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Pierre Fauchard Museum | Pierre Fauchard Academy fauchard.org |
Pierre Poilievre, MP (born June 3, 1979 in Calgary, Alberta) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is currently a member of the Canadian House of Commons representing the suburban Ottawa riding of Nepean-Carleton. First elected in 2004, Poilievre was re-elected in 2006 and 2008. Poilievre received the second highest vote total of any candidate in the 2008 election. Poilievre is a member of the Conservative Party and serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. He is closely associated with Stephen Harper, Stockwell Day and Jason Kenney. According to columnist Stephen Maher, "his girlfriend is one of Mr. Harper's most trusted advisors. His mentor is Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities John Baird."[1]
[edit] BackgroundPoilievre studied and received a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of Calgary, and was a participant in campus debating forums while attending university.[2] Before entering politics, Poilievre was a co-owner and operator of 3D Contact Inc., a polling and consulting firm, the other founder being Calgary MLA Jonathan Denis.[3] He has also worked for Magna International, focussing on communications, and has done public relations work in Toronto. Prior to his election, Poilievre did policy work for Canadian Alliance MPs Stockwell Day and Jason Kenney, and worked as a full-time assistant to Day. In 1999, writing as Pierre Marcel Poilievre, he contributed an essay, "Building Canada Through Freedom" to the book @Stake—"As Prime Minister, I Would...", a collection of essays from Magna International's "As Prime Minister" awards program. He did not win the competition. At the time, he was editorially described as being in the second year of a Commerce program at the University of Calgary. His self-description was as "a political junkie with a passion for public debating and a special interest in international relations".[4] [edit] Political careerPoilievre won the Conservative Nepean—Carleton nomination in 2004, at the age of 25, after provincial MPP John Baird turned down suggestions that he should seek the federal nomination in the riding that he then represented in the provincial legislature. In a closely watched race, Poilievre defeated Liberal cabinet minister David Pratt by almost 4000 votes, or about 5.5% of the total. The Liberals were reduced to a minority government in the election. Poilievre was voted the hardest-working constituency MP in the 2005 Hill Times Annual Political Survey. He was voted the hardest-working MP in the 2006 Hill Times Annual Political Survey. In 2008, a survey of political staffers by the Hill Times awarded Poilievre top spot as the biggest gossip on the Hill and he tied for first as the biggest self-promoter.[5] On January 23, 2006, Poilievre was re-elected with 55% of the vote, beating his Liberal challenger by over 19,000 votes. The Conservatives formed a minority government at the national level. On February 7, 2006, Poilievre was appointed the Parliamentary Secretary to the Hon. John Baird, the President of the Treasury Board. Following the 2008 election Poilievre was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. In June 2010, at the age of just 31, after just seven years service as an MP, Poilievre will be eligible to receive his MP's pension.[6] [edit] Federal Accountability ActAs Parliamentary Secretary to Treasury Board, Polievre redrafted Canada’s whistleblower protection laws[7]. and worked with Minister John Baird to pass the Federal Accountability Act through the Canadian House of Commons. The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act was enacted to provide a process for public sector employees when disclosing abuses and wrongdoings within the federal government and protection of these employees from reprisals. The Federal Accountability Act received Royal Assent on December 12, 2006[8]. [edit] Children's Fitness Tax CreditPoilievre was first to propose a sports tax credit to then Opposition-leader Stephen Harper[citation needed]. The sports tax credit became a central plank in the Conservative Party's 2006 election platform[9]. The tax credit came into effect January 1, 2007. The tax credit allows parents to claim $500 per year for dependent children under the age of 16. Disabled children are eligible for the tax credit until the age of 18[10]. Poilievre cites inspiration for the idea from a farming family from Osgoode, Ontario. [edit] Queensway Carleton HospitalIn the summer of 2006, Poilievre and Minister John Baird helped secure a $1 per year rent for the Queensway Carleton Hospital from the National Capital Commission. Before the brokered agreement, the QCH was paying the NCC $23,000 per year in rent. The lease of the hospital was to expire in 2013[11], and the rent was set to increase substantially.[12] [edit] Strandherd-Armstrong BridgePoilievre has actively advocated for the construction of the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge which is planned to span the Rideau river[13]. The eight-lane bridge will link Riverside South with Barrhaven[14] Poilievre secured one-third of the project's funding and acquired the neighbouring airport land needed to complete the Limebank Road expansion, tapping into funds already committed by former MP David Pratt for transportation projects in this riding.[15]. [edit] Charitable workAs a member of Parliament, Poilievre has been known for his involvement with a variety of charities. For his 30th birthday, Poilievre co-hosted an event with Ottawa Police Chief Vern White to help raise funds for Harvest House Ministries and Project S.T.E.P.[16] Both charities do work within the greater Ottawa community to treat substance abuse and prevent addiction. Poilievre has also secured $1 million in funding for the city of Ottawa's drug treatment initiative[17]. In 2005, Poilievre helped raise $40,000 to help rebuild the Manotick legion after it was destroyed by fire in June of that year [18]. [edit] Fight against anti-SemitismOn February 13, 2009, Poilievre stood in the House of Commons to make a statement concerning incidents of alleged anti-Semitism at York University. Poilievre stated his belief that Canadians must address anti-Semitism on college and university campuses.
Poilievre was sent by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Geneva, Switzerland in April 2009 to attend the Conference Against Racism, Discrimination and Persecution. This conference was held at the same time as the Durban Review Conference, which had been criticized by the Prime Minister as full of "anti-Semitic rhetoric". During the same trip, Poilievre traveled to Poland to participate in the International March of the Living Mission, a tour of Nazi concentration camps to commemorate the memory of the victims of the Holocaust[20]. [edit] ControversyIn June 2006, Poilievre was seen using foul language directed at colleagues in a committee meeting,[21] and making unparliamentary arm gestures and was accused of mocking the Speaker of the House of Commons[22][23]. Poilievre later apologized for making gestures within the Commons;[24]. During the same month, Poilievre's behaviour within the Legislative Committee on Bill C-2 was sharply criticized by opposition members as "insulting" following exchanges between himself and a witness giving testimony—a point of concern that was recognized and cautioned by the Committee chair.[25][26] In February 2007, Poilievre came under attack from Liberal MPs for asserting that there were members the Liberal caucus who want to legalize Hezbollah[27] In June 2008, in a radio interview, Poilievre suggested that native people need to learn the value of hard work more than they need financial compensation. Poilievre went on to question the merits of funding within the INAC framework and the value for money received by Canadians.[28] The comments where made hours before Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized on behalf of the Canadian government for abuse Aboriginal children endured in once-mandatory residential schools.[28] His comments were labeled insensitive by opposition MPs who called for Poilievre's resignation, [29] while many Conservative MPs were also upset with Poilievre.[30] The day after his appearance on Poilievre apologized for his statement in the House of Commons.[30] In May 2009 Poilievre was accused of having insensitively used the term "tar baby" in the House of Commons in reference to a policy of carbon taxation from which Poilievre suggested that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff would try to distance himself. Poilievre repeated the term in a prepared reply to a question from a member of his own party on taxation. A number of Opposition MPs, demanded Poilievre make amends for the use of the term.[citation needed]. Media coverage of the dispute noted that Poilievre was "the latest in a long line of politicians to take flak for uttering the words.”[31] Poilieve argued that the term was commonly used for "issues that stick to one."[32][33] Over the previous years, the term itself had been used by a number of prominent Canadian public figures to indicate a sticky situation.[31][34][35][36][37] [edit] Electoral history
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