Margaret-Ann Blaney

Margaret-Ann Blaney
MLA for Rothesay
Saint John-Kings from 1999 to 2006
In office
1999 – May 16, 2012
Preceded by Laureen Jarrett
Succeeded by Ted Flemming
New Brunswick Transportation Minister
In office
1999–2001
Preceded by Sheldon Lee
Succeeded by Percy Mockler
New Brunswick Public Safety Minister
In office
2001–2003
Preceded by Milt Sherwood
Succeeded by Wayne Steeves
New Brunswick Training and Employment Development Minister
In office
2003–2006
Preceded by Norm McFarlane
Succeeded by Jody Carr
New Brunswick Environment Minister
In office
2010 – May 16, 2012
Preceded by Rick Miles
Succeeded by Craig Leonard
New Brunswick Minister responsible for the Status of Women
In office
1999–2006
Preceded by Marcelle Mersereau
Succeeded by Joan MacAlpine-Stiles
New Brunswick Minister responsible for the Status of Women
In office
2010 – May 16, 2012
Preceded by Mary Schryer
New Brunswick Minister responsible for Communications New Brunswick
In office
2010 – May 16, 2012
Preceded by Victor Boudreau
Personal details
Born Corner Brook, Newfoundland
Political party Progressive Conservative
Residence Rothesay, New Brunswick
Occupation Journalist, Politician

Margaret-Ann (née O'Rourke) Blaney, (born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland) is a Canadian journalist and politician. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999 until May 2012, representing Rothesay (formerly Saint John-Kings) as member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Early life

An honours graduate with a Bachelor's degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Newfoundland, Blaney worked as a reporter for both television and radio from 1982–1993, when she became a candidate against Brian Tobin in the 1993 Canadian federal election, finishing a distant second. Shortly thereafter she married and moved to Rothesay, New Brunswick where she managed her husband's veterinary practice. In 1994, Ms. Blaney and her husband started their own small business, the Atlantic Veterinary Hospital in Rothesay, N.B. She was active in the business as co-owner / general manager until June 1999. In 1997, she was a candidate for leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick, losing to Bernard Lord.

Political career

She was elected to the New Brunswick legislature in the 1999 election and was named to cabinet as Minister of Transportation. While minister, her riding executive solicited donations from highway contractors, implying that Blaney would favour those who donated. There was briefly a large amount of controversy surrounding this, however; the Moncton Times & Transcript newspaper ran an editorial cartoon with one contractor asking another, while referring to a bulge in his pocket, "Is that Margaret-Ann Blaney in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" This cartoon was derided as sexist and both Blaney and Bernard Lord cried in the legislature when commenting on it. The legislature unanimously passed a motion condemning the cartoon and the controversy soon shifted from Blaney to the paper.[1]

In 2001, Blaney was shuffled to the Department of Public Safety. She was re-elected in 2003 and became Minister of Training & Employment Development. On February 14, 2006, she was shuffled out of cabinet; she said this was by choice as she wanted to focus more closely on riding issues. She was re-elected in 2006 and sat in opposition to the new Liberal government.

On October 12, 2010 Blaney became a member of the Executive Council and Environment Minister, Minister Responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women and Minister Responsible for Communications New Brunswick. On March 15, 2012 Blaney became Energy Minister and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Resignation and appointment to chief executive officer of Efficiency New Brunswick

On May 16, 2012 Blaney announced that she was resigning as an minister and MLA, and had accepted appointment as chief executive officer of Efficiency New Brunswick.[2]

Electoral history

2010 New Brunswick election: Rothesay[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Progressive Conservative Margaret-Ann Blaney 3374 56.57 +7.94
     Liberal Victoria Clarke 1694 28.40 -18.73
     NDP Pamela Scichilone 535 8.37 +4.13
GreenSharon Murphy-Flatt 361 6.05 -
New Brunswick general election, 2006: Rothesay[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Progressive Conservative Margaret-Ann Blaney 2853 48.6 +0.6
     Liberal Paul Barry 2765 47.1 +10.5
     NDP Troy Polchies 249 4.2 -7.9
New Brunswick general election, 2003: Saint John-Kings[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Progressive Conservative Margaret-Ann Blaney 3,135 48.0 -17.6
     Liberal Tom Young 2,456 37.6 +12.6
     NDP Jeff Joseph Thibodeau 791 12.1 +2.6
GreyMark LeBlanc 145 2.2 –
New Brunswick general election, 1999: Saint John-Kings[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Progressive Conservative Margaret-Ann Blaney 4,605 65.6 +29.6
     Liberal Zita Longobardi 1,752 25.0 -19.6
     NDP Ken Wilcox 664 9.5 -2.1
1997 PCNB leadership first ballot[6]
Candidate Votes %
Bernard Lord 1,390 36.6
Norm Betts 1,223 32.2
Cleveland Allaby 663 17.4
Margaret-Ann Blaney 527 13.9
Blaney eliminated, Allaby withdrew
Canadian federal election, 1993
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalBrian Tobin 25,920 82.18 +15.15
Progressive ConservativeMargaret Ann O'Rourke 4,852 15.38 -13.91
New DemocraticLinda Soper 770 2.44 -1.24
Total votes 31,542100.00

References

  1. ↑ Tories stung by political cartoon, CBC
  2. ↑ Blaney resigns to become Efficiency NB CEO
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nbvotes2010/map/2010/#32 New Brunswick Votes 2010]. CBC News. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  4. ↑ http://www.gnb.ca/elections/pdf/2003ProvRpt.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.gnb.ca/elections/pdf/1999ProvRpt.pdf
  6. ↑ Canadian Press bulletin. NB-Tory-Leadership-Results. October 18, 1997, 4:33pm ET