Elsie Wayne
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| Image:Elsiewayne.jpg |
|
| In office | |
|---|---|
| 1993 election – 2004 election | |
| Riding | Saint John |
| Preceded by | Gerald Merrithew |
| Succeeded by | Paul Zed |
| Born | April 20, 1932 Shediac, New Brunswick |
| Political party |
Progressive Conservative (1993-2003) |
| Profession(s) | Businesswoman, community activist, secretary |
| Religion | Baptist |
Elsie Eleanore Wayne (born Fairweather) (born April 20, 1932 in Shediac, New Brunswick) is a Canadian politician, and a former Progressive Conservative MP for Saint John.
Contents |
[edit] Political career
In 1977, she was elected to the Saint John municipal council. In 1983, she became the first female mayor of Saint John, and became extremely popular in that city.
In the 1993 federal election, she ran as the ruling Progressive Conservative Party's candidate in the riding of Saint John. In this election, the Tories suffered the worst ever defeat for a governing party at the federal level in Canada. Wayne was one of only two Tories elected nationwide, the other being Jean Charest. She was also the only non-Liberal elected in Atlantic Canada that year. She was elected by only 4,000 votes, but never faced another contest nearly that close.
In 1998, when Charest resigned the leadership of the PC party to become leader of the Parti libéral du Québec, Wayne was appointed the party's interim leader, a post she held until former Prime Minister Joe Clark was elected party leader later that year.
She supported the merger of the Progressive Conservatives (led by Peter MacKay) and the Canadian Alliance (led by Stephen Harper) in 2003.
Wayne announced her retirement from politics on February 16, 2004 and did not run for re-election in the 2004 election to the Canadian House of Commons.
[edit] Political positions
Politically, she was known as being socially conservative, opposing same-sex marriage, abortion and decriminalization of marijuana. Wayne made comments that offended some, once saying "If they (same-sex couples) are going to live together, they can go live together and shut up about it. There is no need of this foolishness."
Fiscally, Wayne was a strong believer in Canada's social safety net and the welfare state, which was typical for most Tories from Atlantic Canada. She is also among Canada's most vocal monarchists.
[edit] Life after leaving Parliament
Wayne was rumoured to be considering a run for her old seat in the 2006 election, but these rumours came to nothing. She did, however, serve as chairwoman of the Conservative campaign in Atlantic Canada.
She is married to Richard Wayne and has two sons, Daniel and Stephen.
[edit] External links
- Canadian Politics: Riding by Riding - Saint John
- Wayne leaving federal politics
- Conservative Party of Canada Official Website - Elsie Wayne Profile
- Federal Political Biography from the Library of Parliament
| Preceded by Gerald Merrithew |
Member of Parliament for Saint John 1993-2004 |
Succeeded by Paul Zed |
| Preceded by Jean Charest |
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada 1998 |
Succeeded by Joe Clark |
