Margaret-Ann Blaney
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Margaret-Ann (née O'Rourke) Blaney, B.S.W. (born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador) is a Canadian journalist and politician. She is currently the member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for the riding of Rothesay (formerly Saint John-Kings).
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 was married and moved to Rothesay, New Brunswick where she managed her husband's veterinary practice. In 1997, she was a candidate for leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick losing to Bernard Lord.
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 inferring 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.
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.
| Provincial Government of Bernard Lord | ||
| Cabinet Posts (3) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Norm McFarlane | Minister of Training and Employment Development (2003-2006) Carr served in the successor porfolio of Post-Secondary Education and Training |
Jody Carr |
| Milt Sherwood | Minister of Public Safety (2001-2003) |
Wayne Steeves |
| Sheldon Lee | Minister of Transportation (1999-2001) |
Percy Mockler |
| Special Cabinet Responsibilities | ||
| Predecessor | Title | Successor |
| Marcelle Mersereau | Minister responsible for the Status of Women (1999-2006) |
Joan MacAlpine-Stiles |
| new district | MLA for Rothesay 2006-present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Laureen Jarrett (Liberal) |
MLA for Saint John-Kings 1999-2006 |
district name changed |
