Anne Swarbrick
Encyclopedia
Anne Swarbrick is a former Canadian politician, public employee, labour representative and senior administrator of nonprofit organizations. She was a New Democratic Party
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1990 to 1995, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae
. She was born in Toronto, Ontario.
riding of Markham
, finishing third against Progressive Conservative
Don Cousens
and Liberal Gail Newall.
In the 1990 provincial election, she ran to succeed veteran NDP member Richard Johnston
in the riding of Scarborough West
. The NDP won a majority government and Swarbrick won a landslide victory in her riding. On October 1, 1990, she was named a minister without portfolio
responsible for Women's Issues. Among the Rae government's initiatives for gender equality, Swarbrick became the first woman to Chair the Cabinet Committee on Justice Policy, traditionally chaired by the Attorney General. Her accomplishments included gaining a 43% increase in provincial funding to address violence against women and, along with provincial Health Minister Evelyn Gigantes, co-leading a delegation to the Canadian Senate that assisted in preventing passage of the then federal government's legislation to re-criminalize abortion in Canada.
Swarbrick became involved in controversy in 1991 when it was revealed that she had written a letter to the head of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons asking for suspension of the license of a physician who had been convicted on five counts of sexual assault of his patients. Her position in Cabinet was secured, however, following intervention by then interim leader of the Liberal Party, Robert Nixon, who expressed his view to the Ontario Legislature that, while it may not have been an appropriate action for a member of Cabinet, it was not one that should lead to her discharge.
Diagnosed with breast cancer
during her fourth month in Cabinet, Swarbrick became the first Canadian public figure to be open about her battle in an effort to end the culture of silence about this then highly stigmatizing disease. As Swarbrick's treatments of chemotherapy and radiation continued to take their toll, she eventually resigned her position on September 11, 1991 in order to focus on her recovery.
Regaining her health, Swarbrick was again appointed to cabinet as Minister of Culture, Tourism and Recreation on February 3, 1993. Overseeing a wide range of provincial Crown corporations, her initiatives included support for the Art Gallery of Ontario to bring the world famous Barnes Collection to Toronto. She also assisted in gaining provincial funding for Willow Breast Cancer Support Canada. There are some reports that she considered resigning in protest against the Rae government's Social Contract
legislation, but she did not actually do so.
The NDP were defeated in the 1995 provincial election, and Swarbrick lost her seat to Progressive Conservative Jim Brown by fewer than 2,000 votes. She has not sought a return to the provincial legislature since this time.
Other community service has included the Boards of Directors of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and the Family Service Association of Toronto, the Toronto Board of Trade's Task Force on the City of Toronto Act, and the Mayor's Task Force on a Beautiful City. In 2000, she was awarded the Outstanding Public Contribution Award by Schulich School of Business. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors of Women's College Hospital in Toronto, the Advisory Board to the Schulich's Nonprofit Management and Leadership Programme, and enrolled in the Directors' Education Program of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Swarbrick works in executive search with Janet Wright & Associates which specializes in executive search for the nonprofit and public sectors.
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1990 to 1995, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
. She was born in Toronto, Ontario.
Background
Before entering public life, Swarbrick worked as an Immigration Counsellor and Adjudicator at the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission, as Regional Representative of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), as Special Projects Coordinator for Labour Community Services, and as Executive Assistant to the President of the Labour Council of Metropolitan Toronto and York Region, where her responsibilities included serving on the City of Toronto's Economic Development Committee. Volunteer involvements included serving on the Boards of Directors of the Yellow Brick House (a shelter for battered women), Oxfam-Ontario, Amnesty International's York Region chapter, and at the national and local level within the PSAC.Politics
She first sought election to the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial election in the Greater Toronto AreaGreater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
riding of Markham
Markham (electoral district)
Markham was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada created in 1986. Also known as Markham—Whitchurch-Stouffville, it was a federal electoral district that elected representatives to the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2000....
, finishing third against Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
Don Cousens
Don Cousens
W. Donald Cousens is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1994, and briefly served as a cabinet minister in the government of Frank Miller...
and Liberal Gail Newall.
In the 1990 provincial election, she ran to succeed veteran NDP member Richard Johnston
Richard Johnston
Richard Frank Johnston is a retired Canadian politician, educator and administrator.-Background:Johnston was educated at Trent University and worked there as an administrator and counsellor...
in the riding of Scarborough West
Scarborough West
Scarborough West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commonsfrom 1968 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...
. The NDP won a majority government and Swarbrick won a landslide victory in her riding. On October 1, 1990, she was named a minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
responsible for Women's Issues. Among the Rae government's initiatives for gender equality, Swarbrick became the first woman to Chair the Cabinet Committee on Justice Policy, traditionally chaired by the Attorney General. Her accomplishments included gaining a 43% increase in provincial funding to address violence against women and, along with provincial Health Minister Evelyn Gigantes, co-leading a delegation to the Canadian Senate that assisted in preventing passage of the then federal government's legislation to re-criminalize abortion in Canada.
Swarbrick became involved in controversy in 1991 when it was revealed that she had written a letter to the head of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons asking for suspension of the license of a physician who had been convicted on five counts of sexual assault of his patients. Her position in Cabinet was secured, however, following intervention by then interim leader of the Liberal Party, Robert Nixon, who expressed his view to the Ontario Legislature that, while it may not have been an appropriate action for a member of Cabinet, it was not one that should lead to her discharge.
Diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
during her fourth month in Cabinet, Swarbrick became the first Canadian public figure to be open about her battle in an effort to end the culture of silence about this then highly stigmatizing disease. As Swarbrick's treatments of chemotherapy and radiation continued to take their toll, she eventually resigned her position on September 11, 1991 in order to focus on her recovery.
Regaining her health, Swarbrick was again appointed to cabinet as Minister of Culture, Tourism and Recreation on February 3, 1993. Overseeing a wide range of provincial Crown corporations, her initiatives included support for the Art Gallery of Ontario to bring the world famous Barnes Collection to Toronto. She also assisted in gaining provincial funding for Willow Breast Cancer Support Canada. There are some reports that she considered resigning in protest against the Rae government's Social Contract
Social contract
The social contract is an intellectual device intended to explain the appropriate relationship between individuals and their governments. Social contract arguments assert that individuals unite into political societies by a process of mutual consent, agreeing to abide by common rules and accept...
legislation, but she did not actually do so.
The NDP were defeated in the 1995 provincial election, and Swarbrick lost her seat to Progressive Conservative Jim Brown by fewer than 2,000 votes. She has not sought a return to the provincial legislature since this time.
After politics
After her defeat, Swarbrick completed graduate studies and obtained her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at Schulich School of Business, York University. She then served in a variety of leadership roles in the nonprofit sector, including Manager of Toronto Operations for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Executive Director of the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, and President and CEO of the Toronto Community Foundation.Other community service has included the Boards of Directors of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and the Family Service Association of Toronto, the Toronto Board of Trade's Task Force on the City of Toronto Act, and the Mayor's Task Force on a Beautiful City. In 2000, she was awarded the Outstanding Public Contribution Award by Schulich School of Business. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors of Women's College Hospital in Toronto, the Advisory Board to the Schulich's Nonprofit Management and Leadership Programme, and enrolled in the Directors' Education Program of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Swarbrick works in executive search with Janet Wright & Associates which specializes in executive search for the nonprofit and public sectors.