Kennedy Stewart (Canadian politician)
| Kennedy Stewart MP |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of Parliament for Burnaby South |
|
| Assumed office October 19, 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Riding Established |
| Member of Parliament for Burnaby—Douglas |
|
| In office May 2, 2011 – October 19, 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Bill Siksay |
| Succeeded by | Riding Abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 8, 1966 Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| Political party | New Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Jeanette Ashe |
| Profession | Academic, Politician |
Kennedy Stewart is a Canadian politician and academic who is currently the Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Burnaby South. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the federal New Democratic Party in the 2011 election. He is the Official Opposition Critic for Science and Technology.[1] Before his election, Stewart was an associate professor at Simon Fraser University's School of Public Policy.[2]
Contents
Early life[edit]
Stewart was born in Halifax in 1966 and raised in Wolfville, Nova Scotia,[1] where he earned his bachelor's degree in history from Acadia University.[3]
After moving to Burnaby in 1988, Stewart played bass guitar for the pop music band State of Mind,[4] winning three West Coast Music Awards in 1991.
In 1995, Stewart received his master's degree in political science from Simon Fraser University, and a PhD in government from the London School of Economics in 2003.[5] Stewart has also frequently appeared in the media as a political commentator, including writing a blog for the Vancouver Sun. He is currently on leave from Simon Fraser University’s School of Public Policy.
His publications include Local Government in Canada.[6] Stewart’s wife Jeanette Ashe teaches politics at Douglas College.
Political history[edit]
On March 28, 2004, Stewart won the NDP nomination for the federal riding of Vancouver Centre in a close three-way race. Although he lost in the 2004 general election by 4,230 votes, he increased the NDP's vote share in Vancouver Centre by 20 percentage points compared to the 2000 election. On February 25, 2011, Stewart secured the NDP nomination for the federal riding of Burnaby—Douglas in a first ballot victory.[7] He won the riding in the 2011 general election with 43 percent of the vote. He was reelected in Burnaby South in the 2015 election.
41st Parliament[edit]
In 2011, NDP Official Opposition leader Jack Layton appointed Stewart to the NDP Shadow Cabinet as the official opposition critic for Western Economic Diversification and as a member of the standing committee on justice and human rights. Interim leader Nycole Turmel appointed Stewart as associate critic for natural resources. While serving on the Conservative-dominated Standing Committee on Natural Resources, the Committee adopted Stewart’s motion to study the Current and Future State of Oil and Gas Pipelines and Refining Capacity in Canada.[8]
In 2012, NDP Official Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair appointed Stewart as Official Opposition Critic for Science and Technology and as a member of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. Stewart has tabled numerous motions in the House of Commons to protect scientific integrity and end the muzzling of scientists, as well as a private members’ bill to create an independent science watchdog.[9] Stewart also introduced a motion to bring electronic petitions to the House of Commons, which has been endorsed by Ed Broadbent, Preston Manning and Conservative Party backbenchers.[10] The motion was narrowly passed in January 2014.[11]
Stewart has held numerous consultations with Burnaby residents on Kinder Morgan’s proposal to build a new export-only, bitumen-based crude oil pipeline in the area.[12] Following the consultations, he became a vocal opponent of the project, citing his community's concerns over property expropriation, decreasing housing values, increased tanker traffic in the Burrard Inlet, the use of temporary foreign workers and the lack of benefits for British Columbia.[13] Stewart has also worked to save Burnaby’s Chevron refinery.[14]
42nd Parliament[edit]
He was elected in Burnaby South in the 2015 election.
Electoral Record[edit]
| Canadian federal election, 2015: Burnaby South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures[15] | |||
| New Democratic | Kennedy Stewart | 16,094 | 35.1 | -8.90 | – | |||
| Liberal | Adam Pankratz | 15,547 | 33.9 | +22.18 | – | |||
| Conservative | Grace Seear | 12,441 | 27.1 | -12.52 | – | |||
| Green | Wyatt Tessari | 1,306 | 2.8 | -0.80 | – | |||
| Libertarian | Liz Jaluague | 499 | 1.1 | +0.60 | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 45,887 | 99.40 | $206,492.15 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 275 | 0.60 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 46,112 | 61.26 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 75,263 | |||||||
| New Democratic hold | Swing | -15.54 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[16][17] | ||||||||
| Canadian federal election, 2011: Burnaby—Douglas | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | ||||
| New Democratic | Kennedy Stewart | 20,943 | 42.99 | +5.05 | ||||
| Conservative | Ronald Leung | 19,932 | 40.92 | +4.67 | ||||
| Liberal | Ken Low | 5,451 | 11.19 | -8.22 | ||||
| Green | Adrianne Merlo | 1,754 | 3.60 | -2.37 | ||||
| Libertarian | Lewis Clarke Dahlby | 420 | 0.86 | – | ||||
| Communist | George Gidora | 155 | 0.32 | -0.11 | ||||
| Marxist–Leninist | Brian Sproule | 57 | 0.12 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 48,710 | 100.0 | ||||||
| New Democratic hold | Swing | +0.19 | ||||||
| Canadian federal election, 2004: Vancouver Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Hedy Fry | 21,280 | 40.30 | -2.00 | $66,619 | |||
| New Democratic | Kennedy Stewart | 17,050 | 32.29 | +20.25 | $57,675 | |||
| Conservative | Gary Mitchell | 10,139 | 19.20 | -18.70 | $73,789 | |||
| Green | Robbie Mattu | 3,580 | 6.78 | +2.85 | $2,440 | |||
| Libertarian | John Clarke | 304 | 0.57 | – | $60 | |||
| Christian Heritage | Joe Pal | 243 | 0.46 | – | $389 | |||
| Canadian Action | Alexander Frei | 101 | 0.19 | -1.08 | $100 | |||
| Communist | Kimball Cariou | 96 | 0.18 | +0.01 | $389 | |||
| Total valid votes | 52,793 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 226 | 0.43 | -0.05 | |||||
| Turnout | 53,019 | 61.47 | 0.97 | |||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -11.12 | ||||||
| Change for the Conservatives is based on the combined totals of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives. | ||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ a b “Kennedy Stewart bio”. Parliament of Canada Biography.
- ^ “Kennedy Stewart”. SFU School of Public Policy.
- ^ "Canada Votes 2004: Vancouver Centre". CBC News.
- ^ “B.C. NDP MP wants commons to accept online petitions”. Vancouver Sun, February 14, 2013.
- ^ “Kennedy Stewart to succeed Siksay for the NDP in Burnaby-Douglas”. Burnaby News Leader, February 28, 2011.
- ^ “Local Government in Canada, 8th Edition”
- ^ “Kennedy Stewart nominated as the federal NDP candidate in Burnaby-Douglas”. Georgia Straight, February 26, 2011.
- ^ “Current and Future State of Oil and Gas Pipelines and Refining Capacity in Canada”. Parliament of Canada, May 2012.
- ^ “Media Release: NDP Calls for Creation of Science Watchdog”. NDP Caucus
- ^ “Preston Manning and Ed Broadbent find common ground”. Vancouver Sun, February 25, 2013.
- ^ "NDP scores surprise win on e-petitions thanks to 8 Tory MPs" CBC News, January 30, 2014.
- ^ “72 percent of Burnaby-Douglas opposes Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion”. Burnaby News Leader, January 19, 2012.
- ^ “Newsmaker of the Year: Kennedy Stewart”. Burnaby News Leader, December 26, 2013.
- ^ “Burnaby MP, mayor granted intervenor status in Chevron application”. Burnaby News Leader, September 18, 2012.
- ^ http://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?ed=1676
- ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Burnaby South, 30 September 2015
- ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
