Leon Benoit

Leon Earl Benoit
Member of Parliament
for Vegreville—Wainwright
Incumbent
Assumed office
2004
Preceded by first member
Member of Parliament
for Lakeland
In office
1997–2004
Preceded by first member
Succeeded by riding dissolved
Member of Parliament
for Vegreville
In office
1993–1997
Preceded by Don Mazankowski
Succeeded by riding dissolved
Personal details
Born July 7, 1950
Lloydminster, Saskatchewan
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Linda Benoit
Residence Sherwood Park, Alberta
Profession farmer, economist

Leon Earl Benoit (born July 7, 1950) is a Canadian politician.

Benoit is currently a member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Vegreville—Wainwright since 2004, Lakeland from 1997 to 2004 and Vegreville from 1993 to 1997. He has also been a member of the Canadian Alliance (2000-2003) and the Reform Party of Canada (1993-2000). Benoit is a former economist and farmer. Benoit is the former official opposition critic of Public Works and Government Services and of the Canadian Wheat Board, Intergovernmental Affairs, Citizenship and Immigration, and National Defence.

In May 2007 when Benoit was the chair of the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade he came under scrutiny when he adjourned the committee after the opposition overruled him. His move was "unprecedented". After he abruptly adjourned the committee, the Vice-Chair took over and the meeting resumed after he and three of the four other Conservative members had left.[1]

The meeting had to do with North American Energy Security. Gordon Laxer presented a talk in which he questioned why Canada's oil exports were being used to guarantee US energy security, as opposed to Canada using its energy resources to provide for the security of Canadians first, and then others. Benoit felt Laxer had not been on topic.[2]

Regarding the Citizen's Arrest and Self-Defence Act, Benoit stated that the legislation would expand the circumstances in which citizens can make arrests, as well as it simplifies the self-defense and defense of property provisions in the Criminal Code.[3]

In 2013, Benoit joined two other Conservative MPs (Saskatchewan MP Maurice Vellacott and Ontario MP Wladyslaw Lizon) in writing a letter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police requesting a homicide investigation into some late term abortions that may have resulted in live births. The letter was criticized as an attempt to reopen the abortion debate. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said, "I think all members of this House, whether they agree with it or not, understand that abortion is legal in Canada and this government, myself included, have made it very clear that the government does not intend to change the law in this regard."[4][5]

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Jeffrey, Andrew. "The Sherwood Park News - Citizen arrests gain freedom". The Sherwood Park News. The Sherwood Park News. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  4. ↑ Canadian Press (1 February 2013). "‘Abortion legal,’ Harper says of rogue Tory MPs’ letter". The Province.
  5. ↑ "MPs’ request to have RCMP investigate abortions is way off base". The Globe and Mail. 1 February 2013.

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