Anne McGrath

Anne McGrath
McGrath at the NDP's 2011 federal election campaign launch

Deputy Chief of Staff to the Premier of Alberta
National Director of the New Democratic Party
In office 2014–2015
Leader	Tom Mulcair
Preceded by	Nathan Rothman
Succeeded by	Karl Bélanger
President of the New Democratic Party
In office September 10, 2006 – August 16, 2009
Leader	Jack Layton
Preceded by	Adam Giambrone
Succeeded by	Peggy Nash
Personal details
Born	c. 1958
Political party	New Democratic Party (1993 or earlier-present)
Other political affiliations	Communist Party of Canada (1984-??)

Anne McGrath (born c. 1958) is deputy chief of staff to Rachel Notley, Premier of Alberta.^[1]

Previously was the National Director of the New Democratic Party (NDP) of Canada, as well as chief of staff to Jack Layton, the late leader of the NDP. As Chief of Staff to Jack Layton (2008–2011), she is credited with professionalizing caucus operations and co-designing Layton’s historic breakthrough to Official Opposition status. She stayed on as chief of staff to interim party leader Nycole Turmel and the federal NDP Caucus, during Turmel's interim leadership. She was president of the party from 2006 to 2009; she was elected on September 10, 2006 at the party's convention in Quebec City and her term ended on August 16, 2009 when Peggy Nash was elected president at the party's convention in Halifax. Before that, she had been director of operations for the NDP federal caucus.

She is a frequent commentator on national media broadcasts and has been identified as one of the 100 most influential people in government and politics in Ottawa. She has been an activist in the labour, student and women's movements ^[2] and had been employed by CUPE National as Director of Equality and as executive assistant to CUPE's national president Judy Darcy, and by Oxfam Canada. In 1993, McGrath was the Alberta New Democratic Party's candidate in Calgary-Bow.^[3] In 1995 she was their candidate in a provincial by-election in Calgary-McCall and came in third place.^[4] In 1995 she ran against Ross Harvey for the leadership of the Alberta NDP, coming second.

In 1979-80 she was President of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa.^[5] She graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and began her career as a teacher. She then held a variety of positions with not-for-profit organizations including working as Canadian Programme Officer for Oxfam-Canada and Community Development Team Leader and senior education officer for the Canadian Mental Health Association. She has a Master’s Degree in Communications Studies.^[6] She has also served as a board member and social issues chair of the Elizabeth Fry Society, Vice-President of National Action Committee on the Status of Women, and a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action: Beijing and Beyond.^[7] In the 1984 federal election, while a student, she ran as candidate for the Communist Party of Canada in Edmonton—Strathcona,^[8] placing seventh.

She is portrayed by Wendy Crewson in the 2013 CBC Television film Jack.

1995 Alberta NDP leadership challenge

(Held on November 11, 1995)^[9]

Ross Harvey 177
Anne McGrath 118
Joe Weykowich 30
Lawrence Dubrofsky 3

Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 1984: Edmonton—Strathcona
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	Progressive Conservative	David Kilgour	33,712	61.43	+2.05
	New Democratic	Doris S. Burghardt	11,095	20.22	+8.21
	Liberal	Sandra Douglas-Tubb	8,500	15.49	−11.66
	Confederation of Regions	Lorne Cass	749	1.36
	Green	Russell John Mulvey	466	0.85
	Social Credit	Norman Utz	218	0.40
	Communist	Anne McGrath	137	0.25	−0.01
Total valid votes			54,877	100.00

Alberta general election, 1993: Calgary-Bow
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	Progressive Conservative	Bonnie Laing	7,011	46.28%	11.39%
	Liberal	Rob Van Walleghem	5,369	35.44%	1.22%
	New Democratic	Anne McGrath	1,908	12.60%	−18.29%
	Social Credit	Patrick John Hudson	376	2.48%
	Green	David Crowe	287	1.90%
	Confederation of Regions	Roberta McDonald	120	0.79%
	Natural Law	Alan Livingston	78	0.51%
Total			15,149
Rejected, spoiled, and declined			60
Eligible electors / Turnout			23,546	64.59%
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		6.31%
Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 9, 2010.

Alberta provincial by-election, April 20, 1995: Calgary-McCall
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	Progressive Conservative	Shiraz Shariff	2,496	43.64%	−1.44%
	Liberal	Jeet Shergill	1,980	34.61%	2.63%
	New Democratic	Anne McGrath	713	12.46%	2.61%
	Social Credit	Doug Cooper	470	8.22%
	Confederation of Regions	Peter Hope	61	1.07%	−0.34%
Total			5,720
Rejected, spoiled and declined			17
Eligible electors / Turnout			20,514	27.97%
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		−2.04%
Source: "Calgary-McCall by-election official results". Elections Alberta. April 20, 1995. Retrieved February 6, 2012.

References

↑ The Hill Times, #1314, MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015, pg 2.
↑ "Anne McGrath elected NDP President" (Press release). New Democratic Party. September 10, 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
↑ http://canadianelectionsdatabase.ca/PHASE4/?p=0&type=election&ID=349#page_1=constituency_3451
↑ http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/pastbyelection.html#april1995 Archived September 27, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
↑ https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/41540639/
↑ http://www.ipolitics.ca/author/amcgrath/
↑ http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Anne-McGrath/302832076
↑ "Election '84 - Edmonton Strathcona (Canadidate profiles)". Edmonton Journal. August 31, 1984. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
↑ Edmonton Journal, November 13, 1995

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