Theresa Oswald

Theresa Oswald, MLA is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She is a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Oswald was born and raised in St. Vital, Manitoba, and was a teacher and school administrator for fifteen years before entering politics. She initially taught English, later serving as vice-principal at Victor Mager School in the Louis Riel Division. In the latter capacity, she frequently worked with children and families who arrived in Canada from war-ravaged countries. Oswald has also been involved in local groups such as the Victoria Hospital, the Zoological Society of Manitoba and Take Pride Winnipeg!.

Oswald was part of the NDP's historic breakthrough in south-end Winnipeg in the provincial election of 2003, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative Louise Dacquay in the riding of Seine River, 4,314 votes to 3,582. The NDP had never won this riding before. Oswald's campaign focused on greater access to post-secondary education and a tuition freeze for university students.

In August 2004, Oswald was appointed to lead a task-force committee looking for ways to encourage physical activity in the province's youth.

Oswald was appointed as a cabinet minister in Gary Doer's government on October 12, 2004, serving as the Minister responsible for Healthy Living, Seniors and Healthy Child Manitoba. In 2006, she was promoted to Minister of Health,^[1] where she introduced bold new initiatives such as making a family doctor available to every Manitoban, new investments in women's and maternal health, promoted organ donation and introduced groundbreaking legislation to require life-saving heart defibrillators in public places. Her work to improve cancer care, including making all cancer drugs available to patients at no charge, was celebrated by the Canadian Cancer Society with a Diamond Jubilee medal.

She was re-elected with an increased majority in the 2007 provincial election.

In 2013 she was again promoted to lead the government's new flagship department of Jobs and the Economy, where she has since focused on expanding access to training programs to help increase the supply of skilled workers, expanded supports for start-ups and young entrepreneurs and introduced a boost to housing benefits for those on social assistance and the working poor.

Oswald resigned her cabinet position on November 3, 2014 along with Jennifer Howard, Erin Selby, Stan Struthers, and Andrew Swan due to concerns about Premier Selinger's leadership.^[2] She remained an NDP MLA after resignation. On December 21, 2014, Oswald declared her candidacy for the party leadership.^[3] Oswald was defeated on the second ballot at the leadership convention on March 8, 2015 by Selinger.^[4]

Electoral results

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References