Maurice Vellacott

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Maurice Vellacott

Incumbent
Riding	Wanuskewin (1997-2000); Saskatoon—Wanuskewin (2000-present)
In office since	1997 election
Preceded by	New district
Born	September 29 1955 (age 51) Wadena
Residence	Saskatoon
Political party	Conservative
Profession(s)	businessman, minister
Religion	Mennonite
Spouse	Mary Vellacott

Maurice Vellacott (born September 29, 1955) is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997, and is currently the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin in the province of Saskatchewan.

Vellacott is a prominent social conservative. He is co-chair of the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus, which includes MPs from different parties.

Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Reform MP 3 Canadian Alliance MP 4 Conservative MP 5 In government 6 External link 7 Table of offices held 8 Electoral record 9 Footnotes

[edit] Early life and career

Vellacott was born to what he describes as a "lower-income" family in Wadena, Saskatchewan, and was raised in Quill Lake.^[1] He obtained a Bachelor's degree from Briercrest College, a Christian educational institution located in Caronport, Saskatchewan, and later earned a Master of Divinity at the Canadian Thelogical Seminary (affiliated with the University of Regina) and a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity International University, which is an evangelical Christian university in Deerfield, Illinois. Before entering political life, he was a pastor and health care worker.^[2] He joined the Reform Party of Canada in 1990.^[3]

Vellacott campaigned in the 1995 Saskatchewan provincial election as a Liberal, and lost to New Democratic Party candidate Eric Cline in Saskatoon Mount Royal. He later argued that running as a Liberal was consistent with his political ideology, in that the provincial Liberal platform of 1995 contained several policies advocated by the Reform Party, which did not have provincial affiliates.^[4]

Vellacott was elected for Ward Two on the Saskatoon District Health Board in 1995, and served on the board for two years before his election to the House of Commons. He wrote an editorial piece about Canada's health care system in 1996, defending the public model as far superior to the "fragmented" American system in combating administrative waste, but also arguing that the system was in need of renewal and an infusion of funds. Vellacott suggested that Saskatoon District Health could impose a surchange on American health insurers for certain medical procedures given to American patients, "and in the process make money to inject back into the public system for the people of Saskatchewan."^[5]

In early 1997, Vellacott opposed a request by Saskatoon's Gay and Lesbian Health Services (GLHS) for health board funding. Gens Hellquist of GLHS had argued that homophobic intolerance was responsible for higher levels of depression in the GLBT community in relation to society as a whole, and that community-specific funding would address these and other concerns. Vellacott responded by suggesting that many homosexuals were inappropriately blaming their personal difficulties on homophobia.^[6]

Vellacott also called for the removal of VLTs from the city, blaming them for an increase in health costs related to gambling addiction.^[7] His motion for a VLT plebiscite was defeated in May 1997.^[8]

[edit] Reform MP

In early 1997, Vellacott defeated Sam Dyck and Fred Wesolowski to win the Reform Party's nomination for Wanuskewin. Dyck later ran as an independent candidate against Vellacott in the 1997 federal election, arguing that Vellacott would try to "legislate morality" if victorious.^[9] Vellacott was nonetheless elected, amid a general gain for Reform in Saskatchewan. The Liberal Party won a majority government, and Vellacott served as a member of the Official Opposition.

Shortly after his election, Vellacott announced that he would introduce a Private Member's Bill to eliminate the national Court Challenges Program, which provides funding for groups that bring human rights cases before the Canadian courts. He argued that "some zealots" were "using our important tax dollars" for dubious ends via the program, and singled out an effort by Saskatoon resident Ailsa Watkinson to prohibit corporal punishment against children.^[10] Vellacott wrote an editorial piece in early 1998 describing Watkinson as a "social engineer" promoting an "extremist agenda", and accusing Canada's "unelected judges" of "judicial imperialism" in their interpretations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.^[11] A supporter of Watkinson responded that Vellacott's piece was a "mixture of invective and innuendo", and argued that his defence of corporal punishment was based on flawed logic.^[12]

Vellacott supported other socially conservative initiatives. In late 1998, he brought forward a "conscience rights" bill to prevent nurses and doctors from being forced to perform abortions.^[13] He wrote an editorial against same-sex marriage the following year, arguing that marriage should be restricted to heterosexual couples because of its traditional role in the procreation and nurturing of children. He wrote that "homosexuals already have the right to marry, providing that -- like everybody else -- they marry someone of the opposite sex".^[14] He opposed granting spousal benefits for same-sex couples, describing supporters of the initiative as "activist liberal judges and a small but aggressive homosexual lobby".^[15]

In 1999, he criticized the Saskatchewan government's decision to force thirteen-year-old Tyrell Dueck into cancer treatment. Dueck's parents objected to continued cancer treatment at the Saskatoon cancer centre on the grounds that it did not appear to be working, and instead sought to access a more experimental treatment in Mexico. Vellacott supported parental discretion in such matters.^[16]

Vellacott also called for full compensation to Hepatitis C victims during his first term in Parliament, arguing that the government could overcome complicated legal issues around liability by issuing ex gratia payments.^[17]

Vellacott confirmed his support for Preston Manning's leadership of the Reform Party in 1998, after two other Saskatchewan Reform MPs called for a leadership review.^[18] He originally voted against the 1999 United Alternative initiative which led to the creation of the Canadian Alliance, but later changed his mind and supported it.^[19] In March 2000, he became the first Reform MP to endorse Stockwell Day's ultimately successful bid for the Canadian Alliance leadership.^[20] Vellacott said that he supported Day's "respect for life and his recognition of the family as the basic building block of society".^[21] He also defended the socially-conservative Campaign Life Coalition during the campaign, after that organization was criticized for drawing attention to homosexual supporters of rival candidate Tom Long.^[22]

[edit] Canadian Alliance MP

Vellacott was re-elected by an increased majority in the 2000 election, as a candidate of the Canadian Alliance.

In January 2001, he argued that Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson had abused her office by sending a "best wishes" message to a newly-married same-sex couple in Toronto. Clarkson's office responded that the letter was a personal courtesy, and was not a political statement.^[23]

Stockwell Day's leadership of the Canadian Alliance came under increased scrutiny in the summer of 2001, and several MPs called for his resignation. Vellacott remained a Day supporter, and described the critics as "backstabbers, hijackers (and) guerrillas".^[24] Day resigned late in the year, and declared that he would campaign to succeed himself in the following leadership contest. Vellacott again supported his candidacy.^[25] Supporters of rival candidate Stephen Harper criticized Vellacott for mailing out endorsements of Day through his constituency office, at public expense.^[26] Harper won the contest.

Vellacott continued to support socially conservative causes as a Canadian Alliance MP, and was a vocal opponent of embryonic stem-cell research in 2002, although he supports adult stem cell research.^[27] In the same year, he mailed out a controversial pamphlet opposing the addition of sexual orientation as a protected category under Canada's hate crimes legislation. Vellacott claimed the policy change "substantially interferes with the right of religious and education leaders to communicate essential matters of faith".^[28]

Also in 2002, Vellacott was the only MP to speak against a parliamentary motion recognizing an Armenian genocide as having occurred in 1915. He was quoted as saying:

What the Turks so strenuously object to is the Armenian activists' one-sided portrayal of the tragic events to the world community and labelling them as genocide, using, in some cases, distortion or exaggeration of facts to further their political agenda of obtaining money and land from Turkey. While doing so, Armenians ignore the death and massacre of more than twice as many Turks at the hands of the Armenian revolutionary bands and the Russians whom they were helping during the First World War.^[29]

His comments were commended by some Turkish-Canadian groups, and criticized by some Armenian-Canadians.^[30]

The Canadian Alliance merged with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003-04 to create the Conservative Party of Canada. Vellacott supported the merger, and endorsed Stephen Harper's successful campaign for the new party's leadership.^[31]

[edit] Conservative MP

Vellacott won the Conservative nomination for Saskatoon—Wanuskewin in early 2004, defeating former Progressive Conservative Nick Bakker with 85% support.^[32] He faced a difficult challenge in the 2004 federal election from Chris Axworthy, a former federal New Democratic Party (NDP) MP and provincial NDP cabinet minister now running for the Liberals. Vellacott was returned with a reduced majority, as the Liberals won a minority government nationally.

After the election, Vellacott called for the trial of Saskatoon police officers Ken Munson and Dan Hatchen to be reopened. Munson and Hatchen had been convicted of abandoning an aboriginal man near a power station during freezing weather (the man in question did not suffer any injury). Vellacott said new evidence had been found, indicating that the officers dropped the man off within a short walking distance of where he told the officers he lived.^[33] He later established a defence fund for the officers.^[34] The case was not re-opened.

When the Saskatchewan judicial system approved same-sex marriages in 2004, Vellacott said it was "unfortunate that the Saskatchewan court has followed in the activist footsteps of other courts in this country".^[35] He later argued that marriage commissioners should have "conscience rights" to refuse to marry same-sex couples.^[36] During a 2005 rally, he said, "there is no such thing as a right to same-sex marriage".^[37]

Also in 2005, Vellacott called for legislation making it illegal to harm or kill the unborn children of mothers not planning to have abortions (such that killing a pregnant woman would constitute a double-murder).^[38] The suggestion won support from some, while others argued that it could eventually lead to restrictions on abortion.

When Belinda Stronach crossed the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals in mid-2005, Vellacott suggested that she was prostituting herself for power and had "sold out for a cabinet position".^[39] Some criticized this as sexist, and Vellacott issued a "statement of regret" for his choice of words.^[40]

Vellacott was re-elected over Chris Axworthy a second time in the 2006 federal election, in a contest that was marked by extreme bitterness and controversy. During a live televised debate late in the campaign, a caller falsely suggested that Vellacott had been forced to leave North Park Church in Saskatoon after being accused of sexual assault on a church secretary. The call was subsequently traced to Axworthy's campaign headquarters. Axworthy described the allegations as "deplorable", and apologized to Vellacott for the situation. He denied that anyone in his office was put up to making the call, and suggested that a "mischief-maker" may have entered the office.^[41] Former long-term pastor Jerold Gliege indicated that Vellacott never served at or attended the church in question, which has been defunct since 1979.^[42]

Vellacott's campaign later produced an affidavit from Saskatchewan politician Tom Hengen, in which he "to the best of [his] knowledge and belief" named Axworthy campaign worker George Laliberte as the caller.^[43] Axworthy spoke to Laliberte, and reported that he vehemently denied making the call.^[44] Vellacott's lawyer later filed a defamation suit against Laliberte on March 22, 2006, in the Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The national Conservative campaign accused the Liberals of a coverup, and called for Axworthy to withdraw from the contest. Axworthy declined, denying that he was responsible for any wrongdoing.^[45] Vellacott was re-elected with an increased margin of victory.

During his time in parliament, Vellacott has served as deputy critic for health, Human Resources Development Canada, and Indian Affairs. He has or has had involvement with several organizations, including the Canadian Club and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and is a supporter of Focus on the Family.^[46] He received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. After nomination by the Government of Saskatchewan, he also received the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan in March 2006.

[edit] In government

The Conservatives won a minority government in the 2006 election. Vellacott now sits as a government backbencher. In March 2006, he wrote an open letter supporting restrictions on abortion and calling for pregnant women to be informed of possible risks associated with abortion.^[47]

He was appointed to serve as chairman for the Commons' aboriginal affairs committee in April 2006. He attracted controversy one month later, after suggesting that Canadian judges consider themselves to have "god-like powers" when rendering their decisions. Vellacott made reference to comments by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, in which she supposedly said that "when they step into this role [of supreme court justice] that suddenly there's some kind of mystical power that comes over them, which everything that they've ever decreed is not to be questioned."^[48] McLachlin, through a spokesperson, denied having made that comment. Vellacott later issued an apology, indicating that he did not intend to imply McLachlin had actually used the phrase "god-like powers". He added that he was alluding to comments made by McLachlin at a Lord Cooke Lecture, given on December 1, 2005 at the University of Victoria in Wellington, New Zealand. (Journalists noted that the "mystical power" quote does not appear in McLachlin's speech.)^[49] Vellacott also informed reporters that he regards judicial independence as a "fundamental aspect of a free and democratic society".^[50]

Vellacott resigned from his role as committee chairman following significant opposition from other parties.^[51] He now serves as a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment, and has called for the Canadian government to intervene against state-sponsored violence in the Darfur province of Sudan.^[52]

During his time in parliament, Vellacott has served as deputy critic for health, Human Resources Development Canada, and Indian Affairs. He has or has had involvement with several organizations, including the Canadian Club and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and is a supporter of Focus on the Family.^[53] He received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. After nomination by the Government of Saskatchewan, he also received the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan in March 2006.

[edit] External link

• Maurice Vellacott Official Site

[edit] Table of offices held

Preceded by riding created	Member of Parliament for Saskatoon—Wanuskewin 1997–present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by position created	Saskatoon District Health Board Representative, Ward Two 1995-1997	Succeeded by Art Willock[54]

[edit] Electoral record

2006 federal election : Saskatoon—Wanuskewin edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Expenditures
	Conservative	(x)Maurice Vellacott	17,753	49.39	$62,331.71
	Liberal	Chris Axworthy	8,655	24.08	$52,437.43
	New Democratic Party	Jim Maddin	7,939	22.09	$35,098.35
	Green	Don Cameron	1,292	3.59	$880.29
	Christian Heritage	Dale Sanders	307	0.85	$1,552.99
Total valid votes			35,946	100.00
Total rejected ballots			96
Turnout			36,042	67.35
Electors on the lists			53,513

2004 federal election : Saskatoon—Wanuskewin edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Expenditures
	Conservative	(x)Maurice Vellacott	15,109	46.64	$66,433.82
	Liberal	Chris Axworthy	10,553	32.58	$72,269.97
	New Democratic Party	Priscilla Settee	5,770	17.81	$38,635.22
	Green	David Greenfield	960	2.96	$25.00
Total valid votes			32,392	100.00
Total rejected ballots			76
Turnout			32,468	59.72
Electors on the lists			54,366

2000 federal election : Saskatoon—Wanuskewin edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Expenditures
	Canadian Alliance	(x)Maurice Vellacott	17,404	52.57	$59,707.59
	New Democratic Party	Hugh Walker	8,022	24.23	$34,545.31
	Liberal	Bill Patrick	5,567	16.82	$16,493.01
	Progressive Conservative	Kirk Eggum	1,709	5.16	$0.00
	Green	David Greenfield	402	1.21	$0.00
Total valid votes			33,104	100.00
Total rejected ballots			86
Turnout			33,190	61.62
Electors on the lists			53,862

1997 federal election : Saskatoon—Wanuskewin edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Expenditures
	Reform	Maurice Vellacott	12,854	39.16	$39,845
	New Democratic Party	Walter Kyliuk	8,793	26.79	$57,104
	Liberal	Tom Hengen	8,020	24.43	$35,221
	Progressive Conservative	Ron Meakin	2,602	7.93	$7,207
	Independent	Sam Dyck	420	1.28	$1,781
	Natural Law	Patrick J. Coulterman	138	0.42	$61
Total valid votes			32,827	100.00
Total rejected ballots			112
Turnout			32,939	63.79
Electors on the lists			51,635

1995 Saskatchewan provincial election : Saskatoon Mount Royal edit
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	New Democratic Party	(x)Eric Cline	3,894	63.16
	Liberal	Maurice Vellacott	1,783	28.92
	Progressive Conservative	Patrick Bundrock	488	7.92
Total valid votes			6,165	100.00
Total rejected ballots			26
Turnout			6,191	54.91
Electors on the lists			11,274

All federal election information is taken from Elections Canada. All provincial election information is taken from Elections Saskatchewan. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.

[edit] Footnotes