Loyola Hearn, PC (born March 25, 1943 in Renews, Newfoundland) is a Canadian Conservative politician. He served as a Member of the Canadian House of Commons from 2000 to 2008, and as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans from February 6, 2006 to October 30, 2008.

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Hearn was born in the fishing village of Renews, Newfoundland where he received his early education. After graduating from high school, he began his studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of New Brunswick.

[edit] Career

After graduating from the university, he started a teaching career in Renews. Hearn then served in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1982 to 1993, and served as Newfoundland and Labrador's Minister of Education from 1985 to 1989, before getting into federal politics.

Hearn was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of St. John's West from 2000 to 2003 and St. John's South—Mount Pearl since 2003. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 2000 to 2004, and was active in representing the party during its merger discussions with the Canadian Alliance. Those discussions culminated in the merger of the two parties in December 2003, to the Conservative Party of Canada. Hearn served as the first House Leader of the newly-created party until it had its first leadership convention.

He has served (either before or after the merger) as the Progressive Conservative Party House Leader, Conservative Party House Leader, Opposition House Leader, Canadian Heritage Critic, Public Works and Government Services Critic, and Critic of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

Following his victory in the 2006 federal election he was named Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on February 6, 2006. As Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Hearn has been active in defending the controversial east coast seal hunt. In this role, he claimed that several observers from the Humane Society of the United States had been arrested for illegal activity during their campaign against the seal hunt, but was later forced to apologize under threat of a libel suit as no arrests had in fact taken place.^[1]

Hearn has also had to deal with the crises in several rural Newfoundland communities involving the sale of fish plants by Fishery Products International to Ocean Choice, often being in conflict with the provincial government, business and unions.^[2]

A few days prior to the dissolution of Parliament in September 2008, Hearn announced that he would not stand for re-election in the 2008 election.^[3]

[edit] Personal life

Hearn has a son, David (January 1979), and a daughter, Laurita (February 1976), with his wife, Maureen Hearn.^[4][5][6]

[edit] Electoral record

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Parliament of Canada biography
• Loyola Hearn at the Notable Names Database

v • d • e   Ministers of Fisheries Ministers of Marine and Fisheries (1867-1930)1 Mitchell · Smith · Pope · McLelan · Foster · Tupper · Costigan · Davies · Sutherland · Préfontaine · Laurier (acting) · Brodeur · Lemieux · Hazen · Ballantyne · Lapointe · Cardin · Black (acting) · Patenaude (acting) · Cardin (acting) Ministers of Marine (1930-1936)2 Cardin · Duranleau · Gendron · Howe Ministers of Fisheries (1930-1969) Macmillan · Rhodes · Duranleau (acting) · Stirling (acting) · Ernst · Michaud · Bertrand · Bridges · Bertrand (acting) · Gregg · MacKinnon · Mayhew · Sinclair · MacLean · Robichaud · Davis Minister of Fisheries and Forestry (1969-1971) Davis Ministers of the Environment (1971-1976)3 Davis · Sauvé · LeBlanc (acting) · Marchand · LeBlanc (acting) Ministers of State (Fisheries) (1974-1976) LeBlanc Minister of Fisheries and the Environment (1976-1979) LeBlanc Ministers of Fisheries and Oceans (1979-) LeBlanc · McGrath · LeBlanc · de Bané · Breau · Fraser · Nielsen (acting) · Siddon · Valcourt · Crosbie · Reid · Tobin · Dingwall (acting) · Mifflin · Anderson · Dhaliwal · Thibault · Regan · Hearn • Shea 1The office of Minister of Marine and Fisheries was abolished and the offices of Minister of Fisheries and Minister of Marine were created in 1930 2The offices of Minister of Marine and Minister of Railways and Canals were abolished and the office of Minister of Transport was created in 1936 3From 1971 to 1976 the Minister of the Environment was also the Minister of Fisheries.