Gerry Byrne
Encyclopedia
Gerry Byrne, PC
, MP
(born September 27, 1966) is a Canadian politician. He currently represents the riding of Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte
for the Liberal Party of Canada
. He was re-elected in the 1997
, 2000
, 2004
, 2006
, 2008
, and 2011 elections. In the 2006 election
he had one of the highest margins of victory in Atlantic Canada
.
Byrne also received a Bachelor of Science
in environmental science
from Dalhousie University
.
since 1996 when he won a by-election in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
to succeed Brian Tobin
. Tobin resigned to run in the 1996 Newfoundland provincial election for Premier. Byrne currently represents the riding of Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte
in the Canadian House of Commons
.
from 2002 to 2003. During his Cabinet post he served a long side fellow Liberal MP, Allan Rock
. When Paul Martin
became Prime Minister in 2003 Byrne was not assigned back to his former Cabinet post and was succeeded by Joe McGuire
.
was pied
while giving a speech at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters. An American PETA
activist, Emily McCoy, was later arrested in Burlington
, charged with assault in connection with the incident. PETA has taken public responsibility for the incident, saying that it was part of a broader campaign against the Canadian Government's support of the seal hunt.
In response to the pieing of the Fisheries Minister, Byrne denounced the attack on the minister as an act of terrorism. He commented on the 26th, “When someone actually coaches or conducts criminal behaviour to impose a political agenda on each and every other citizen of Canada, that does seem to me to meet the test of a terrorist organization.” Byrne continued to say, “I am calling on the Government of Canada to actually investigate whether or not this organization, PETA, is acting as a terrorist organization under the test that exists under Canadian law.” In response to his interpretation of Canadian law, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk
said Byrne's reaction was "a silly, chest-beating exercise."
, after Bevilacque drop out he supported Michael Ignatieff
. Ignatieff placed second in the race to winner Stéphane Dion
. Ignatieff became Leader of the Liberal Party two years later, and was again supported by Byrne.
!align="right" colspan=3|Total rejected ballots
!align="right"|191
!align="right"|0.58
!align="right"|+0.13
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|32 722
!align="right"|54.6
!align="right"|+6.8
Change from 2000 is based on redistributed results. Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals.
Canadian Alliance changes from 1997 are based on the results of its predecessor, the Reform Party.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, MP
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
(born September 27, 1966) is a Canadian politician. He currently represents the riding of Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte
Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte
Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte is a federal electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 96.2% White, 3.4% Native Canadian...
for the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. He was re-elected in the 1997
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, 2000
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, 2004
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, 2006
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, 2008
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, and 2011 elections. In the 2006 election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
he had one of the highest margins of victory in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
.
Byrne also received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in environmental science
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
from Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
.
Politics
Byrne has been a Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
since 1996 when he won a by-election in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
to succeed Brian Tobin
Brian Tobin
Brian Vincent Tobin, PC is a Canadian businessman and former politician. Tobin served as the sixth Premier of Newfoundland from 1996 to 2000. Tobin was also a prominent Member of Parliament and served as a Cabinet Minister in Jean Chrétien's Liberal government.- Early life, education, and family...
. Tobin resigned to run in the 1996 Newfoundland provincial election for Premier. Byrne currently represents the riding of Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte
Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte
Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte is a federal electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 96.2% White, 3.4% Native Canadian...
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
.
Cabinet Minister
He was Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyAtlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for helping to build economic capacity in the Atlantic Provinces by working with the people of the region – in their communities, through their institutions and with their local and provincial governments...
from 2002 to 2003. During his Cabinet post he served a long side fellow Liberal MP, Allan Rock
Allan Rock
Allan Michael Rock, PC is a lawyer, former Canadian politician, diplomat and now the President of University of Ottawa. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister and Health Minister .Rock was...
. When Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
became Prime Minister in 2003 Byrne was not assigned back to his former Cabinet post and was succeeded by Joe McGuire
Joe McGuire
Joseph Blair "Joe" McGuire, PC, MP is a retired Canadian politician. He was a Member of Parliament representing the Liberals in the House of Commons for the riding of Egmont in Prince Edward Island. He was first elected in 1988, and re-elected in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, and the recent 2006 election...
.
Comments on PETA pie incident
On January 25, 2010, Fisheries Minister, Gail SheaGail Shea
Gail Shea, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, currently the Member of Parliament for Egmont. She was previously a member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 2000 to 2007, representing the electoral district of Tignish-DeBlois as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.As...
was pied
Pieing
Pieing is the act of throwing a pie at a person or persons. This can be a political action when the target is an authority figure, politician, or celebrity and can be used as a means of protesting against the target's political beliefs, or against perceived arrogance or vanity. Perpetrators...
while giving a speech at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters. An American PETA
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
activist, Emily McCoy, was later arrested in Burlington
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
, charged with assault in connection with the incident. PETA has taken public responsibility for the incident, saying that it was part of a broader campaign against the Canadian Government's support of the seal hunt.
In response to the pieing of the Fisheries Minister, Byrne denounced the attack on the minister as an act of terrorism. He commented on the 26th, “When someone actually coaches or conducts criminal behaviour to impose a political agenda on each and every other citizen of Canada, that does seem to me to meet the test of a terrorist organization.” Byrne continued to say, “I am calling on the Government of Canada to actually investigate whether or not this organization, PETA, is acting as a terrorist organization under the test that exists under Canadian law.” In response to his interpretation of Canadian law, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid Newkirk
Ingrid Newkirk is a British-born animal rights activist and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , the world's largest animal rights organization...
said Byrne's reaction was "a silly, chest-beating exercise."
Liberal leadership elections
In the Liberal Party's 2006 leadership election, Byrne started out supporting Maurizio BevilacquaMaurizio Bevilacqua
Maurizio Bevilacqua, PC, is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1988 to 2010 and was of eleven candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada but dropped out of the race on August 14, 2006...
, after Bevilacque drop out he supported Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
. Ignatieff placed second in the race to winner Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
. Ignatieff became Leader of the Liberal Party two years later, and was again supported by Byrne.
Electoral record
|- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Total rejected ballots
!align="right"|191
!align="right"|0.58
!align="right"|+0.13
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|32 722
!align="right"|54.6
!align="right"|+6.8
Change from 2000 is based on redistributed results. Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals.
Canadian Alliance changes from 1997 are based on the results of its predecessor, the Reform Party.