Bev Desjarlais

Desjarlais challenged Liberal incumbent Elijah Harper for the Churchill riding in the 1997 federal election. Although Harper had gained national fame in 1990 for blocking passage of the Meech Lake Accord, he was not a prominent Member of Parliament. Desjarlais won by 2,764 votes, and joined twenty other New Democrats on the opposition benches. Her opposition to the Canadian gun registry was likely a contributing factor to her victory, as the registry was unpopular in rural Manitoba.[4]

She held several official responsibilities in the 36th Canadian parliament, including serving as her party's critic for housing and the Treasury Board.[5] In the latter capacity, she was a prominent supporter of pay equity policies to benefit Canadian women. Desjarlais was also chosen as her party's representative on the Commons Transport Committee, and held this position for several years.[6] She defeated Harper again in the 2000 election, and was appointed NDP Industry Critic in the following parliament.[7]

In 2001, she participated in a military training exercise to educate parliamentarians about the Canadian Forces. Desjarlais joined the Canadian Air Force for a week, and took part in a search and rescue exercise in Northern Ontario.[8] She later supported fellow Manitoba MP Bill Blaikie's campaign to become NDP leader in 2002-03.[9] Blaikie finished second against Jack Layton.

Desjarlais was re-elected in the 2004 election over a strong challenge from Liberal candidate and First Nations leader Ron Evans. After the election, she was named NDP critic for Transport, Crown Corporations and the Canadian Wheat Board. In early 2005, former Assembly of First Nations National Chief Ovide Mercredi announced that he would challenge Desjarlais for the NDP nomination in Churchill.[10] He later withdrew the challenge.

Desjarlais was one of the most socially conservative members of the federal NDP, and when in caucus was its most socially conservative member. She was the only New Democrat to vote against the Civil Marriage Act (Bill C-38), which legalized same-sex marriage in Canada, on its third and final reading in 2005. Her position placed her in conflict with both official NDP policy and party leader Jack Layton, who described same-sex marriage as a human rights issue and ruled that caucus members would not be permitted a free vote on matters of equality.[11]

Desjarlais argued that her position was based on personal religious convictions, and was not grounded in homophobia.[12] She acknowledged as early as 2003 that opposing same-sex marriage was contrary to NDP policy, and accepted that "discipline may take place" as a result.[13] She was stripped of her shadow cabinet posts after the 2005 vote.[14]

On other issues, her views were closer to official NDP policy. She was a strong defender of the rights of labour and public health care, and supported the principle of aboriginal self-government.[15]

On October 17, 2005, Desjarlais lost the Churchill NDP nomination to Niki Ashton, daughter of Manitoba cabinet minister Steve Ashton, in a vote of the membership of the Churchill NDP riding association.[16] She resigned from the NDP caucus on the same day, and announced she would run as an Independent in the next federal election[17] She acknowledged that her position on same-sex marriage was a prominent factor in her defeat.

Desjarlais was endorsed on January 5, 2006 by Vote Marriage Canada, a group which opposes same-sex marriage.[18] She finished third, behind Ashton and winning Liberal candidate (and North of 60 star) Tina Keeper.