Anne McGrath

Anne McGrath

McGrath at the NDP's 2011 federal election campaign launch
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Premier of Alberta
National Director of the New Democratic Party
In office
2014–2015
Leader Tom Mulcair
Preceded by Nathan Rothman
Succeeded by Karl Bélanger
President of the New Democratic Party
In office
September 10, 2006  August 16, 2009
Leader Jack Layton
Preceded by Adam Giambrone
Succeeded by Peggy Nash
Personal details
Born c.1958
Political party New Democratic Party (1993 or earlier-present)
Other political
affiliations
Communist Party of Canada (1984-??)

Anne McGrath (born c.1958) is deputy chief of staff to Rachel Notley, Premier of Alberta.[1]

Previously was the National Director of the New Democratic Party (NDP) of Canada, as well as chief of staff to Jack Layton, the late leader of the NDP. As Chief of Staff to Jack Layton (2008–2011), she is credited with professionalizing caucus operations and co-designing Layton’s historic breakthrough to Official Opposition status. She stayed on as chief of staff to interim party leader Nycole Turmel and the federal NDP Caucus, during Turmel's interim leadership. She was president of the party from 2006 to 2009; she was elected on September 10, 2006 at the party's convention in Quebec City and her term ended on August 16, 2009 when Peggy Nash was elected president at the party's convention in Halifax. Before that, she had been director of operations for the NDP federal caucus.

She is a frequent commentator on national media broadcasts and has been identified as one of the 100 most influential people in government and politics in Ottawa. She has been an activist in the labour, student and women's movements [2] and had been employed by CUPE National as Director of Equality and as executive assistant to CUPE's national president Judy Darcy, and by Oxfam Canada. In 1993, McGrath was the Alberta New Democratic Party's candidate in Calgary-Bow.[3] In 1995 she was their candidate in a provincial by-election in Calgary-McCall and came in third place.[4] In 1995 she ran against Ross Harvey for the leadership of the Alberta NDP, coming second.

In 1979-80 she was President of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa.[5] She graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and began her career as a teacher. She then held a variety of positions with not-for-profit organizations including working as Canadian Programme Officer for Oxfam-Canada and Community Development Team Leader and senior education officer for the Canadian Mental Health Association. She has a master's degree in Communications Studies.[6] She has also served as a board member and social issues chair of the Elizabeth Fry Society, Vice-President of National Action Committee on the Status of Women, and a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action: Beijing and Beyond.[7] In the 1984 federal election, while a student, she ran as candidate for the Communist Party of Canada in Edmonton—Strathcona,[8] placing seventh.

She is portrayed by Wendy Crewson in the 2013 CBC Television film Jack.

1995 Alberta NDP leadership challenge

(Held on November 11, 1995)[9]

Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 1984: Edmonton—Strathcona
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeDavid Kilgour 33,712 61.43 +2.05
New DemocraticDoris S. Burghardt 11,095 20.22 +8.21
LiberalSandra Douglas-Tubb 8,500 15.49 −11.66
Confederation of RegionsLorne Cass 749 1.36
GreenRussell John Mulvey 466 0.85
Social CreditNorman Utz 218 0.40
CommunistAnne McGrath 137 0.25 −0.01
Total valid votes 54,877 100.00
Alberta general election, 1993: Calgary-Bow
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeBonnie Laing 7,011 46.28% 11.39%
LiberalRob Van Walleghem 5,369 35.44% 1.22%
New DemocraticAnne McGrath 1,908 12.60% −18.29%
Social CreditPatrick John Hudson 376 2.48%
GreenDavid Crowe 287 1.90%
Confederation of RegionsRoberta McDonald 120 0.79%
Natural LawAlan Livingston 78 0.51%
Total 15,149
Rejected, spoiled, and declined 60
Eligible electors / Turnout 23,546 64.59%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing 6.31%
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 9, 2010. 
Alberta provincial by-election, April 20, 1995: Calgary-McCall
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeShiraz Shariff 2,496 43.64% −1.44%
LiberalJeet Shergill 1,980 34.61% 2.63%
New DemocraticAnne McGrath 713 12.46% 2.61%
Social CreditDoug Cooper 470 8.22%
Confederation of RegionsPeter Hope 61 1.07% −0.34%
Total 5,720
Rejected, spoiled and declined 17
Eligible electors / Turnout 20,514 27.97%
Progressive Conservative hold Swing −2.04%
Source: "Calgary-McCall by-election official results". Elections Alberta. April 20, 1995. Retrieved February 6, 2012. 

References

  1. The Hill Times, #1314, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015, pg 2.
  2. "Anne McGrath elected NDP President" (Press release). New Democratic Party. September 10, 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  3. http://canadianelectionsdatabase.ca/PHASE4/?p=0&type=election&ID=349#page_1=constituency_3451
  4. http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/pastbyelection.html#april1995 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/41540639/
  6. http://www.ipolitics.ca/author/amcgrath/
  7. http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Anne-McGrath/302832076
  8. "Election '84 - Edmonton Strathcona (Candidate profiles)". Edmonton Journal. August 31, 1984. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  9. Edmonton Journal, November 13, 1995
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 01, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.