Dorothy Dobbie
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Dobbie was a Canadian
politician. She served in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1988 to 1993, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
.
Dobbie was a publisher before entering political life, and was a founder of Association Publications Ltd and Naylor Communications. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Winnipeg
Chamber of Commerce
. In 1983, she was named Outstanding Business Citizen of the Year by the Manitoba
Chamber of Commerce.
She was narrowly elected to the House of Commons in the 1988 election
, defeating Liberal
candidate Allan Kaufman by 715 votes. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the election, and Dobbie entered parliament as a government backbencher.
She served as parliamentary secretary
to several ministers between 1989 and 1993, as was co-chair of the Castonguay-Dobbie Committee on the Renewal of Canada. The committee's recommendations later formed the basis of the government's Charlottetown Accord
, which was defeated in a national referendum.
Dobbie supported Jean Charest
's bid to succeed Brian Mulroney
as Progressive Conservative party leader in 1993 (Winnipeg Free Press, 11 June 1993), and retained her own nomination over a challenge from Charles Maximilian (Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 1993).
The PC Party was resoundingly defeated in the 1993 election
, losing all but two of its parliamentary seats. Dobbie lost her candidate's deposit, receiving 6,432 votes (12.29%) for a third-place finish against Liberal Reg Alcock
. During the campaign, she accused the rival Reform Party
of being controlled by Christian fundamentalists and criticized her own party for running advertisements that mocked Liberal leader Jean Chrétien
's facial deformity (Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 1993). She also called for the abolition of the Canadian Senate
(Winnipeg Free Press, 18 July 1993).
In 1997, Dobbie was appointed to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council
- Prairie Region. After Charest's resignation as Progressive Conservative Party leader in 1998, she endorsed Joe Clark
to be his successor (Toronto Star, 29 June 1998).
Dobbie helped to found Pegasus Publications Inc. in 1996, and still serves as its president. She is now the publisher of Manitoba Gardener, Ontario Gardener and Alberta Gardener magazines, and has written several articles on gardening.
She opposed the Progressive Conservative Party's merger with the Canadian Alliance
in 2003, and endorsed Liberal candidate Glen Murray in the 2004 federal election
.
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. She served in 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 to 1993, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
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....
.
Dobbie was a publisher before entering political life, and was a founder of Association Publications Ltd and Naylor Communications. She was the first woman to serve as president of the Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. In 1983, she was named Outstanding Business Citizen of the Year by the Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
Chamber of Commerce.
She was narrowly elected to the House of Commons in the 1988 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 ....
, defeating Liberal
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...
candidate Allan Kaufman by 715 votes. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the election, and Dobbie entered parliament as a government backbencher.
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 several ministers between 1989 and 1993, as was co-chair of the Castonguay-Dobbie Committee on the Renewal of Canada. The committee's recommendations later formed the basis of the government's Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
, which was defeated in a national referendum.
Dobbie supported Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
's bid to succeed Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
as Progressive Conservative party leader in 1993 (Winnipeg Free Press, 11 June 1993), and retained her own nomination over a challenge from Charles Maximilian (Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 1993).
The PC Party was resoundingly defeated in the 1993 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...
, losing all but two of its parliamentary seats. Dobbie lost her candidate's deposit, receiving 6,432 votes (12.29%) for a third-place finish against Liberal Reg Alcock
Reg Alcock
Reginald B. Alcock, PC was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Alcock was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Early life and...
. During the campaign, she accused the rival 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....
of being controlled by Christian fundamentalists and criticized her own party for running advertisements that mocked Liberal leader Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
's facial deformity (Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 1993). She also called for the abolition of the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
(Winnipeg Free Press, 18 July 1993).
In 1997, Dobbie was appointed to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council
Canadian Broadcast Standards Council
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is an independent, non-governmental organization created by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to administer standards established by its members, Canada's private broadcasters....
- Prairie Region. After Charest's resignation as Progressive Conservative Party leader in 1998, she endorsed Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
to be his successor (Toronto Star, 29 June 1998).
Dobbie helped to found Pegasus Publications Inc. in 1996, and still serves as its president. She is now the publisher of Manitoba Gardener, Ontario Gardener and Alberta Gardener magazines, and has written several articles on gardening.
She opposed the Progressive Conservative Party's merger with the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
in 2003, and endorsed Liberal candidate Glen Murray in the 2004 federal election
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...
.