Wayne Marston

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Wayne L. Marston

Member of Parliament for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Incumbent
Assumed office 2006
Preceded by	Tony Valeri

Born	February 27 1947 ( 1947-02-27) (age 61) Sisson Ridge, New Brunswick
Political party	NDP
Spouse	Barbara Marston
Residence	Hamilton, Ontario
Profession	Technician
Portfolio	Multiculturalism & Sport

Wayne L. Marston (born February 27, 1947 in Sisson Ridge, New Brunswick) is a Canadian politician. Marston was the New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate for the Hamilton, Ontario riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek in the 2006 federal election. He defeated Liberal House Leader Tony Valeri.

Prior to his election to the Canadian House of Commons, Marston served as President of the Hamilton and District Labour Council for 11 years. Marston was also a School Board Trustee for Ward 5 of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board from 2000 until his resignation, after his federal election victory, on January 24, 2006.

Marston had previously ran for the NDP in the former federal riding of Hamilton East in the 1993 and 1997 federal elections. He was defeated both times by Liberal cabinet minister Sheila Copps. He was also the NDP candidate in the 1996 Hamilton East byelection, triggered by Copps' resignation over her government's failure to repeal the unpopular Goods and Services Tax as promised by her and her party in 1993.

Although Copps ran in and won the 1996 byelection, Marston finished a strong second to her, reducing Copps' margin of victory significantly. Copps' riding was once the strongest Liberal riding in the Hamilton area (holding even during the 1984 Mulroney sweep), but after the byelection, Hamilton East emerged as the weakest Liberal riding in the Hamilton area (Hamilton West, Hamilton Mountain and Stoney Creek all subsequently gave the Liberals larger margins of victory). Copps also lost personal standing within the Liberal Party after the byelection, and she was eventually defeated by fellow Liberal MP Tony Valeri in a pitched battle for the Liberal nomination in the new Hamilton East-Stoney Creek riding when it was created out of her former Hamilton East riding and Valeri's former Stoney Creek riding in 2004.

Many would argue that Marston's previous candidacy therefore set the stage for his and the NDP's resurgence in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek in 2006.