Joan Fawcett
Encyclopedia
Joan M. Fawcett is a former politician
in Ontario, Canada
. She was a Liberal
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1987 to 1995.
Fawcett was educated at Ottawa Teachers' College and Queen's University in Kingston. She worked as a teacher after her graduation.
She first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election
, but lost to Progressive Conservative
Howard Sheppard
by fewer than 2,000 votes in the rural, eastern-Ontario riding of Northumberland
. She ran again in the 1987 provincial election
, and defeated Sheppard by 1,376 votes amid a landslide majority victory for the Liberals under David Peterson
.
Fawcett was appointed Deputy Government Whip
, served as chair of the Liberal rural caucus from 1988 to 1990, and was appointed as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Skills Development in 1989.
The Liberals were unexpectedly defeated by the New Democratic Party
in the 1990 provincial election
. Although the Liberals lost many of their marginal seats in this election, Fawcett was re-elected over Progressive Conservative candidate Angus Read by 1,094 votes; the NDP candidate was a close third. Fawcett served as her party's caucus chair from 1990 to 1992, and held a variety of critic positions.
The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the 1995 provincial election
, and Fawcett lost the Northumberland riding to Progressive Conservative candidate Doug Galt
by over 6,000 votes. She has not sought a return to provincial politics since this time.
Fawcett remains active in the Liberal Party.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She was a Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1987 to 1995.
Fawcett was educated at Ottawa Teachers' College and Queen's University in Kingston. She worked as a teacher after her graduation.
She first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
, but lost to Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
Howard Sheppard
Howard Sheppard
Howard Nicholas Sheppard is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1987, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party....
by fewer than 2,000 votes in the rural, eastern-Ontario riding of Northumberland
Northumberland (Ontario electoral district)
Northumberland was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1968 and from 1987 to 2003, ad in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2007....
. She ran again in the 1987 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, and defeated Sheppard by 1,376 votes amid a landslide majority victory for the Liberals under David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
.
Fawcett was appointed Deputy Government Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
, served as chair of the Liberal rural caucus from 1988 to 1990, and was appointed as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Skills Development in 1989.
The Liberals were unexpectedly defeated by the New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
in the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
. Although the Liberals lost many of their marginal seats in this election, Fawcett was re-elected over Progressive Conservative candidate Angus Read by 1,094 votes; the NDP candidate was a close third. Fawcett served as her party's caucus chair from 1990 to 1992, and held a variety of critic positions.
The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the 1995 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, and Fawcett lost the Northumberland riding to Progressive Conservative candidate Doug Galt
Doug Galt
Doug Galt is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003, and an unsuccessful contender for the Canadian House of Commons in 2004....
by over 6,000 votes. She has not sought a return to provincial politics since this time.
Fawcett remains active in the Liberal Party.