Judi Longfield

Judi Longfield, PC[note 1] (born April 23, 1947) is a former Canadian politician. She was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2006, representing the riding of Whitby—Oshawa as a member of the Liberal Party. She has also campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The Honourable
Judi Longfield
PC
Member of Parliament
for Whitby—Ajax (1997-2004);
Whitby—Oshawa (2004-2006)
In office
1997–2006
Preceded byNew riding
Succeeded byJim Flaherty
Personal details
Born (1947-04-23) April 23, 1947
Timmins, Ontario
Political partyLiberal
SpouseAlan Longfield
ResidenceWhitby, Ontario
ProfessionExecutive assistant, teacher

Background

Longfield was born in Timmins, Ontario. She graduated from North Bay Teacher's College, and worked as a community college teacher before taking time off to raise a family. She was a governor of the Trafalgar Castle School for Girls. Longfield began working for the Liberal Party in 1965 as an organizer, and was an executive assistant to Ontario Liberal Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) Allan Furlong and Steve Mahoney. She was a field organizer in Jean Chrétien's 1990 leadership campaign, and co-managed Dalton McGuinty's bid to become provincial leader in 1996.[1]

Politics

Longfield was elected to the Whitby municipal council in 1991, winning a close victory in the city's second ward.[2] She was re-elected in 1994.[3] Longfield was involved with the local government division of the National Democratic Institute in this period, and represented Canada on delegations to Romania and Guyana.[1]

Longfield was designated as the Liberal candidate for Whitby—Ajax in the 1997 federal election, as part of an effort by Prime Minister Chrétien to increase the number of female Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Liberal caucus.[4] She won a convincing victory, and was returned in the 2000 and 2004 elections, fending off a strong challenge from the Conservative Party on the latter occasion.[5]

Longfield served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Labour from 1999 to 2001 under Chrétien, and was parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Labour and Housing in Paul Martin's government from 2004 to 2006. She also remained active with the Ontario Liberal Party, co-chairing that party's campaign in the 1999 provincial election.[6] Initially associated with the Chrétien wing of the Liberal Party, Longfield sided with supporters of Chrétien's rival Paul Martin during a key procedural vote in 2002.[7]

Longfield was a supporter of pay equity policies, and criticized her own government for appealing a Supreme Court decision on the issue in 1998.[8] She was also a vocal proponent of affordable housing.[9]

Longfield was defeated in the 2006 federal election by Conservative candidate Jim Flaherty, a former cabinet minister from the provincial government of Mike Harris. Shortly thereafter, she was chosen as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate for Flaherty's vacated provincial seat in a provincial by-election held on March 30, 2006. She finished a close second against Progressive Conservative candidate Christine Elliott, Flaherty's wife.[10]

Electoral record
Ontario provincial by-election, March 30, 2006: Whitby—Ajax
Resignation of Jim Flaherty
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeChristine Elliott15,84346.23−2.2
LiberalJudi Longfield14,52942.40+2.2
New DemocraticJulie Gladman3,2049.35+0.2
GreenNick Boileau3070.90−1.5
FreedomPaul McKeever1970.57–
Family CoalitionVictor Carvalho1020.30–
LibertarianMarty Gobin870.25–
Total valid votes 34,269100.00
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 1070.31
Turnout 34,37632.42
Eligible voters 106,028
Progressive Conservative hold Swing
Source(s)
"SUMMARY OF VALID BALLOTS CAST FOR EACH CANDIDATE - Whitby—Ajax" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
2006 Canadian federal election: Whitby—Oshawa
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeJim Flaherty29,29443.86+7.80$ 88,591.06
LiberalJudi Longfield25,88238.75−6.2978,783.33
New DemocraticMaret Sadem-Thompson8,71613.05−1.009,898.30
GreenAjay Krishnan2,4073.60−1.25238.56
LibertarianMarty Gobin2740.41 258.75
Canadian ActionTom Cochrane2170.32 120.18
Total valid votes/expense limit 66,790 100.0   +17.30 $ 88,730.91
Total rejected ballots 237 0.35 −0.14
Turnout 67,027 70.60 +6.52
Electors on the lists 94,938   +6.32
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada
2004 Canadian federal election: Whitby—Oshawa
Party Candidate Votes%Expenditures
LiberalJudi Longfield25,64945.04$80,842
ConservativeIan MacNeil20,53136.06$30,004
New DemocraticMaret Sadem-Thompson8,00214.05$13,477
GreenMichael MacDonald2,7594.85$0
Total valid votes 56,941 100.00
Total rejected ballots 283 0.49
Turnout 57,224 64.08
Electors on the lists 89,296
Percentage change figures are factored for redistribution. Conservative Party percentages are contrasted with the combined Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative percentages from 2000.
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.
2000 Canadian federal election: Whitby—Ajax
Party Candidate Votes%Expenditures
LiberalJudi Longfield25,69352.68$68,465.75
AllianceShaun Gillespie13,15926.98$28,304.89
Progressive ConservativeRob Chopowick7,56315.51$12,247.43
New DemocraticVic Perroni2,3594.84$2,493.06
Total valid votes 48,774 100.00
Total rejected ballots 153
Turnout 48,927 58.64
Electors on the lists 83,443
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.
1997 Canadian federal election: Whitby—Ajax
Party Candidate Votes%Expenditures
LiberalJudi Longfield23,55147.69$43,611
ReformBill Serjeantson11,97724.25$157
Progressive ConservativeFrank Snyder10,10720.47$44,118
New DemocraticKaren Dolan3,3546.79$30,424
Canadian ActionRobert Charles Radford3940.80$1,904
Total valid votes 49,383 100.00
Total rejected ballots 248
Turnout 49,631 66.83
Electors on the lists 74,268
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.
1994 Whitby municipal election, Council, Ward Two
Candidate Total votes  % of total votes
Judi Longfield acclaimed -
1991 Whitby municipal election, Council, Ward Two
Candidate Total votes  % of total votes
Judi Longfield elected -
David Wall - -

All federal electoral information is taken from Elections Canada. Italicized expenditures from elections after 1997 refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available. Expenditures from 1997 refer to submitted totals.

References

Notes
  1. Parliamentary Secretaries who served under Prime Minister Paul Martin were made Privy Council members.

Citations
  1. "Canadian Broadcasting Corporation riding profile, 1997 federal election, Whitby—Ajax". 1997. Archived from the original on November 16, 2004.
  2. Ibbitson, Doug (November 13, 1991). "Oshawa mayor loses to local councillor". Toronto Star. p. E6.
  3. van Rijn, Nicolaas (November 16, 1994). "Some new faces on area councils". Toronto Star. p. A9.
  4. Brown, Jim (March 12, 1997). "Chrétien appoints four women". Winnipeg Free Press. p. B1.
  5. Huffman, Tracy (June 28, 2004). "Liberal wins after hard fight". Toronto Star. p. E10.
  6. Walker, William (March 17, 1999). "Support from federal Liberals half-hearted". Toronto Star. p. 1.
  7. Taber, Jane (November 6, 2002). "Backroom bid for solidarity fails to rally MPs to cause". The Globe and Mail.
  8. LeBlanc, Daniel (September 22, 1998). "Protests indicate rising anger with Liberals". The Globe and Mail. p. A7.
  9. Vallis, Mary (December 19, 2005). "Two successful politicians, just one federal seat". National Post. p. A4.
  10. Urquhart, Ian (March 29, 2006). "Conservative Elliott no shoo-in in byelection". Toronto Star.
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