Total valid votes			23,315	100.00
Total rejected ballots			98
Turnout			23,413	51.05

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

1997 federal election: Churchill
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
New Democratic Party	Bev Desjarlais	9,616	41.17		$45,525	Liberal	(x)Elijah Harper	6,852	29.33		$59,373	Reform	Corky Peterson	4,438	19.00		$11,803	Progressive Conservative	Don Knight	2,452	10.50		$10,729
Total valid votes			23,358	100.00
Total rejected ballots			158
Turnout			23,516	50.25

All electoral information is taken from Elections Canada. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.

Notes and sources

1. ^ Helen Fallding, "Alliance grabs Grits' remaining rural seat", Winnipeg Free Press, 28 November 2000, B3 and Bud Robertson, "Rural Liberals take hit", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 June 1997, B3.
2. ^ Robertson, "Rural Liberals". Desjarlais was quoted as saying, "Guns are a way of life here. People still hunt and trap for their food."
3. ^ "Petition backs native housing", Globe and Mail, 28 May 1999, A9.
4. ^ Bill Redekop, "Women celebrate pay equity win", Winnipeg Free Press, 30 October 1999, A1.
5. ^ "Collenette may stiffen merger rules", Globe and Mail, 22 October 1999, B3.
6. ^ Valerie Lawton, "Small caucus means NDP members face big workload", Toronto Star, 23 January 2001, p. 1.
7. ^ Jane Taber, "Canadian MPs on guard for free", National Post, 1 October 2001, A03.
8. ^ "Winnipeg MP Bill Blaikie expected to seek NDP leadership Monday", Winnipeg Free Press, 14 June 2002. Desjarlais was quoted as saying, "I am a strong supporter of Bill Blaikie. He has years of experience and I think it was something that we were missing in the party leadership."
9. ^ Kim Lunman, "Layton warns NDP maverick", Globe and Mail, 9 September 2003, A5.
10. ^ "Manitoba NDP MP intends to break party ranks over same-sex unions", Canadian Press, 9 September 2003, 22:05 report.
11. ^ Paul Samyn, "Vote puts NDP MP in leader's bad books", Winnipeg Free Press, 30 June 2005, A3.
12. ^ Kim Lunman, "Caucus members break with Layton on marijuana policy", Globe and Mail, 26 November 2003, A4.
13. ^ Dennis Bueckert, "Government engulfed by furor over private-sector health care", Canadian Press, 28 April 2004, 17:01 report.
14. ^ Gloria Galloway, "Objections to 18-hour day a surprise, minister says", Globe and Mail, 9 November 2004, A4.
15. ^ James Gordon, "Former chief Mercredi keen to challenge rebel NDP MP", National Post, 14 April 2005, A6.
16. ^ Bill Curry, "MP who broke ranks loses NDP nomination", Globe and Mail, 18 October 2005, A6.
17. ^ "Manitoba MP will sit as an independent after losing NDP nomination", Canadian Press, 17 October 2005, 21:00 report.
18. ^ "Vote Marriage Canada endorses three pro-marriage candidates", Canada NewsWire, 5 January 2006, 05:03 report.