Rebecca Blaikie

Rebecca Blaikie is a Canadian politician, who served as president of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2011 to 2016.[1]

Rebecca Blaikie
Blaikie addressing the 2013 federal NDP convention in Montreal
President of the New Democratic Party
In office
September 12, 2011 – April 10, 2016
Preceded byBrian Topp
Succeeded byMarit Stiles
Treasurer of the New Democratic Party
In office
2009–2011
Personal details
Political partyNew Democratic Party
Parents
RelativesDaniel Blaikie (brother)
Alma mater

She is the daughter of Bill Blaikie, a former NDP Member of Parliament from Winnipeg, deputy leader of the party, and provincial cabinet minister.[2][3] Her brother Daniel Blaikie was elected as Member of Parliament for their father's former riding of Elmwood—Transcona in 2015.

She has an undergraduate degree in Canadian social history from the University of Winnipeg and a graduate degree in community economic development from Concordia University's School of Community and Public Affairs.

Candidate for the New Democratic Party

Blaikie was a candidate for the NDP in the 2004 Canadian federal election in then-Prime Minister Paul Martin's electoral district of LaSalle—Émard in Montreal, Quebec.[4] She received 4.4 per cent of the vote, coming in fourth place. She did, however, receive a large amount of press coverage.

As executive director of the party's Quebec wing, she was one of the architects of Tom Mulcair's historic victory in the 2007 Outremont by-election[5]—he became the first New Democrat to win a federal seat in Quebec since Phil Edmonston in the 1990 Chambly by-election, and Outremont had voted Liberal in every election since its creation except for the Progressive Conservative win of 1988. She was also widely credited with setting the groundwork for the party's historic breakthrough in the province in the 2011 election.[6]

She then returned to Manitoba to work for the provincial government. She ran in the 2011 federal election in the district of Winnipeg North,[7] receiving 35.41 per cent of the vote, narrowly losing to incumbent Kevin Lamoureux of the Liberal Party by 44 votes (0.17 per cent).[2][8]

NDP treasurer and president

Blaikie was elected treasurer of the NDP at its 2009 convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was reelected at the 2011 convention in Vancouver, alongside Brian Topp, who had been elected president. After Jack Layton's death, Topp resigned as party president to run in the leadership race. As the party's federal council may fill vacancies with one of its own members, it chose Blaikie to fill the seat of president. Blaikie was re-elected as president at the 2013 Montreal convention.

One of Blaikie's first notable acts as party president was to preside over the 2012 leadership election, which Tom Mulcair won.

Her term as president of the NDP ended in 2016.[9] At the party's convention in April 2016, Marit Stiles was selected as her successor.[10]

Electoral history
2011 Canadian federal election: Winnipeg North
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalKevin Lamoureux[11]9,09735.78-10.54$75,214.57
New DemocraticRebecca Blaikie9,05335.60-5.57$71,243.32
ConservativeAnn Matejicka6,70126.35+15.9$40,787.18
GreenJohn Harvie4581.80+1.08$0.00
CommunistFrank Komarniski1180.46+0.01$502.42
Total valid votes/expense limit 25,427100.00–
Total rejected ballots 1360.53-0.04
Turnout 25,56350.01+19.2
Eligible voters 51,115–
Liberal hold Swing -4.97

References
  1. Bryden, Joan (March 26, 2012). "NDP hunts for source of cyber-attack on electronic voting system". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  2. Galloway, Gloria (May 17, 2011). "Recounts confirm Liberal victory in Winnipeg, Tory win in Northern Ontario". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  3. "Parliamentarian File - Complete File - BLAIKIE, The Hon. Rev. William Alexander (Bill), P.C., B.A., M.Div". PARLINFO. Parliament of Canada. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  4. Rabson, Mia (February 14, 2011). "NDPer bidding to bring riding back to fold". Winnipeg Free Press. p. A2. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  5. Joe Paraskevas, "'Toban making waves in Quebec politics", Winnipeg Free Press, 17 September 2007, A5.
  6. Heather Scoffield, "NDP now the controversial voice of Quebec in Ottawa: Will it backfire?", The Canadian Press, 17 May 2011
  7. Welch, Mary Agnes (May 3, 2011). "What's next for Rebecca Blaikie?". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  8. "Poll-by-poll results: Winnipeg North". Official Voting Results: Forty-first General Election 2011. Elections Canada. 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  9. "Four in race to become next NDP president after disastrous election, ‘I think it’s important we get the right people in this time’". The Hill Times, April 9, 2016.
  10. "New NDP president supportive of Mulcair remaining leader till successor chosen". iPolitics, April 11, 2016.
  11. Elections Canada accessed May 17, 2011
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