Bev Desjarlais
| Bev Desjarlais | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Churchill |
|
|
In office 1997 – 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Elijah Harper |
| Succeeded by | Tina Keeper |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 19, 1955 Regina, Saskatchewan |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
New Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Robert Desjarlais (divorced) |
| Residence | Thompson, Manitoba |
| Profession | Clerk |
Bev Desjarlais (born August 19, 1955) is a retired Canadian politician. She represented Churchill in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006, initially as a New Democrat and later as an Independent after losing her party nomination in late 2005. She later worked as a departmental aide to Conservative Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson.
Her ex-husband, Bob Desjarlais, is a prominent labour leader in northern Manitoba, who campaigned for Mayor of Thompson in 2006.
Desjarlais was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. She graduated from Bert Fox Composite High School in 1973, and held several positions at the General Hospital in Thompson, Manitoba over the next twenty-four years. At the time of her election, she was a ward clerk. Desjarlais has also been a union steward with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and is a member of Canadian Parents for French.
Her political career began in 1992, when she was elected as a trustee for the Mystery Lake School Division. She became Chair of the Board in 1994, and served until her election to Parliament in 1997.
Desjarlais challenged Liberal incumbent Elijah Harper for the Churchill riding in the 1997 federal election. Although Harper had gained national fame in 1990 for blocking passage of the Meech Lake Accord, he was not a prominent Member of Parliament. Desjarlais won by 2,764 votes, and joined twenty other New Democrats on the opposition benches. Her opposition to the Canadian gun registry was likely a contributing factor to her victory, as the registry was unpopular in rural Manitoba.
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