Drew Caldwell

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Drew Caldwell (born April 10, 1960 in Brandon, Manitoba) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently a member of the Manitoba legislature, and was formerly cabinet minister in the government of Gary Doer.

Caldwell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandon University and a Bachelor of Education degree from Queen's University in Kingston, and also engaged in graduate studies in history at McGill University. He returned to Brandon following his education, and became active in such community organizations as the Brandon Poverty Forum and the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.

Caldwell served on the Brandon city council from 1992 to 1999. From 1997 to 1999, he was an Executive Member of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities, the Manitoba Association of Urban Municipalities and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities.

In the provincial election of 1999, Caldwell was elected as a New Democrat in the riding of Brandon East, receiving 4840 votes against 2080 for Progressive Conservative Marty Snelling. On October 5, 1999, Caldwell was appointed Minister of Education and Training (renamed Minister of Education, Training and Youth in 2001). Following a cabinet shuffle on September 25, 2002, he was named Minister of Family Services and Housing with responsibility for Persons with Disabilities.

Caldwell was re-elected in the Manitoba election of 2003, defeating Progressive Conservative Greg Dinsdale by 3870 votes to 2036. He was dropped from cabinet on November 4, 2003, and now sits as a backbencher. According to news reports from the period, Caldwell's departure from cabinet was voluntary, and was the result of serious health concerns involving a respiratory difficulty.