Nathan Cullen
Encyclopedia
Nathan Cullen is a Canadian
Member of Parliament
for the riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley
in the Canadian House of Commons
. He is a candidate for the federal leadership of the NDP
. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Cullen is fluent in English, French and Spanish and is married with young twin sons. Cullen was approached to run federally for the New Democratic Party
many times before finally accepting and winning in 2004 where he has been representing the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding ever since. Cullen may be the first MP in Canada to state that he represents the land as much as the people, a belief he learned from his mentoring by Tsimshian
, Nisga'a
, and Haida First Nations elders in his riding.
, Cullen was elected to his first term as a Member of Parliament. He had won the NDP nomination in the Skeena—Bulkley Valley
riding three months earlier against a Prince Rupert social worker. In the general election, he challenged the Conservative
incumbent Andy Burton
, Liberal
Miles Richardson who was chair of the B.C. Treaty Commission
, Rod Taylor of the Christian Heritage Party
, engineer and photographer Roger Benham of the Green Party
and Marxist-Leninist Frank Martin. The election was seen as a tight three-way race between Burton, Richardson, and Cullen. Cullen made support of the federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling part of his campaign which was initially viewed as a disadvantage for him in the riding, but a magnitude 6.7 earthquake off the Queen Charlotte Islands
during the campaign helped highlight Cullen's arguments.
Cullen went on to defeat the Conservative incumbent Burton by a margin of 1,272 votes. In each subsequent federal election Cullen has increased his share of the popular vote from 37% in 2004, to 48% in 2006 and 50% in 2008. In 2011, Cullen was elected for a fourth term with 55% of all votes cast - the highest plurality in the riding since 1962.
His riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley
is, geographically, one of the largest federal ridings in Canada, covering over 323,000 square kilometres of northwestern British Columbia — nearly the size of Norway
. The largest urban areas in the riding are Prince Rupert
, Terrace
, Kitimat
, and Smithers
, with a population of approximately 12,000, 11,000, 9,000, and 5,500 people, respectively. The riding also includes Haida Gwaii, Hazelton
, New Hazelton
, Vanderhoof
, Stewart
, Port Edward
, Houston
and the villages of Masset
, Burns Lake
, Granisle
, Telkwa
and Port Clements
. The region's economy is predominantly resource-based, especially fishing, forestry, and mining.
candidates elected to the 38th Parliament
, a minority parliament led by Paul Martin
and the Liberal Party. Party leader Jack Layton
, who had vacationed in the Queen Charlotte Islands that summer, assigned Cullen to be the party's national critic for youth issues, the environment and national parks. Cullen opened constituency offices in Smithers and Terrace. He continued to support the moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling despite Prime-Minister Paul Martin
opening a cabinet level
review of the moratorium; the review ended with the conclusion that lifting the moratorium was too politically divisive.
By the end of 2004, he got engaged to his girlfriend, Diana Dahr, who was studying at a teacher's college, and he was voted "Favourite Up-and-Comer Rookie Politician" by fellow Members of Parliament. He was also awarded the US Ambassador's Award as one of only two Canadian recipients. In the first half of 2005, Cullen joined an all-party team of MPs touring the western provinces promoting a private members bill (Bill C-261) which would lower the voting age to 16. In February he made a motion in the House of Commons to "recognize the public health impacts of smog" and require improved emission standards of light duty vehicles sold in Canada, though it was not supported by the Liberal Party or Conservative Party. In summer 2005 Cullen co-sponsored, along with several credit unions, a series of Youth Entrepreneur Awards within the Skeena
/Stikine
/Bulkley Valley
region which awarded cash prizes and recognition for entrepreneurial achievements by young people. In the fall Cullen challenged the Minister of the Environment
Stéphane Dion
to take a blood test to illustrate the level of toxins present in the environment. He also spent time lobbying the Liberal government to publicly disclose the bids for Ridley Terminal; the proposed sale of the Prince Rupert Port Authority
coal loading terminals by the federal government to a private firm was criticized by opposition parties as undervaluing the facility and likely to restrict fair access by competing coal companies (the sale was blocked by the Conservative Party after they won the subsequent election).
where he faced Conservative Party candidate and former Member of Parliament Mike Scott
, Liberal Party candidate and Prince Rupert mortgage specialist Gordon Stamp-Vincent, Green Party candidate Phil Brienesse of Smithers, and Rod Taylor of the Christian Heritage Party. The election was seen as a two-way race between Cullen and Scott. Their party leaders both visited the riding, Stephen Harper
in late-December to Prince Rupert and Jack Layton
with a mid-January stop in Terrace. Scott ran an aggressive campaign attacking the Liberal candidate, filing a request with Elections Canada
for an investigation into Cullen's campaign finances, and using signage saying "Re-elect Scott", despite the fact that Cullen was now the incumbent. Cullen was effective at forcing Scott to defend issues from his time in office during the 1990s while Scott made Cullen defend his vote to support the Canadian Firearms Registry despite promising to vote against it. Cullen went on to win by an unexpectedly large margin, 15%, over Scott while the NDP elected 29 of its candidates nationwide to the 39th Parliament
, which was led by Prime-Minister Stephen Harper
with a minority government.,
In April 2006, Cullen introduced a Private Member's Bill
(Bill C-307) to ban phthalates
, a chemical in many plastics, from products intended for infants and toddlers. The bill passed through all stages in the House of Commons but died on the order paper in the Senate when the 39th Parliament was dissolved. The proposal was subsequently adopted by Government and in June 2009 new regulations were introduced to place restrictions on six phthalates.
As Environment Critic for the NDP he helped renegotiate the Conservative Government's Clean Air Act (C-30) with an all-party committee. The new act was called the Clean Air and Climate Change Act. The Conservatives refused to reintroduce the bill to the House at second reading and it died on the order paper in the House.
On June 4, 2008, the House of Commons passed C-377 (An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change
), a private member bill introduced by Jack Layton
. Cullen had fully supported the bill from the beginning and was responsible for presenting the bill to the Environment committee and working it through the Government's six weeks of fillibuster. However, Bill C-377 died as it was still before the Senate when Parliament was dissolved for the 2008 Canadian federal election
. The bill was reintroduced in the 40th Parliament as Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311)
In 2009 Cullen conducted a contest in his constituency called Create Your Canada which challenges students between grades 5 and 12 to submit proposals for federal legislation. Two winners are picked each year and are flown to Ottawa to watch their submissions introduced in the House of Commons as private member's bills. In 2009, two bills were introduced including Bill C-399, which proposed a ban on the mining and export of asbestos
, and Bill C-400, which encouraged the Government of Canada to support the development of cycling friendly infrastructure. Both bills remain on the order paper.
, Cullen serves as Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Privacy, Access to Information and Ethics. He is also the Associate Critic for Natural Resources, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, and Environment and Sustainable Development.
to replace the late Jack Layton. In his opening speech, Cullen emphasized his vision for a new and progressive kind of politics, saying "now’s the time for an honest discussion about the direction our politics is going in…and how we must change it for the better."
Some key issues where Cullen has taken a definite stance are: the banning of asbestos, opposing the proposed Enbridge pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat, B.C., and the mandated reduction of greenhouse gases. Cullen has been a longstanding advocate for the environment, consistently arguing the choice between the economy and the environment is unnecessary, but that a green economy is a balance between creating jobs and protecting the environment. When questioned about tangible items he would pursue as leader of the federal NDP, Cullen responded he would re-imagine a new form for the Canadian Wheat Board, and reform of the electoral system to make individual votes count for more than in the current first-past-the-post system.
When Cullen is not in Ottawa or travelling in his riding (roughly the same size as Norway), he lives with his wife Diana and his young twin sons Isaac and Elliot in Smithers, B.C.
|New Democratic Party
|Nathan Cullen
|align="right"|19,431
|align="right"|55.3%
|Conservative
|Clay Harmon
|align="right"|12,255
|align="right"|34.5%
| style="width: 130px" |Liberal
|Kyle Warwick
|align="right"|1,268
|align="right"|3.6%
|Green
|Roger Benham
|align="right"|1,102
|align="right"|3.1%
|- bgcolor="white"
|Christian Heritage
|Rod Taylor
|align="right"|1,038
|align="right"|2.9%
|Canadian Action
|Maggie Braun
|align="right"|165
|align="right"|0.5%
|-
|New Democratic Party
|Nathan Cullen
|align="right"|17,219
|align="right"|49.8%
|Conservative
|Sharon Smith
|align="right"|12,561
|align="right"|36.4%
| style="width: 130px" |Liberal
|Corinna Morhart
|align="right"|1,916
|align="right"|5.5%
|Green
|Hondo Arendt
|align="right"|1,613
|align="right"|4.7%
|- bgcolor="white"
|Christian Heritage
|Rod Taylor
|align="right"|1,125
|align="right"|3.3%
|-
|New Democratic Party
|Nathan Cullen
|align="right"|18,496
|align="right"|48.33%
|Conservative
|Mike Scott
|align="right"|12,630
|align="right"|33.00%
| style="width: 130px" |Liberal
|Gordon Stamp-Vincent
|align="right"|4,845
|align="right"|12.66%
|-
|Christian Heritage
|Rod Taylor
|align="right"|1,235
|align="right"|3.22%
|Green
|Phil Brienesse
|align="right"|1,164
|align="right"|2.78%
|- bgcolor="white"
|-
|New Democratic Party
|Nathan Cullen
|align="right"|13,706
|align="right"|37.14%
|Conservative
|Andy Burton
|align="right"|12,434
|align="right"|33.69%
| style="width: 130px" |Liberal
|Miles Richardson
|align="right"|7,965
|align="right"|21.58%
|-
|Christian Heritage
|Rod Taylor
|align="right"|1,408
|align="right"|3.81%
|Green
|Roger Colin Benham
|align="right"|1,225
|align="right"|3.31%
|Marxist-Leninist
|Frank Martin
|align="right"|161
|align="right"|0.43%
|- bgcolor="white"
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...
Member of Parliament
Member 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,...
for the riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley
Skeena—Bulkley Valley
Skeena—Bulkley Valley is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...
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...
. He is a candidate for the federal leadership of the NDP
New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
An election for the leadership of the New Democratic Party , a social democratic party in Canada, will occur on March 24, 2012, as a result of the death of Jack Layton, the party's former leader. The party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011...
. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Cullen is fluent in English, French and Spanish and is married with young twin sons. Cullen was approached to run federally for the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
many times before finally accepting and winning in 2004 where he has been representing the Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding ever since. Cullen may be the first MP in Canada to state that he represents the land as much as the people, a belief he learned from his mentoring by Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
, Nisga'a
Nisga'a
The Nisga’a , often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga’a language as Nisga’a, are an Indigenous nation or First Nation in Canada. They live in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. Their name comes from a combination of two Nisga’a words: Nisk’-"top lip" and...
, and Haida First Nations elders in his riding.
Early life
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Cullen is a professional workshop and meeting facilitator with over 10 years of experience for his own company Maravilla Consultants. Before elected life, Cullen was a small business owner and community organizer in northwestern B.C. His expertise is in strategic planning and resolving conflicts for businesses, government and non-profit agencies throughout the province. Cullen has also worked in community and economic development throughout Latin America, North America and Africa helping establish banking services and women's shelters.Politics
At the age of 31, in the June 2004 federal electionCanadian 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...
, Cullen was elected to his first term as a Member of Parliament. He had won the NDP nomination in the Skeena—Bulkley Valley
Skeena—Bulkley Valley
Skeena—Bulkley Valley is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...
riding three months earlier against a Prince Rupert social worker. In the general election, he challenged the Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
incumbent Andy Burton
Andy Burton
Andy Burton is a Canadian politician.Burton immigrated with his family to Canada from England in 1952 at the age of 10. He grew up in Prince George, British Columbia. In the early 1960s, he worked as a highway surveyor and then as a bulk plant manager for Shell Petroleum...
, Liberal
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...
Miles Richardson who was chair of the B.C. Treaty Commission
British Columbia Treaty Process
The British Columbia Treaty Process is a land claims negotiation process started in 1993 to resolve outstanding issues - including claims to un-extinguished aboriginal rights - with British Columbia's First Nations....
, Rod Taylor of the Christian Heritage Party
Christian Heritage Party of Canada
The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a federal political party that advocates that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles...
, engineer and photographer Roger Benham of the Green Party
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
and Marxist-Leninist Frank Martin. The election was seen as a tight three-way race between Burton, Richardson, and Cullen. Cullen made support of the federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling part of his campaign which was initially viewed as a disadvantage for him in the riding, but a magnitude 6.7 earthquake off the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...
during the campaign helped highlight Cullen's arguments.
Cullen went on to defeat the Conservative incumbent Burton by a margin of 1,272 votes. In each subsequent federal election Cullen has increased his share of the popular vote from 37% in 2004, to 48% in 2006 and 50% in 2008. In 2011, Cullen was elected for a fourth term with 55% of all votes cast - the highest plurality in the riding since 1962.
His riding of Skeena—Bulkley Valley
Skeena—Bulkley Valley
Skeena—Bulkley Valley is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...
is, geographically, one of the largest federal ridings in Canada, covering over 323,000 square kilometres of northwestern British Columbia — nearly the size of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The largest urban areas in the riding are Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
, Terrace
Terrace, British Columbia
Terrace is a city on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The Kitselas people, a tribe of the Tsimshian Nation, have lived in the Terrace area for thousands of years. The community population fell between 2001 and 2006 from 12,109 with a regional population of 19,980 to 11,320 and...
, Kitimat
Kitimat, British Columbia
Kitimat is a coastal city in northwestern British Columbia, in the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. The Kitimat Valley, which includes the adjacent community of Terrace, is the most populous urban district in Northwest British Columbia...
, and Smithers
Smithers, British Columbia
Smithers is a town located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, approximately halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Smithers is located in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako....
, with a population of approximately 12,000, 11,000, 9,000, and 5,500 people, respectively. The riding also includes Haida Gwaii, Hazelton
Hazelton, British Columbia
Hazelton is a small town located at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers in northern British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1866 and has a population of 293...
, New Hazelton
New Hazelton, British Columbia
New Hazelton is a community on Highway 16 in northwest British Columbia, Canada. It is situated east of Terrace and west of Smithers and in 2006 had a population of 627 people...
, Vanderhoof
Vanderhoof, British Columbia
-External links:**...
, Stewart
Stewart, British Columbia
Stewart is a small town, incorporated as a district municipality at the head of the Portland Canal in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. In 2006, its population was about 496.-History:...
, Port Edward
Port Edward, British Columbia
The District of Port Edward is a town of approximately 577, located on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada.It is situated on the Tsimpsean Peninsula, opposite Ridley Island, 15 km south of Prince Rupert.-Directions:...
, Houston
Houston, British Columbia
Houston is a forestry, mining and tourism town in the Bulkley Valley of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its urban population is approximately 3600 people, with approximately 2000 in the surrounding rural area. It is known as the "Steelhead Capital" and it has the world's largest...
and the villages of Masset
Masset, British Columbia
Masset , formerly Massett, is a village in Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the northern coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Columbia. It is the western terminus of the Yellowhead Highway...
, Burns Lake
Burns Lake, British Columbia
thumb|309px|right|Burns Lake's welcome signBurns Lake is a rural village in the North-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, incorporated in 1923...
, Granisle
Granisle, British Columbia
Granisle is a village on Babine Lake in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, to the north of Topley between Burns Lake and Houston.- History :...
, Telkwa
Telkwa, British Columbia
Telkwa is a village located along British Columbia Highway 16, nearly 15 km southeast of the town of Smithers and 350 km west of the city of Prince George, in northwest British Columbia, Canada....
and Port Clements
Port Clements, British Columbia
Port Clements is a village situated at the east end of Masset Inlet in Haida Gwaii off the coast of the Province of British Columbia in Canada. Founded by Eli Tingley in 1907, it was once known under the name Queenstown, but renamed to Port Clements in 1914 after Herb S...
. The region's economy is predominantly resource-based, especially fishing, forestry, and mining.
First Term
Cullen was the youngest of 19 New Democratic PartyNew Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
candidates elected to the 38th Parliament
38th Canadian Parliament
The 38th Canadian Parliament was in session from October 4, 2004 until November 29, 2005. The membership was set by the 2004 federal election on June 28, 2004, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections, but due to the seat distribution, those few changes significantly...
, a minority parliament led by 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....
and the Liberal Party. Party leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, who had vacationed in the Queen Charlotte Islands that summer, assigned Cullen to be the party's national critic for youth issues, the environment and national parks. Cullen opened constituency offices in Smithers and Terrace. He continued to support the moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling despite Prime-Minister 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....
opening a cabinet level
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
review of the moratorium; the review ended with the conclusion that lifting the moratorium was too politically divisive.
By the end of 2004, he got engaged to his girlfriend, Diana Dahr, who was studying at a teacher's college, and he was voted "Favourite Up-and-Comer Rookie Politician" by fellow Members of Parliament. He was also awarded the US Ambassador's Award as one of only two Canadian recipients. In the first half of 2005, Cullen joined an all-party team of MPs touring the western provinces promoting a private members bill (Bill C-261) which would lower the voting age to 16. In February he made a motion in the House of Commons to "recognize the public health impacts of smog" and require improved emission standards of light duty vehicles sold in Canada, though it was not supported by the Liberal Party or Conservative Party. In summer 2005 Cullen co-sponsored, along with several credit unions, a series of Youth Entrepreneur Awards within the Skeena
Skeena Country
The Skeena Country is an historic geographic region comprising areas of both the British Columbia Coast and the British Columbia Interior in northwestern British Columbia, Canada.- See also :* Skeena Crossing* Skeena Mountains* Skeena River...
/Stikine
Stikine Country
The Stikine Country, also referred to as the Stikine District or simply "the Stikine" , is one of the historical geographic regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, located inland from the central Alaska Panhandle and comprising the basin of the Stikine River and its tributaries...
/Bulkley Valley
Bulkley Valley
The Bulkley Valley is located in the northwest Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:The 257 km long Bulkley River runs through the valley which is bounded on the west by the Hudson Bay Mountain range and on the east by the Babine Mountains...
region which awarded cash prizes and recognition for entrepreneurial achievements by young people. In the fall Cullen challenged the Minister of the Environment
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
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...
to take a blood test to illustrate the level of toxins present in the environment. He also spent time lobbying the Liberal government to publicly disclose the bids for Ridley Terminal; the proposed sale of the Prince Rupert Port Authority
Prince Rupert Port Authority
The Prince Rupert Port Authority is a port authority operating under the Canada Marine Act as an autonomous and commercially viable agency...
coal loading terminals by the federal government to a private firm was criticized by opposition parties as undervaluing the facility and likely to restrict fair access by competing coal companies (the sale was blocked by the Conservative Party after they won the subsequent election).
Second Term
Cullen was unchallenged as the NDP candidate going into the 2006 electionCanadian 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:...
where he faced Conservative Party candidate and former Member of Parliament Mike Scott
Mike Scott (politician)
Mike Scott was a Reform Party of Canada Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993-2000. Scott represented the riding of Skeena , in Northwestern British Columbia....
, Liberal Party candidate and Prince Rupert mortgage specialist Gordon Stamp-Vincent, Green Party candidate Phil Brienesse of Smithers, and Rod Taylor of the Christian Heritage Party. The election was seen as a two-way race between Cullen and Scott. Their party leaders both visited the riding, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
in late-December to Prince Rupert and Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
with a mid-January stop in Terrace. Scott ran an aggressive campaign attacking the Liberal candidate, filing a request with Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
for an investigation into Cullen's campaign finances, and using signage saying "Re-elect Scott", despite the fact that Cullen was now the incumbent. Cullen was effective at forcing Scott to defend issues from his time in office during the 1990s while Scott made Cullen defend his vote to support the Canadian Firearms Registry despite promising to vote against it. Cullen went on to win by an unexpectedly large margin, 15%, over Scott while the NDP elected 29 of its candidates nationwide to the 39th Parliament
39th Canadian Parliament
The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3, 2006 until September 7, 2008. The membership was set by the 2006 federal election on January 23, 2006, and it has changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections...
, which was led by Prime-Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
with a minority government.,
In April 2006, Cullen introduced a Private Member's Bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
(Bill C-307) to ban phthalates
Phthalates
Phthalates , or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticizers . They are used primarily to soften polyvinyl chloride...
, a chemical in many plastics, from products intended for infants and toddlers. The bill passed through all stages in the House of Commons but died on the order paper in the Senate when the 39th Parliament was dissolved. The proposal was subsequently adopted by Government and in June 2009 new regulations were introduced to place restrictions on six phthalates.
As Environment Critic for the NDP he helped renegotiate the Conservative Government's Clean Air Act (C-30) with an all-party committee. The new act was called the Clean Air and Climate Change Act. The Conservatives refused to reintroduce the bill to the House at second reading and it died on the order paper in the House.
On June 4, 2008, the House of Commons passed C-377 (An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change
Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change
The related terms "avoiding dangerous climate change" and "preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system" date to 1995 and earlier, in the Second Assesment Report of the International Panel on Climate Change and previous science it cites.In 2002, the United Nations...
), a private member bill introduced by Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
. Cullen had fully supported the bill from the beginning and was responsible for presenting the bill to the Environment committee and working it through the Government's six weeks of fillibuster. However, Bill C-377 died as it was still before the Senate when Parliament was dissolved for the 2008 Canadian federal election
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...
. The bill was reintroduced in the 40th Parliament as Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311)
Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311)
The Climate Change Accountability Act was a Private Member's Bill in the 40th Parliament, originally tabled in October 2006 in the Canadian House of Commons as Bill C-377 of the 39th Parliament by Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada...
Third Term
Following the election of October 2008, Cullen was named the New Democrat Critic for Natural Resources and Energy. In this role he chaired the NDP's Green Economy Taskforce, working on ways to help create employment while meeting our responsibilities to the planet’s future generations and promoted sustainable energy development through a study of Canada's Energy Security at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources. Cullen also led an NDP effort to secure a bulk oil tanker ban on the north coast of British Columbia which led to the passage in the House of Commons of a motion calling for such a ban by a close vote of 143 - 138.In 2009 Cullen conducted a contest in his constituency called Create Your Canada which challenges students between grades 5 and 12 to submit proposals for federal legislation. Two winners are picked each year and are flown to Ottawa to watch their submissions introduced in the House of Commons as private member's bills. In 2009, two bills were introduced including Bill C-399, which proposed a ban on the mining and export of asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
, and Bill C-400, which encouraged the Government of Canada to support the development of cycling friendly infrastructure. Both bills remain on the order paper.
Fourth Term
In the 41st Parliament41st Canadian Parliament
The 41st Canadian Parliament is the current Parliament of Canada, with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the 2011 federal election held on May 2, 2011...
, Cullen serves as Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Privacy, Access to Information and Ethics. He is also the Associate Critic for Natural Resources, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, and Environment and Sustainable Development.
NDP Leadership Race
On September 30, 2011, Cullen announced his official candidacy for the NDP leadership raceNew Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
An election for the leadership of the New Democratic Party , a social democratic party in Canada, will occur on March 24, 2012, as a result of the death of Jack Layton, the party's former leader. The party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011...
to replace the late Jack Layton. In his opening speech, Cullen emphasized his vision for a new and progressive kind of politics, saying "now’s the time for an honest discussion about the direction our politics is going in…and how we must change it for the better."
Some key issues where Cullen has taken a definite stance are: the banning of asbestos, opposing the proposed Enbridge pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat, B.C., and the mandated reduction of greenhouse gases. Cullen has been a longstanding advocate for the environment, consistently arguing the choice between the economy and the environment is unnecessary, but that a green economy is a balance between creating jobs and protecting the environment. When questioned about tangible items he would pursue as leader of the federal NDP, Cullen responded he would re-imagine a new form for the Canadian Wheat Board, and reform of the electoral system to make individual votes count for more than in the current first-past-the-post system.
When Cullen is not in Ottawa or travelling in his riding (roughly the same size as Norway), he lives with his wife Diana and his young twin sons Isaac and Elliot in Smithers, B.C.
Election results
|-|New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
|Nathan Cullen
|align="right"|19,431
|align="right"|55.3%
|Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
|Clay Harmon
|align="right"|12,255
|align="right"|34.5%
| style="width: 130px" |Liberal
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...
|Kyle Warwick
|align="right"|1,268
|align="right"|3.6%
|Green
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
|Roger Benham
|align="right"|1,102
|align="right"|3.1%
|- bgcolor="white"
|Christian Heritage
Christian Heritage Party of Canada
The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a federal political party that advocates that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles...
|Rod Taylor
|align="right"|1,038
|align="right"|2.9%
|Canadian Action
Canadian Action Party
The Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T...
|Maggie Braun
|align="right"|165
|align="right"|0.5%
|-
|New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
|Nathan Cullen
|align="right"|17,219
|align="right"|49.8%
|Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
|Sharon Smith
|align="right"|12,561
|align="right"|36.4%
| style="width: 130px" |Liberal
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...
|Corinna Morhart
|align="right"|1,916
|align="right"|5.5%
|Green
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
|Hondo Arendt
|align="right"|1,613
|align="right"|4.7%
|- bgcolor="white"
|Christian Heritage
Christian Heritage Party of Canada
The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a federal political party that advocates that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles...
|Rod Taylor
|align="right"|1,125
|align="right"|3.3%
|-
|New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
|Nathan Cullen
|align="right"|18,496
|align="right"|48.33%
|Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
|Mike Scott
Mike Scott (politician)
Mike Scott was a Reform Party of Canada Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993-2000. Scott represented the riding of Skeena , in Northwestern British Columbia....
|align="right"|12,630
|align="right"|33.00%
| style="width: 130px" |Liberal
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...
|Gordon Stamp-Vincent
|align="right"|4,845
|align="right"|12.66%
|-
|Christian Heritage
Christian Heritage Party of Canada
The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a federal political party that advocates that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles...
|Rod Taylor
|align="right"|1,235
|align="right"|3.22%
|Green
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
|Phil Brienesse
|align="right"|1,164
|align="right"|2.78%
|- bgcolor="white"
|-
|New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
|Nathan Cullen
|align="right"|13,706
|align="right"|37.14%
|Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
|Andy Burton
|align="right"|12,434
|align="right"|33.69%
| style="width: 130px" |Liberal
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...
|Miles Richardson
|align="right"|7,965
|align="right"|21.58%
|-
|Christian Heritage
Christian Heritage Party of Canada
The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a federal political party that advocates that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles...
|Rod Taylor
|align="right"|1,408
|align="right"|3.81%
|Green
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
|Roger Colin Benham
|align="right"|1,225
|align="right"|3.31%
|Marxist-Leninist
Communist Party of Canada (Marxist–Leninist)
The Communist Party of Canada is a Canadian federal Marxist–Leninist political party.The party is registered with Elections Canada as the Marxist–Leninist Party of Canada...
|Frank Martin
|align="right"|161
|align="right"|0.43%
|- bgcolor="white"