Chuck Strahl

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Hon. Charles Strahl
Chuck Strahl

Member of Parliament
for Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon
Incumbent
Assumed office 
1993 election
Preceded by Ross Belsher

Born February 25, 1957 (1957-02-25) (age 51)
Flag of Canada New Westminster, British Columbia
Political party Conservative
Residence Chilliwack
Profession Businessman/Logging Contractor
Cabinet Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Religion Christian and Missionary Alliance

Charles Strahl, PC, MP (born February 25, 1957 in New Westminster, British Columbia) is a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He is a Member of Parliament in the governing Conservative Party of Canada, and is the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Strahl was raised in British Columbia's Interior, attending Trinity Western University, and worked for a private logging and road building company. He was first elected to office in the Reform Party sweep of the region in the 1993 election. He was re-elected in 1997 and 2000 elections, running as a member of the Canadian Alliance, which had replaced Reform, in 2000. He represents the Fraser Valley, a large riding in a primarily agricultural area of the province. He has held a number of shadow cabinet and committee positions. He is a member of the Chilliwack Alliance Church.[1]

Strahl first rose to national prominence in the summer of 2001 when he was the leader and most outspoken member of a group of Canadian Alliance MPs opposed to the leadership of Stockwell Day. Strahl and a group of other MPs left the Alliance caucus and sat as members of the Democratic Representative Caucus and worked closely with the Progressive Conservative Party. Strahl's efforts were successful, and Day was ousted as party leader and replaced by Stephen Harper.

Strahl was viewed as a well-spoken and moderate member of the Canadian Alliance who could woo eastern Canada, but his leadership ambitions were frustrated due to his inability to speak French, as well as the lasting distrust amongst many colleagues over his rebellion in 2001. He attempted to launch a bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party, but could not secure enough financial or political support to launch a viable campaign.[2] Strahl then supported Tony Clement in his failed leadership bid.

At the outset of the 38th Parliament of Canada, Strahl was appointed Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees of the Whole under the new rules brought about as a result of the minority government situation.

In August 2005, Strahl announced that he had been diagnosed with inoperable/terminal lung cancer as the result of exposure to asbestos many years prior. He noticed the problem in July of the same year when his lung collapsed twice.[3]

However, despite his health problems, he successfully ran for re-election in the 2006 election. Although it was widely speculated that he would become Speaker of the new Parliament, he instead joined Stephen Harper's Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture on February 6, 2006. On August 14, 2007, he became Indian Affairs Minister in a cabinet shuffle.

On June 11, 2008 Prime minister Stephen Harper thanked Strahl for his work as a minister on addressing the matter of the Indian residential schools and providing a gonvernment apology for the residential school system. Stephen Harper's thanks to his minister before he made the apology to former students of Indian residential schools.[4]

Strahl married in 1975 and has four children.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Comment: Love those pesky 'serious Christians'
  2. ^ Lack of money may prevent Strahl from entering Conservative leadership race
  3. ^ Conservative MP Chuck Strahl has lung cancer
  4. ^ Harper, Stephen J., "Apology to Former Students of Indian Residential Schools" House of Commons Debates, Official Reports (Hansard) 39th Parl., 2nd Sess. (June 11, 2008) (Online) [1]

[edit] External links

28th Ministry - Government of Stephen Harper
Cabinet Posts (2)
Predecessor Office Successor
Jim Prentice Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
(from 14 August 2007)
Incumbent
Andy Mitchell Minister of Agriculture
(from 6 February 2006 to 14 August 2007)
Gerry Ritz
Political offices
Preceded by
Bob Kilger
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons
20042006
Succeeded by
Bill Blaikie
Parliament of Canada
Preceded by
Ross Belsher, Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament for Fraser Valley East
1993–1997
Succeeded by
Electoral district abolished in 1996
Preceded by
Electoral district created in 1996
Member of Parliament for Fraser Valley
1997–2004
Succeeded by
Electoral district abolished in 2003
Preceded by
Electoral district created in 2003
Member of Parliament for Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon
2004–present
Succeeded by
incumbent
Languages