Gerry Byrne (politician)
The Honourable Gerry Byrne BSc PC MHA | |
---|---|
2010 | |
Minister of Advanced Education and Skills | |
Assumed office 2015 | |
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for Corner Brook | |
Assumed office November 30, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Riding Established |
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte | |
In office January 25, 1996 – October 19, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Brian Tobin |
Succeeded by |
Gudie Hutchings (Long Range Mountains) |
Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency | |
In office January 15, 2002 – December 11, 2003 Serving with Allan Rock | |
Preceded by | Robert Thibault |
Succeeded by | Joe McGuire |
Personal details | |
Born |
Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador | September 27, 1966
Political party | Liberal Party of Canada |
Spouse(s) | Denise Gibbons |
Children | Gerry Jr. |
Residence | Corner Brook, Newfoundland & Labrador |
Alma mater | Dalhousie University |
Profession | Political Assistant |
Cabinet | Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (2002–2003) |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Gerry Byrne, PC MHA (born September 27, 1966) is a Canadian politician who was a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2015 representing Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, Newfoundland and Labrador, and a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chretien. He is currently the MHA for Corner Brook.
Education
Byrne received a Bachelor of Science in environmental science from Dalhousie University.
Politics
Byrne has been a Member of Parliament since 1996 when he won a by-election in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador to succeed Brian Tobin. Tobin resigned to run in the 1996 Newfoundland provincial election for Premier. He was re-elected in the 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011 elections. In the 2006 election he had one of the highest margins of victory in Atlantic Canada. Byrne did not stand in the 2015 election and retired from parliament.
Cabinet Minister
He was Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency from 2002 to 2003. During his Cabinet post he served a long side fellow Liberal MP, Allan Rock. When Paul Martin became Prime Minister in 2003 Byrne was not assigned back to his former Cabinet post and was succeeded by Joe McGuire.
Comments on PETA pie incident
On January 25, 2010, Fisheries Minister, Gail Shea was pied while giving a speech at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters. An American PETA activist, Emily McCoy, was later arrested in Burlington, charged with assault in connection with the incident. PETA has taken public responsibility for the incident, saying that it was part of a broader campaign against the Canadian Government's support of the seal hunt.[1]
In response to the pieing of the Fisheries Minister, Byrne denounced the attack on the minister as an act of terrorism.[2] He commented on the 26th, “When someone actually coaches or conducts criminal behaviour to impose a political agenda on each and every other citizen of Canada, that does seem to me to meet the test of a terrorist organization.” Byrne continued to say, “I am calling on the Government of Canada to actually investigate whether or not this organization, PETA, is acting as a terrorist organization under the test that exists under Canadian law.” In response to his interpretation of Canadian law, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said Byrne's reaction was "a silly, chest-beating exercise."
Liberal leadership elections
In the Liberal Party's 2006 leadership election, Byrne started out supporting Maurizio Bevilacqua, after Bevilacque drop out he supported Michael Ignatieff.[3] Ignatieff placed second in the race to winner Stéphane Dion. Ignatieff became Leader of the Liberal Party two years later, and was again supported by Byrne.[4]
In the Liberal Party's 2013 leadership election, Byrne supported Montreal MP Justin Trudeau.[5]
In the provincial Liberal Party's 2013 leadership race, Byrne supported Humber Valley MHA Dwight Ball.[6]
Electoral record
Provincial
Newfoundland and Labrador general election, 2015: Corner Brook | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
Liberal | Gerry Byrne | 3,121 | 66.67 | |||||
New Democratic | Holly Pike | 781 | 16.68 | |||||
Progressive Conservative | Neville Wheaton | 779 | 16.65 | |||||
Total valid votes | 4,681 | 100.0 | ||||||
Turnout | 45.03 | |||||||
Eligible voters | 10,397 |
Federal
Canadian federal election, 2011: Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
Liberal | Gerry Byrne | 17,119 | 57.04 | -10.88 | ||||
Conservative | Trevor Taylor | 7,559 | 25.18 | +14.56 | ||||
New Democratic | Shelley Senior | 4,751 | 15.83 | -1.97 | ||||
Independent | Wayne Ronald Bennett | 332 | 1.11 | -2.55 | ||||
Green | Robin Gosse | 253 | 0.84 | – | ||||
Total valid votes/Expense limit | 30,014 | 100.00 | – | |||||
Total rejected ballots | 97 | 0.32 | -0.25 | |||||
Turnout | 30,111 | 50.91 | +6.64 | |||||
Eligible voters | 59,149 | – | – | |||||
Liberal hold | Swing | -12.72 |
Canadian federal election, 2008: Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
Liberal | Gerry Byrne | 17,943 | 67.92 | +15.02 | $36,525 | |||
New Democratic | Mark Kennedy | 4,703 | 17.80 | +2.90 | $2,495 | |||
Conservative | Lorne Robinson | 2,806 | 10.62 | -20.54 | $11,451 | |||
Newfoundland and Labrador First | Wayne Ronald Bennett | 967 | 3.66 | – | $3,719 | |||
Total valid votes/Expense limit | 26,419 | 100.00 | $90,812 | |||||
Total rejected ballots | 150 | 0.57 | -0.01 | |||||
Turnout | 26,472 | 44.27 | -10.3 | |||||
Eligible voters | 59,797 | – | – | |||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +17.78 |
Canadian federal election, 2006: Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
Liberal | Gerry Byrne | 17,208 | 52.90 | -9.66 | $52,162 | |||
Conservative | Cyril Pelley, Jr. | 10,137 | 31.16 | +8.21 | $41,467 | |||
New Democratic | Holly Pike | 4,847 | 14.90 | +1.76 | $5,133 | |||
Green | Martin Hanzalek | 339 | 1.04 | -0.31 | ||||
Total valid votes/Expense limit | 32,531 | 100.00 | $84,468 | |||||
Total rejected ballots | 191 | 0.58 | +0.13 | |||||
Turnout | 32,722 | 54.6 | +6.8 | |||||
Liberal hold | Swing | -8.94 |
Canadian federal election, 2004: Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
Liberal | Gerry Byrne | 17,820 | 62.56 | +13.77 | $61,737 | |||
Conservative | Wynanne Downer | 6,538 | 22.95 | -2.41 | $49,410 | |||
New Democratic | Holly Pike | 3,743 | 13.14 | -12.68 | $5,878 | |||
Green | Steve Durant | 384 | 1.35 | – | $178 | |||
Total valid votes/Expense limit | 28,485 | 100.00 | $82,511 | |||||
Total rejected ballots | 128 | 0.45 | ||||||
Turnout | 28,613 | 47.77 | ||||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +8.09 | ||||||
Change from 2000 is based on redistributed results. Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals. |
Canadian federal election, 2000: Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | ||||
Liberal | Gerry Byrne | 15,446 | 48.79 | +8.95 | ||||
New Democratic | Trevor Taylor | 8,173 | 25.82 | +11.22 | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Peter McBreairty | 6,340 | 20.03 | -19.03 | ||||
Alliance | Murdock Cole | 1,698 | 5.33 | -1.17 | ||||
Total votes | 31,657 | 100.00 | ||||||
Total rejected ballots | 117 | 0.37 | ||||||
Turnout | 31,774 | 57.99 | ||||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +7.00 | ||||||
Canadian Alliance changes from 1997 are based on the results of its predecessor, the Reform Party. |
Canadian federal election, 1997: Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | ||||
Liberal | Gerry Byrne | 12,057 | 39.84 | -15.85 | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Art Bull | 11,825 | 39.06 | +15.56 | ||||
New Democratic | Joan Scott | 4,421 | 14.60 | +12.13 | ||||
Reform | Randy Wells | 1,969 | 6.50 | -11.84 | ||||
Total votes | 30,272 | 100.00 | ||||||
Total rejected ballots | 129 | 0.42 | ||||||
Turnout | 30,401 | 54.93 | ||||||
Liberal hold | Swing | -15.71 |
Canadian federal by-election, March 25, 1996: Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | ||||
Liberal | Gerry Byrne | 12,453 | 55.69 | -26.49 | ||||
Progressive Conservative | Danny Kane | 5,253 | 23.50 | +8.12 | ||||
Reform | Deon Hancock | 4,099 | 18.34 | – | ||||
New Democratic | Coleen Dingwell-Corbin | 554 | 2.47 | +0.03 | ||||
Total votes | 22,359 | 100.00 | ||||||
Liberal hold | Swing | -17.31 | ||||||
By-election due to the resignation of Brian Tobin, January 25, 1996 |
References
- ↑ "Pie in the Face" Globe and Mail, January 26, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
- ↑ "A tofu cream pie in the face is an act of terrorism, Liberal MP tells radio station". National Post, January 27, 2010.
- ↑ Even Ignatieff supporters have mixed views over his Quebec ’nation’ idea
- ↑ "46 MPs back Ignatieff". Toronto: thestar.com. 2010-04-24. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ↑ MacKinnon, Leslie (February 8, 2013). "Half of Liberal MPs support Trudeau for leader". CBC News. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
- ↑ "Ball wants healthy competition for Liberal leadership". The Western Star. 6 July 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
External links
Provincial Government of Dwight Ball | ||
Cabinet Post (1) | ||
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Predecessor | Office | Successor |
Clyde Jackman | Minister of Advanced Education & Skills December 14, 2015–present |
Incumbent |