Rebecca Blaikie
{{Short description|21st-century Canadian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Rebecca Blaikie
|honorific-suffix =
|image = Rebecca Blaikie (2013).jpg
|imagesize = 250px
|smallimage =
|alt =
|caption = Blaikie addressing the 2013 federal NDP convention in Montreal
|office = President of the New Democratic Party
|term_start = September 12, 2011
|term_end = April 10, 2016
|predecessor = Brian Topp
|successor = Marit Stiles
|majority =
|office2 = Treasurer of the New Democratic Party
|term_start2 = 2009
|term_end2 = 2011
|successor2 =
|majority2 =
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|death_date =
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|party = New Democratic Party
|spouse =
|partner =
|parents = {{hlist | Bill Blaikie | Brenda Blaikie}}
|relatives = Daniel Blaikie (brother)
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater = {{ubl | Concordia University | University of Winnipeg}}
|occupation =
|signature =
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|website =
}}
Rebecca Blaikie is a Canadian politician, who served as president of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2011 to 2016.{{cite news |title=NDP hunts for source of cyber-attack on electronic voting system |first=Joan |last=Bryden |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ndp-hunts-for-source-of-cyber-attack-on-electronic-voting-system/article2380956/ |agency=The Canadian Press |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=March 26, 2012 |accessdate=March 31, 2012 }}
She is the daughter of Bill Blaikie, a former NDP Member of Parliament from Winnipeg, deputy leader of the party, and provincial cabinet minister.{{cite web |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=b42f24b0-65c3-47aa-9997-d0678cacc904&Language=E&Section=ALL |title=Parliamentarian File - Complete File - BLAIKIE, The Hon. Rev. William Alexander (Bill), P.C., B.A., M.Div. |work=PARLINFO |publisher=Parliament of Canada |accessdate=March 31, 2012}} Her brother Daniel Blaikie was elected as Member of Parliament for their father's former riding of Elmwood—Transcona in 2015.
She has an undergraduate degree in Canadian social history from the University of Winnipeg and a graduate degree in community economic development from Concordia University's School of Community and Public Affairs.
Candidate for the New Democratic Party
Blaikie was a candidate for the NDP in the 2004 Canadian federal election in then-Prime Minister Paul Martin's electoral district of LaSalle—Émard in Montreal, Quebec.{{cite news |title=NDPer bidding to bring riding back to fold |first=Mia |last=Rabson |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ndper-bidding-to-bring-riding-back-to-fold-116145729.html |newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press |date=February 14, 2011 |page=A2 |accessdate=March 31, 2012 }} She received 4.4 per cent of the vote, coming in fourth place. She did, however, receive a large amount of press coverage.
As executive director of the party's Quebec wing, she was one of the architects of Tom Mulcair's historic victory in the 2007 Outremont by-electionJoe Paraskevas, "'Toban making waves in Quebec politics", Winnipeg Free Press, 17 September 2007, A5.—he became the first New Democrat to win a federal seat in Quebec since Phil Edmonston in the 1990 Chambly by-election, and Outremont had voted Liberal in every election since its creation except for the Progressive Conservative win of 1988. She was also widely credited with setting the groundwork for the party's historic breakthrough in the province in the 2011 election.Heather Scoffield, "[https://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i2hiestTxRRHtIx8YzynODJYGqbA?docId=6875378 NDP now the controversial voice of Quebec in Ottawa: Will it backfire?]{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}", The Canadian Press, 17 May 2011
She then returned to Manitoba to work for the provincial government. She ran in the 2011 federal election in the district of Winnipeg North,{{cite news |title=What's next for Rebecca Blaikie? |first=Mary Agnes |last=Welch |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/federal-election/wpgnorth/Whats-next-for-Rebecca-Blaikie-121174254.html |newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press |date=May 3, 2011 |accessdate=March 31, 2012 }} receiving 35.41 per cent of the vote, narrowly losing to incumbent Kevin Lamoureux of the Liberal Party by 44 votes (0.17 per cent).{{cite news |title=Recounts confirm Liberal victory in Winnipeg, Tory win in Northern Ontario |first=Gloria |last=Galloway |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/recounts-confirm-liberal-victory-in-winnipeg-tory-win-in-northern-ontario/article2024876/ |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=May 17, 2011 |accessdate=March 31, 2012 }}{{cite web |url=http://elections.ca/scripts/ovr2011/34/9122.html |title= Poll-by-poll results: Winnipeg North |year=2011 |work=Official Voting Results: Forty-first General Election 2011 |publisher=Elections Canada |accessdate=March 31, 2012}}
NDP treasurer and president
Blaikie was elected treasurer of the NDP at its 2009 convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was reelected at the 2011 convention in Vancouver, alongside Brian Topp, who had been elected president. After Jack Layton's death, Topp resigned as party president to run in the leadership race. As the party's federal council may fill vacancies with one of its own members, it chose Blaikie to fill the seat of president. Blaikie was re-elected as president at the 2013 Montreal convention.
One of Blaikie's first notable acts as party president was to preside over the 2012 leadership election, which Tom Mulcair won.
Her term as president of the NDP ended in 2016.[https://www.hilltimes.com/2016/04/09/four-in-race-to-become-next-ndp-president-after-disastrous-election-i-think-its-important-we-get-the-right-people-in-this-time/57592 "Four in race to become next NDP president after disastrous election, ‘I think it’s important we get the right people in this time’"]. The Hill Times, April 9, 2016. At the party's convention in April 2016, Marit Stiles was selected as her successor.[https://ipolitics.ca/2016/04/11/new-ndp-president-supportive-of-mulcair-remaining-leader-till-successor-chosen/ "New NDP president supportive of Mulcair remaining leader till successor chosen"]. iPolitics, April 11, 2016.
Electoral history
{{2011 Canadian federal election/Winnipeg North}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blaikie, Rebecca}}
Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent
Category:Canadian political consultants
Category:Concordia University alumni
Category:Manitoba candidates for Member of Parliament
Category:New Democratic Party candidates for the Canadian House of Commons
Category:Politicians from Winnipeg
Category:Presidents of the New Democratic Party of Canada
Category:Quebec candidates for Member of Parliament