Candice Bergen (politician)

The Honourable
Candice Bergen
PC MP
Opposition House Leader
Assumed office
September 15, 2016
Leader Rona Ambrose
Andrew Scheer
Preceded by Andrew Scheer
Official Opposition Critic for Natural Resources
In office
November 20, 2015 – September 14, 2016
Leader Rona Ambrose
Preceded by Guy Caron
Succeeded by Mark Strahl
Minister of State for Social Development
In office
July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Preceded by None, office first created
Succeeded by Jean-Yves Duclos
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety
In office
May 25, 2011 – July 15, 2013
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Preceded by Dave MacKenzie
Succeeded by Roxanne James
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Portage—Lisgar
Assumed office
October 14, 2008
Preceded by Brian Pallister
Chair of the Standing Committee on
Human Resources
In office
March 8, 2010 – June 20, 2011
Minister Diane Finley
Preceded by Dean Allison
Succeeded by Ed Komarnicki
Personal details
Born Candice Marie Bergen
(1964-09-28) September 28, 1964
Morden, Manitoba
Political party Conservative
Profession Federal politician
Other names Candice Hoeppner

Candice Marie Bergen PC MP (born September 28, 1964) is a Canadian federal politician. She was previously Minister of State for Social Development, and Member of the Canadian Parliament in the Harper Government. She has represented the Manitoba riding of Portage—Lisgar in the House of Commons since her election in 2008 and is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. She is currently House Leader of the Official Opposition.[1]

Elected under the name Candice Hoeppner, the Member of Parliament announced on September 17, 2012 that she would resume her birth name of Bergen.[2][3]

Background

Bergen was born in Morden, Manitoba. She previously worked in the financial planning industry. In 2004, she was the Manitoba campaign manager for Stephen Harper's leadership bid for the Conservative Party of Canada. She has acted as an advisor to several Members of Parliament, and served as chief organizer for the Conservative Party in Manitoba.

Federal politics

On November 19, 2008, Bergen introduced the motion in the House of Commons to accept the Speech from the throne (the traditional speech in which the Governor General outlines the government's agenda at the start of a new Parliament of Canada). In fall 2011, Bergen was given the opportunity to chair a panel of MPs (one from each recognized party) for the selection of Supreme Court judges. Bergen was also a member of the legislative committee studying the controversial Bill C-18, an omnibus bill which would purportedly give marketing freedom to western grain farmers. Some farmers claim that the bill has had negative effects on the grain farmers it claimed to benefit.[4]

Previously, Bergen served as chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. She was the vice-chair of the Standing Committee for the Status of Women and sat on the House of Commons Standing Committee for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Additionally, she has been a member of the Liaison Committee as well as the Panel of Legislative Committee Chairs.[5]

Bergen has been involved in several special parliamentary groups. She was on the executive on the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group. She is also the former chair of the Canada-Australia-New Zealand Parliamentary Friendship Group, in addition to sitting on a number of other parliamentary groups.[5]

On May 15, 2009, Bergen introduced Bill C-391, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act, which would repeal the long-gun registry. On November 4, 2009, Bill C-391 passed second reading in the House of Commons by a vote of 164 to 137.[6] On September 22, 2010, a Liberal motion to kill debate on Bill C-391 was passed 153-151, after six NDP MPs who backed Bergen's bill changed their votes, along with several Liberal MPs, enough to ensure the passage of the motion, keeping the registry alive.[7]

On May 2, 2011, at the 41st Canadian general election, Bergen was returned as Member of Parliament for Portage and Lisgar with 76.0 per cent of the vote.[8] On May 25, 2011, Bergen was appointed as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Public Safety. In her role as parliamentary secretary, Bergen had the opportunity to work alongside the Minister of Public Safety on Bill C-19, Ending the Long Gun Registry Act which became law on April 5, 2012.[5]

In 2018, Bergen criticized Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government during the Question Period after not ordering law enforcement to arrest Abu Huzaifa al-Kanadi after admitting to be a member of the Islamic State group. She also called on Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale to reveal whether the government knows where he is or not, but Goodale stated that it was the "opposition of keeping Canadians safe".[9]

In cabinet

On July 15, 2013, Bergen was appointed Minister of State (Social Development).[10]

In opposition

After Stephen Harper resigned as Conservative leader after the party became the Official Opposition after the 2015 election, Bergen, who was re-elected, announced that she would run for the interim leadership.[11] Rona Ambrose was chosen instead.[12]

In opposition, she served as the Official Opposition critic for Natural Resources from November 20, 2015 to September 15, 2016.

Bergen was appointed by Interim Conservative leader, Rona Ambrose as Opposition House Leader on September 15, 2016, replacing Andrew Scheer.[1]

Election results

Canadian federal election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeCandice Bergen25,06060.8-15.2–
LiberalKen Werbiski10,62125.8+19.5–
New DemocraticDean Harder2,5546.2-3.6–
GreenBev Eert1,6314.0-1.6–
Christian HeritageJerome Dondo1,3203.2+0.9–
Total valid votes/Expense limit 41,187100.0   $207,937.66
Total rejected ballots 1590.25-0.15
Turnout 41,34666.52+5.92
Eligible voters 62,153
Conservative hold Swing -17.35
Source: Elections Canada[13][14]
Canadian federal election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeCandice Hoeppner26,89976.0+7.7–
New DemocraticMohamed Alli3,4789.8+2.5–
LiberalMJ Willard2,2216.3-7.3–
GreenMatthew Friesen1,9965.6-2.5–
Christian HeritageJerome Dondo8052.3-0.5–
Total valid votes/Expense limit 35,399100.0 –
Total rejected ballots 1470.40.0
Turnout 35,54660.6+6.8
Eligible voters 58,624
Conservative hold Swing +7.5
Canadian federal election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeCandice Hoeppner22,03668.3-1.5$57,186
LiberalTed Klassen4,37413.6+2.2$19,807
GreenCharlie Howatt2,6068.1+3.0$3,649
New DemocraticMohamed Alli2,3537.3-4.1$2,873
Christian HeritageLen Lodder9112.8+0.1$8,429
Total valid votes/Expense limit 32,280 100.0 $83,296
Total rejected ballots 1160.40.0
Turnout 32,39653.8–
Conservative hold Swing +1.85

References

  1. 1 2 O'Malley, Kady (15 September 2016). "Candice Bergen takes over as House leader in Conservative critic shuffle". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Honourable Candice Bergen". Parliament of Canada. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "Parliament's Candice Bergen". CBC News. 17 September 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  4. ↑ "Stop Bill C-18". National Farmer's Union. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "About Candice". candicehoeppner.net. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  6. ↑ "MPs vote to abolish long-gun registry". CBC News. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  7. ↑ Campion-Smith, Bruce; Whittington, Les (22 September 2010). "Long-gun registry survives tight Commons vote". Toronto Star. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  8. ↑ The Western Canadian, May 3, 2011, p1.
  9. ↑ Khandaker, Tamara (11 May 2018). "Politicians are freaking out over a podcast about returned Canadian ISIS fighter". Vice News.
  10. ↑ Harris, Kathleen (15 July 2013). "Harper adds 8 new faces in major cabinet shakeup". CBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  11. ↑ "Rona Ambrose, Mike Lake to run for Conservative interim leadership". Maclean's. The Canadian Press. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  12. ↑ Wingrove, Josh (5 November 2015). "Canada Conservatives Choose Rona Ambrose as Interim Leader". BloombergBusiness. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  13. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Portage—Lisgar, 30 September 2015
  14. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
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