Anne McLellan
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A. Anne McLellan, P.C. , LL.M. , LL.B , B.A. (born August 31, 1950, in Hants County, Nova Scotia) was the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada under Paul Martin and last person to hold the title as the Harper government has opted not to use this title.
After four close election victories from 1993 to 2004 (she was twice declared defeated by the national news, only to emerge victorious by the morning), she was defeated in the 2006 federal election.
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[edit] Early life
McLellan earned bachelor degrees in Arts and Law from Halifax's Dalhousie University. She then earned a Master of Laws from King's College London in the United Kingdom.
She became a professor of law, first at the University of New Brunswick and then, beginning in 1980, at the University of Alberta where she served at various times as associate dean and dean. She has also served on the board of directors of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
[edit] Political career
Her first foray into politics was as the Liberal candidate for the riding of Edmonton Northwest in the 1993 general election, when she won her seat by 12 votes. She is known as "Landslide Annie" for her frequent, narrow electoral victories.
She quickly became a rising star in the Liberal Party, being one of two Liberals elected in Alberta, and was named to cabinet as Minister of Natural Resources. McLellan has the prenomial "the Honourable" and the postnomial "PC" for life by virture of being made a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada on November 4, 1993.[1]
She managed to get re-elected in the new riding of Edmonton West in the 1997 and 2000 elections despite Liberal unpopularity in Alberta. She moved around the cabinet table, serving as Minister of Justice from 1997 to 2002 and Minister of Health from 2002 to 2003. As Justice Minister, she was responsible for implementing new anti-terror and security laws following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and administered the implementation of the Canadian gun registry, a Liberal program criticized for its expense and inefficiency.
[edit] Prominence in Martin cabinet
On being sworn-in as Prime Minister on December 12, 2003, Paul Martin showed renewed confidence in McLellan and sent a message to the west about his plans to reduce western alienation by naming her his Deputy Prime Minister. McLellan was also named minister for the newly created Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
During the 2004 federal election, she was re-elected by 721 votes, or just over 1% of the vote, defeating Laurie Hawn of the Conservative Party of Canada in the riding of Edmonton Centre.
However, in the 2006 federal election on 23 January 2006, McLellan was defeated by Laurie Hawn, taking 38.36% to Hawn's 45.01% of the popular vote in Edmonton Centre.
[edit] After politics
Following her loss in the re-election bid to a fifth consecutive term in the Canadian House of Commons on 23 January 2006, McLellan took only a few months of time off for some rest. On May 12, 2006, she was appointed Distinguished Scholar in Residence to the University of Alberta at the Canadian university's Institute for United States Policy Studies. On June 27, 2006, she then agreed to accept a second formal occupation as Counsel to the Edmonton-based law firm Bennett Jones LLP. Less than two weeks later, she signed on to serve as a Director on the Board of Directors of Canadian oil and gas conglomerate Nexen Inc., effective July 5, 2006. She then agreed to serve on a second Canadian board, again as Director of agrifood producer Agrium Inc..
| 27th Ministry - Government of Paul Martin | ||
| Cabinet Posts (3) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| legislation enacted | Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (2005–2006) |
Stockwell Day |
| Wayne Easter | Solicitor General of Canada (2003–2005) styled as Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness |
position abolished / legislation enacted |
| John Manley | Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (2003–2006) |
position vacant - unoffically held by Lawrence Cannon |
| 26th Ministry - Government of Jean Chrétien | ||
| Cabinet Posts (5) | ||
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Allan Rock | Minister of Health (2002–2003) |
Pierre Pettigrew |
| Allan Rock | Minister of Justice (1997–2002) |
Martin Cauchon |
| legislation enacted | Minister of Natural Resources (1995–1997) |
Ralph Goodale |
| Bobbie Sparrow | Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources (1993–1995) styled as Minister of Natural Resources |
legislation enacted |
| Bobbie Sparrow | Minister of Forestry (1993–1995) styled as Minister of Natural Resources |
legislation enacted |
| Special Cabinet Responsibilities | ||
| Predecessor | Title | Successor |
| Jim Edwards | Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians (1993–1997) |
Ralph Goodale |
| Preceded by: Electoral district created |
Members of Parliament for Edmonton Centre 2004-2006 |
Succeeded by: Laurie Hawn, Conservative |
| Preceded by: Electoral district created |
Members of Parliament for Edmonton West 1997-2004 |
Succeeded by: Electoral district abolished |
| Preceded by: Murray Dorin, Progressive Conservative |
Members of Parliament for Edmonton Northwest 1993-1997 |
Succeeded by: Electoral district abolished |
Categories: 1950 births | Living people | Canadian lawyers | Dalhousie University alumni | Dalhousie Law School graduates | Canadian Deputy Prime Ministers | Members of the Canadian House of Commons from Alberta | Liberal Party of Canada MPs | Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada | People from Hants County, Nova Scotia | Alumni of King's College London | University of Alberta faculty
