Paul Manly

Paul Manly MP
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Nanaimo—Ladysmith
Incumbent
Assumed office May 6, 2019
Preceded by	Sheila Malcolmson
Personal details
Born	April 19, 1964 Port Alice, British Columbia, Canada
Political party	Green (2015–present)
Other political affiliations	New Democratic (prior 2015)
Children	2
Parents	Jim and Eva Manly
Profession	Filmmaker, researcher and communications specialist

Paul Manly MP is a Canadian federal politician who represents Nanaimo—Ladysmith in the House of Commons of Canada as a member of the Green Party of Canada. Manly was elected to the House of Commons in a by-election on May 6, 2019, making him the second elected Green MP in Canadian history following party leader Elizabeth May's first election victory in the 2011 federal election.

Early and personal lives

Manly was born in Port Alice on Vancouver Island, B.C. His grandfather had a farm just outside of Nanaimo and Paul spent his formative years growing up in Ladysmith. He has been living in Nanaimo since 2002. His father, James Manly was a United Church minister and a New Democratic Party member of the House of Commons for the 32nd and 33rd Canadian parliaments. His mother Eva Manly, a graduate of Ottawa U (BFA '85) is a multi-disciplinary artist who has collaborated with him on several video and documentary projects.

Manly has a diploma in Broadcasting from Algonquin College in Ottawa and a degree in Media Studies and Global Studies from Vancouver Island University. He has a done extensive research on international relations and international trade and how trade agreements affect democratic decision making at all levels of governance. Manly is married, has two daughters and one granddaughter.

Career

Manly started making documentary and educational films after graduating from broadcasting in 1991. His work focuses on environmental and social justice issues and has broadcast nationally and internationally. His first major film was a collaboration with his parents on a historic documentary about residential schools entitled the Awakening of Elizabeth Shaw. He collaborated with his parents again on a film about human rights workers in Guatemala entitled ‘Bringing Truth to Light’. His film Sombrio documents the end of a community of surfers and squatters on the south west coast of Vancouver Island. In 2007, Paul videotaped three police provocateurs inciting violence at the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) leaders event and the footage went viral making international news. He included that footage in his film ‘You, Me and the SPP’ which he released in 2009. Paul has made two films about water issues on Vancouver Island ‘Voices of the River’ about the Nanaimo River and ‘Troubled Water’ about the community drinking-water watershed on the east coast of the island.

Manly has worked on a number of educational projects related to aboriginal culture, mental health, health care, environmental stewardship and economic alternatives. He has collaborated on educational projects with organizations such as the Council of Canadians, Columbia Centre Society, Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Hul’qumi’num Health Hub, the B.C. Health Coalition, The Land Conservancy of B.C., the Georgia Straight Alliance and Tanker Free B.C. among others.

In 2010, Manly produced the first video exposing the export of raw bitumen out of the Port of Vancouver and the plans for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. He then produced a PSA with Pamela Anderson which attracted international attention to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and received media coverage across Canada and around the world.

He was a department manager at the Satellite Video Exchange Society for six years. He also worked in artist management negotiating international recording, licensing and distribution deals and managing international tours.

He was a director on the board of the development company for Pacific Gardens Cohousing Community, a multi-million dollar housing project. He is currently a director of the Mid Island Consumer Services Cooperative. Previously, Paul was a director on the national board of the Council of Canadians representing the B.C. Yukon region.

Recently he has also been working in the non-profit sector coordinating Nanaimo Foodshare’s Cultivating Abilities skills training program for people with barriers to employment.

Filmography

The Awakening of Elizabeth Shaw, 25 minutes, 1996

Bringing Truth to Light, 25 minutes. 1998

Building Bridges, 18 minutes, 2004

Sombrio, 60 minutes, 2006

You, Me and the SPP, 90 minutes, 2009

Voices of the River, 48 minutes, 2012

Troubled Water, 52 minutes, 2013

Politics

Manly initially sought the NDP nomination for Nanaimo—Ladysmith in the 2015 election, but was denied by the party's federal executive for due to his activism around Palestinian rights. He ran for the Green Party in that election, finishing in fourth place.

Manly was elected to the House of Commons in a by-election on May 6, 2019, making him the second elected Green MP in Canadian history following party leader Elizabeth May's first election victory in the 2011 federal election.

Electoral record

Canadian federal by-election, May 6, 2019: Nanaimo—Ladysmith Resignation of Sheila Malcolmson
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Paul Manly	15,302	37.26	+17.51
	Conservative	John Hirst	10,215	24.88	+1.52
	New Democratic	Bob Chamberlin	9,446	23.00	–10.20
	Liberal	Michelle Corfield	4,515	10.99	–12.52
	People's	Jennifer Clarke	1,268	3.09	+3.09
	Progressive Canadian	Brian Marlatt	253	0.62	+0.62
	National Citizens Alliance	Jakob Letkemann	66	0.16	+0.16
Total valid votes/Expense limit			41,065	99.68	–
Total rejected ballots			130	0.32	+0.09
Turnout			41,195	41.44	-33.56
Eligible voters			99,413
	Green gain from New Democratic		Swing		+13.85
Source: Elections Canada; MacLean's

2015 Canadian federal election: Nanaimo—Ladysmith
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Sheila Malcolmson	23,651	33.20	-12.06	$136,135.63
	Liberal	Tim Tessier	16,753	23.52	+16.84	$21,699.17
	Conservative	Mark Allen MacDonald	16,637	23.35	-17.04	$132,376.87
	Green	Paul Manly	14,074	19.76	+12.58	$145,016.61
	Marxist–Leninist	Jack East	126	0.18	–	–
Total valid votes/Expense limit			71,241	99.78		$236,098.07
Total rejected ballots			158	0.22	–
Turnout			71,399	75.00	–
Eligible voters			95,200
	New Democratic notional hold		Swing		-14.45
Source: Elections Canada

External links

• Paul Manly – Parliament of Canada biography