Christopher S. Axworthy (born March 10, 1947, Plymouth, England^[1]) is a Canadian politician.

After teaching law at the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie Law School, Chris Axworthy came to Saskatoon in 1984 as the founding Executive Director of the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and as a Professor of Law at the University of Saskatchewan.^[1] In 2003 he returned to the University of Saskatchewan as a Professor of Law, where he taught until the spring of 2008.^[2] In the spring of 2008, he was appointed as Dean of Robson Hall (Faculty of Law - University of Manitoba) for a five year term beginning on July 1, 2008.^[3] He is also the President of the Institute of Parliamentary and Political Law.

Contents 1 Political career 1.1 2006 federal election 2 References 3 External links 4 Political record 4.1 Federal 4.2 Provincial

[edit] Political career

He was elected as a Saskatchewan Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party in 1988 and was re-elected in 1993 and 1997.

He resigned from the House of Commons on June 1, 1999 to join the cabinet of then Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow. He was elected as a in a by-election as the Saskatchewan NDP MLA for the constituency of Saskatoon-Fairview with 64% of the vote.^[4] He was also reelected three months later in a general election that same year. He served as Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.^[2] After Romanow stepped down, Axworthy ran against Lorne Calvert for the provincial NDP leadership convention and finished second.^[5][6]

Although he was an NDP member for his political career, he announced his bid for the Liberal nomination in the riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin on March 5, 2004. He received 32.58% of the vote, but lost to incumbent Conservative MP, Maurice Vellacott.

[edit] 2006 federal election

Axworthy ran against Vellacott again (as a Liberal) in the 2006 federal election but lost in a contest that was marked by controversy. During a live televised debate late in the campaign, a caller falsely suggested that Vellacott had been forced to leave a church after being accused of sexual assault. The call was subsequently traced to Axworthy's campaign headquarters. Axworthy described the allegations as "deplorable", and apologized to Vellacott for the situation. He denied that anyone in his office was put up to making the call, and suggested that a "mischief-maker" may have entered the office.^[7]

Vellacott's campaign later produced an affidavit from Saskatchewan politician Tom Hengen, in which he named Axworthy campaign worker George Laliberte as the caller.^[8] Axworthy later spoke to Laliberte, and reported that he vehemently denied making the call.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Canadian parliamentary profile
• Parliament of Canada biography

[edit] Political record

[edit] Federal

Parliament of Canada
Preceded by Riding was created in 1987	Member of Parliament for Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing 1988-1997	Succeeded by Riding was abolished in 1996
Preceded by Riding was created in 1996	Member of Parliament for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar 1997-1999	Succeeded by Dennis Gruending, N.D.P.

[edit] Provincial

Preceded by: Bob Mitchell, Saskatchewan NDP

Member of the Legislative Assembly from Saskatoon-Fairview (1999-2003)

Succeeded by: Andy Iwanchuk, Saskatchewan NDP