Michael Connolly (Canadian politician)

Connolly graduated from Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School in 2012 and began studying history and political science in French immersion at the University of Ottawa (specializing in Scottish politics and nationalism and European integration) that same year. Connolly gained political experience while completing an internship with an office of a Member of Parliament. During this time he helped to organize a forum for young women leaders from all over Canada. He has also worked in the retail and hospitality industries.

Connolly was active in the federal and provincial NDP before this nomination. He was nominated in 2014 as the NDP's candidate for the 2015 federal election in the riding of Calgary Midnapore, but withdrew upon his election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Connolly was known to be a fiercely outspoken MLA[2] sparring with his counterparts on numerous issues, specifically when it came to Gay-Straight Alliances in the province’s schools, LGBTQ rights, and Francophone rights.

Connolly co-sponsored Bill 2: Supporting Economic and Trade Futures Act, Bill 7: The Alberta Human Rights Amendment Act (which added gender identity and gender expression as expressly prohibited grounds of discrimination into the Alberta Human Rights Act),[3] Bill 12: Preserving Canada’s Economic Prosperity Act, Bill 29: Vital Statistics and Life Events Modernization Act, and Bill 32: An Act to Strengthen and Protect Democracy in Alberta.

Connolly was at the forefront of the debate on Bill 24, An Act to support Gay-Straight Alliances, which he also co-sponsored. During the debate, Connolly drew on his own past to drum up support for the bill and lambasted Jason Kenney and the United Conservative Party when they declared they were going to vote against the Bill. During debate, Connolly stated:

"When we have politicians spewing their hateful, bigoted ideology about LGBTQ+ kids, it only makes matters worse for our youth. The words of Jason Kenney and the members of that side of the house [referring to the UCP] matter to our youth. And the fact they are opposing this based on social conservatism and the hatred for the LGBTQ community is disgusting. The members opposite should be ashamed of themselves."[4]

When Mike Ellis, the UCP MLA for Calgary-West, proposed an amendment that would have effectively neutered the Bill, Connolly proclaimed that it was "deeply disappointing that the members opposite continue to peddle dangerous conspiracy theories instead of accepting the simple fact that this is about protecting kids,"[5] and told the UCP that if they couldn’t support the LGBTQ+ community in the legislature they were not welcome at Pride.[6]

In 2016, Connolly was awarded with the Harvey Milk Equality Award at the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast in San Diego for his work with the LGBTQ community.[7] In 2018, Connolly was awarded the Georges A. Arès Award for Political Leadership by the Association Canadien-Francais de l’Alberta for his work towards creating and implementing the first French Policy by the government of Alberta.[8]