Beth Phinney
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Phinney (born June 19, 1938 in Paradise
, Nova Scotia
) is a former Canadian
politician
. She was a member of the Canadian House of Commons
from 1988 until her retirement in 2005, representing the riding
of Hamilton Mountain
in Ontario
for the Liberal Party
.
Phinney grew up in Hamilton, Ontario
, and was educated at McMaster University
(earning a degree in Sociology
and Political Science
) and Hamilton Teacher's College. Her first job was at Stelco
in the city. She worked as a teacher in the Saltfleet School Board from 1961 to 1964, and in Montreal
from 1964 to 1967. From 1968 to 1974, she taught English as a Second Language
in Quebec
.
She was hired by the government of Quebec in 1974 as a supervisor of program development and a teacher trainer, holding these positions until 1979. She worked as a special assistant to Pierre de Bane
, the Minister of Regional and Economic Development, in 1981. She left the following year to become a sales representative for Alec Murray Real Estate.
Phinney's political career began in 1987, when she ran in a Hamilton Mountain by-election
. She lost this contest to former Ottawa
mayor Marion Dewar
of the New Democratic Party
, but defeated Dewar by 73 votes in the 1988 general election
. Progressive Conservative
candidate Grant Darby was a very close third. The Liberals lost this election, and Phinney served in a number of critic portfolios over the next five year.
The Liberals won a majority government in the 1993 federal election
, and Phinney was re-elected over Reform Party
candidate Craig Chandler
, her nearest challenger, by nearly 17,000 votes. She repeated this performance in the 1997 election
, defeating her nearest opponent by more than 12,000 votes. From 1998 to 2000, she served as parliamentary secretary
to the Minister of National Revenue
. She has also been involved in efforts to reform the Canada Pension Plan
.
Phinney won another easy victory in the 2000 election
. She faced a much more difficult re-election in the election of 2004
, with both NDP candidate Chris Charlton
and Conservative
city councillor Tom Jackson
posing credible challenges. In a close three-way race, Phinney defeated Charlton by 996 votes.
Phinney was one of the few Liberal Members of Parliament
to support Sheila Copps
' leadership bid in 2003. She subsequently attempted to mediate the dispute between Copps and Tony Valeri
for the Liberal nomination in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
, offering to stand down to let Copps run in her riding. Copps rejected this offer.
Paradise, Nova Scotia
Paradise is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Annapolis County.-References:*...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
) is a former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. She was a member of the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 1988 until her retirement in 2005, representing the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Hamilton Mountain
Hamilton Mountain
Hamilton Mountain is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. The riding is located in the Hamilton, Ontario region....
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
for the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
.
Phinney grew up in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, and was educated at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
(earning a degree in Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
) and Hamilton Teacher's College. Her first job was at Stelco
Stelco
US Steel Canada is a steel company based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.-History:Several existing smaller steelworks combined and were incorporated as the Steel Company of Canada in 1910. Charles S...
in the city. She worked as a teacher in the Saltfleet School Board from 1961 to 1964, and in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
from 1964 to 1967. From 1968 to 1974, she taught English as a Second Language
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
She was hired by the government of Quebec in 1974 as a supervisor of program development and a teacher trainer, holding these positions until 1979. She worked as a special assistant to Pierre de Bane
Pierre de Bané
Pierre de Bané, PC, QC is a Canadian Senator. He was the first person of Arab descent to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons in Matane and next Matapédia—Matane, and is a former member of the Canadian Cabinet....
, the Minister of Regional and Economic Development, in 1981. She left the following year to become a sales representative for Alec Murray Real Estate.
Phinney's political career began in 1987, when she ran in a Hamilton Mountain by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. She lost this contest to former Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
mayor Marion Dewar
Marion Dewar
Marion Dewar, CM was a prominent member of the New Democratic Party , mayor of Ottawa from 1978 to 1985 and a member of the Parliament of Canada from 1986 to 1988.-Early life:...
of the New Democratic Party
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...
, but defeated Dewar by 73 votes in the 1988 general election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
. Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
candidate Grant Darby was a very close third. The Liberals lost this election, and Phinney served in a number of critic portfolios over the next five year.
The Liberals won a majority government in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, and Phinney was re-elected over Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
candidate Craig Chandler
Craig Chandler
Craig B. Chandler is a Canadian businessman, pundit, and political and religious activist. He is a co-founder and executive director of the Progressive Group for Independent Business...
, her nearest challenger, by nearly 17,000 votes. She repeated this performance in the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, defeating her nearest opponent by more than 12,000 votes. From 1998 to 2000, she served as parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister of National Revenue
Minister of National Revenue (Canada)
The Minister of National Revenue is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency and the administration of taxation law and collection....
. She has also been involved in efforts to reform the Canada Pension Plan
Canada Pension Plan
The Canada Pension Plan is a contributory, earnings-related social insurance program. It forms one of the two major components of Canada's public retirement income system, the other component being Old Age Security...
.
Phinney won another easy victory in the 2000 election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
. She faced a much more difficult re-election in the election of 2004
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, with both NDP candidate Chris Charlton
Chris Charlton
Chris Charlton, MP, MA is a German-born, Canadian politician from the City of Hamilton, Ontario. As a New Democrat, she has served as the Member of Parliament for Hamilton Mountain since 2006...
and Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
city councillor Tom Jackson
Tom Jackson (politician)
Tom Jackson is a Hamilton City Councillor in Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaBorn and raised in Hamilton, Jackson is a past owner of two Second Cup stores in Hamilton and a past employee of Stelco Hilton Works. He attended Westmount Secondary School and graduated from McMaster University in 1979 with an...
posing credible challenges. In a close three-way race, Phinney defeated Charlton by 996 votes.
Phinney was one of the few Liberal Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to support Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
' leadership bid in 2003. She subsequently attempted to mediate the dispute between Copps and Tony Valeri
Tony Valeri
Tony Valeri, PC is a former Canadian politician. Valeri was the Canadian Government House Leader in Paul Martin's government from 2004 until 2006...
for the Liberal nomination in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding was formed in 2003 from parts of the former ridings of Hamilton East and Stoney Creek....
, offering to stand down to let Copps run in her riding. Copps rejected this offer.