Harry Bloy
{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1946)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Harry Bloy 2011.jpg
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Harry Bloy
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|4|19}}
| birth_place = Sudbury, Ontario
| residence =
| assembly = British Columbia Legislative
| constituency_AM = Burnaby-Lougheed
Burquitlam (2001-2009)
| term_start = May 16, 2001
| term_end = May 14, 2013
| predecessor = Riding Established
| successor = Jane Shin
| party = Liberal
| religion =
| occupation =
| alma_mater = Ryerson Polytechnic University
}}
James Henry "Harry" Bloy (born April 19, 1946) is a retired Canadian politician from British Columbia. He was a BC Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2001 to 2013, representing Burquitlam (2001-2009) and later Burnaby Lougheed (2009-2013). Bloy was notably the only BC Liberal MLA to support Christy Clark's successful candidacy for party leadership in 2011. He did not run for reelection in 2013.
Early life and education
Bloy was born on April 19, 1946 in Sudbury, Ontario.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WQKJAAAAMAAJ&q=Harry+Bloy+1946 |title=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide |year=1972 |isbn=9780787635619}} He received a marketing diploma from Ryerson Polytechnic University.{{Cite web |title=MLA: Harry Bloy {{!}} Legislative Assembly of BC |url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/members/37th-Parliament/Bloy-Harry |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Legislature of British Columbia}}
Political career
Bloy was an unsuccessful candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party in the 1983 provincial election in the riding of Burnaby North. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2001 election for Burquitlam.{{Cite web |title=Email forces B.C. cabinet minister Harry Bloy to quit Christy Clark’s cabinet {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/223225/email-forces-b-c-cabinet-minister-harry-bloy-to-quit-christy-clarks-cabinet/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Global News |language=en-US |quote="She said Bloy, first elected in 2001, told her prior to his resignation that he would not be seeking re-election in the May 2013 provincial election."}} He was reelected by a margin of 372 votes in 2005.{{Cite web |date=2009-05-11 |title=Swing ridings hold key to B.C. election race |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/swing-ridings-hold-key-to-b-c-election-race-1.849716 |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=CBC}} In 2009, he was elected to represent the newly-created Burnaby-Loughseed riding, defeating NDP candidate by Jaynie Clark by 696 votes, a margin of 48 to 45%.{{Cite web |date=2013-04-12 |title=Decision BC: Burnaby-Lougheed - BC {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/379232/decision-bc-burnaby-lougheed/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}
= Ministerial tenure and controversies =
In 2011, Bloy was the only member of the Liberal caucus to endorse Christy Clark's successful candidacy for leader of the BC Liberals.{{cite web |last=Chow |first=Wanda |title=Bloy celebrates after backing Christy Clark, BC's new Liberal leader |url=http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/news/117101163.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413145150/http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/news/117101163.html |archivedate=13 April 2014 |accessdate=11 April 2014 |publisher=Burnaby NewsLeader}} When Clark became premier in March 2011, Bloy was appointed to his first cabinet position as Minister of Social Development.{{cite web |date=14 March 2011 |title=Clark sworn in as B.C. premier, new cabinet revealed |url=http://bc.ctvnews.ca/clark-sworn-in-as-b-c-premier-new-cabinet-revealed-1.618472 |accessdate=11 April 2014 |publisher=CTV News Vancouver}} Bloy received scrutiny in this role over his relationship with the press, as well as criticism from BC New Democratic Party politicians over disability assistance funding. Criticism of Bloy as Minister of Social Development centered on a controversy surrounding the closure of group homes for developmentally disabled adults.{{Cite news |last=Mickleburgh |first=Rod |date=2011-09-29 |title=After his one bright insight, Bloy gets left in the dark |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/after-his-one-bright-insight-bloy-gets-left-in-the-dark/article1361259/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}
Bloy was demoted 6 months later by Clark to the position of Minister of State for Multiculturalism, a more junior position in the provincial government.{{Cite news |last=Hunter |first=Justine |last2=Bailey |first2=Ian |date=2011-09-26 |title=Christy Clark demotes Harry Bloy in cabinet reshuffle |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/christy-clark-demotes-harry-bloy-in-cabinet-reshuffle/article595761/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}} During this appointment, Liberal party members and public servants began work on what resulted in the 2013 Quick Wins ethnic outreach scandal. Bloy announced his resignation from cabinet in March 2012 after admitting he leaked, to a private company, an email the government had received from a newspaper.{{cite web|title=Minister resigns under cloud from B.C. cabinet|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/minister-resigns-under-cloud-from-b-c-cabinet-1.1140576|publisher=CBC News British Columbia|accessdate=11 April 2014}} It was subsequently revealed that Bloy would not run for re-election in the 2013 provincial election.{{cite web|last=Moreau|first=Jennifer|title=Bloy stepping down, won't run for re-election|url=http://www.burnabynow.com/news/bloy-stepping-down-won-t-run-for-re-election-1.413136|publisher=Burnaby Now|accessdate=11 April 2014}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.leg.bc.ca/Mla/38thParl/bloy.htm Official Biography from the website of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]
- [http://www.harrybloymla.bc.ca/ MLA Web Site of Harry Bloy]
{{Christy Clark Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bloy, Harry}}
Category:Politicians from Greater Sudbury
Category:People from Coquitlam
Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia
Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia