Geoff Regan
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Paul Regan, PC
, MP
(born November 22, 1959 in Windsor, Nova Scotia
) is a Canadian
politician. He has the prenomial "the Honourable" and the postnomial "PC" for life by virtue of being made a privy councillor and a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Regan grew up in a strong political family. He is the son of former Nova Scotia
Premier
and Federal Cabinet Minister, Gerald Regan
. His maternal grandfather was also a Member of Parliament from Saskatchewan. His wife Kelly Regan
is a provincial MLA
. Two of his sisters are also well-known: Nancy Regan
was a well-known local television personality with ATV
, and Laura Regan
is an actress.
in the Canadian House of Commons
, representing the riding of Halifax West
since 2000, and from 1993 to 1997. Regan earned his B.A. in political science from St. Francis Xavier University in 1980. Following his time at St. FX, Regan went on to earn a law degree from Dalhousie University, graduating in 1983. He was admitted to the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society in 1984 and practiced real estate and commercial law before entering public life.
Regan served as Parliamentary Secretary
to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, under Jean Chrétien
and later as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
and Regional Minister for Nova Scotia in the newly formed government of Paul Martin
, sworn in on December 12, 2003. After the 2004 federal election, Regan retained his position in cabinet in Martin’s minority government. In February 2004, Regan was appointed to act as Minister of Justice and Attorney General
of Canada, in matters related to Maher Arar
. Upon the defeat of the Liberal government in the 2006 election, he was appointed by the Honourable Bill Graham
, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition, to the shadow cabinet as the Official Opposition Critic for Human Resources and Skills Development. During his time as critic, Regan introduced a private members’ bill to expand Canada Access Grants for disabled and low income students. In January 2007, he was appointed to the newly created Liberal Priorities and Planning Committee, which was chaired by then Liberal Opposition Leader Stéphane Dion
. In March 2008, Regan was named Chair of the Caucus Committee on Environmental Sustainability. Regan also served as Vice-Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.
. Located offshore of Nova Scotia, near Sable Island
, the Gully contains a rich diversity of marine habitats
and species, including deep-sea corals and northern bottlenose whales. The Gully is the largest marine canyon in eastern North America and is nationally and globally acknowledged as an important and incomparable marine habitat. The protection of the Gully was both crucial and timely as the surrounding waters had witnessed considerable growth in oil and gas exploration and development. He also helped designate three other areas as Marine Protected Areas. Gilbert Bay , on Labrador’s southeast coast, Basin Head, on the eastern tip of Prince Edward Island and Eastport Peninsula
, on the northeast coast of Newfoundland all became Marine Protected Areas during Regan’s tenure as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
During his time as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Regan was a strong advocate for the elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
(IUU). Under Regan, The Department of Fisheries and Oceans made significant investment to expand aerial surveillance and at sea patrols in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
(NAFO) Regulatory Area (NRA). The increase in patrols and surveillance led to reductions in non-compliant behaviour and a decrease of 29% in foreign vessels fishing in the NRA. Regan was also an active member of the High Seas Task Force, an international task force committed to stopping IUU in parts of the ocean not under the exclusive control of sovereign states. In addition to this, Regan hosted an intergovernmental conference on global overfishing. This meeting held in St. John’s attracted Fisheries and Oceans Ministers from around the world.
Regan introduced the Oceans Action Plan (OAP) in May 2005. The OAP enabled government-wide action to develop Canada’s ocean resources for the benefit of coastal communities, while protecting fragile marine ecosystems. The OAP was the framework to advance an integrated federal oceans agenda and was a key priority in the DFO’s strategic plan. It recognized that Canada, with almost 245,000 km of coastline, is an important maritime nation.
, Regan served as Opposition Critic for Human Resources and Skills Development. Under Michael Ignatieff
, Regan served as Liberal Critic for Natural Resources, and later, Public Works and Government Services. He is currently acting as the Liberal Critic for Industry and Consumer Affairs under interim leader Bob Rae
and serves as Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.
in 1993. They live in Bedford, Nova Scotia and have three children.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, MP
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,...
(born November 22, 1959 in Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...
) is a 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. He has the prenomial "the Honourable" and the postnomial "PC" for life by virtue of being made a privy councillor and a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Regan grew up in a strong political family. He is the son of former 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...
Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
and Federal Cabinet Minister, Gerald Regan
Gerald Regan
Gerald Augustine Regan, PC is a Canadian politician, who served as the 19th Premier of Nova Scotia from 1970 to 1978....
. His maternal grandfather was also a Member of Parliament from Saskatchewan. His wife Kelly Regan
Kelly Regan
Kelly Regan, MLA is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia in the 2009 election, representing the electoral district of Bedford-Birch Cove as a member of the Liberal Party....
is a provincial MLA
MLA
- Organizations :* Modern Language Association, United States of America** The MLA Style Manual, its works cited page guidelines* Massachusetts Library Association* Medical Library Association, United States...
. Two of his sisters are also well-known: Nancy Regan
Nancy Regan
Nancy Regan is a Canadian actress, journalist, news anchor, and television personality, most known for her fifteen year tenure as host of CTV's Live at 5, a live news and general interest television program reaching more than a quarter of a million viewers nightly...
was a well-known local television personality with ATV
CTV Atlantic
CTV Atlantic is a system of four television stations in the Canadian Maritimes, owned and operated by the CTV Television Network, a division of Bell Media...
, and Laura Regan
Laura Regan
Laura Regan is a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Jessica Lynch in the TV movie Saving Jessica Lynch.-Private life:...
is an actress.
Biography
Regan is a current member of the Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal 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...
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...
, representing the riding of Halifax West
Halifax West
Halifax West is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. Its population in 2006 was 88,756.-Demographics:From the 2006 census Ethnic groups:*White: 90.8%...
since 2000, and from 1993 to 1997. Regan earned his B.A. in political science from St. Francis Xavier University in 1980. Following his time at St. FX, Regan went on to earn a law degree from Dalhousie University, graduating in 1983. He was admitted to the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society in 1984 and practiced real estate and commercial law before entering public life.
Regan 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 Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, under 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....
and later as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada)
The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for supervising the fishing industry and administrating all navigable waterways in the country...
and Regional Minister for Nova Scotia in the newly formed government of Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, sworn in on December 12, 2003. After the 2004 federal election, Regan retained his position in cabinet in Martin’s minority government. In February 2004, Regan was appointed to act as Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of Canada, in matters related to Maher Arar
Maher Arar
Maher Arar is a telecommunications engineer with dual Syrian and Canadian citizenship who resides in Canada. Arar's story is frequently referred to as "extraordinary rendition" but the U.S. government insisted it was a case of deportation.Arar was detained during a layover at John F...
. Upon the defeat of the Liberal government in the 2006 election, he was appointed by the Honourable Bill Graham
Bill Graham
William Carvel "Bill" Graham, PC QC is a former Canadian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defence, and Leader of the Opposition and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition, to the shadow cabinet as the Official Opposition Critic for Human Resources and Skills Development. During his time as critic, Regan introduced a private members’ bill to expand Canada Access Grants for disabled and low income students. In January 2007, he was appointed to the newly created Liberal Priorities and Planning Committee, which was chaired by then Liberal Opposition Leader Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
. In March 2008, Regan was named Chair of the Caucus Committee on Environmental Sustainability. Regan also served as Vice-Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
One of the first projects Regan undertook as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans was to designate the Sable Gully as a Marine Protected AreaMarine Protected Area
Marine Protected Areas, like any protected area, are regions in which human activity has been placed under some restrictions in the interest of conserving the natural environment, it's surrounding waters and the occupant ecosystems, and any cultural or historical resources that may require...
. Located offshore of Nova Scotia, near Sable Island
Sable Island
Sable Island is a small Canadian island situated 300 km southeast of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is a year-round home to approximately five people...
, the Gully contains a rich diversity of marine habitats
Marine habitats
This article is about the habitats that support marine life. Marine life depends in some way on the saltwater that is in the sea . A habitat is an ecological or environmental area inhabited by one or more living species.Marine habitats can be divided into coastal and open ocean habitats...
and species, including deep-sea corals and northern bottlenose whales. The Gully is the largest marine canyon in eastern North America and is nationally and globally acknowledged as an important and incomparable marine habitat. The protection of the Gully was both crucial and timely as the surrounding waters had witnessed considerable growth in oil and gas exploration and development. He also helped designate three other areas as Marine Protected Areas. Gilbert Bay , on Labrador’s southeast coast, Basin Head, on the eastern tip of Prince Edward Island and Eastport Peninsula
Eastport Peninsula
The Eastport Peninsula is a small extension of land into the central part of Bonavista Bay in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The peninsula is adjacent to Terra Nova National Park and contains seven small communities: Eastport, Happy Adventure, Sandy Cove, Salvage, St...
, on the northeast coast of Newfoundland all became Marine Protected Areas during Regan’s tenure as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
During his time as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Regan was a strong advocate for the elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Illegal fishing takes place where vessels operate in violation of the laws of a fishery. This can apply to fisheries that are under the jurisdiction of a coastal state or to high seas fisheries regulated by regional organisations....
(IUU). Under Regan, The Department of Fisheries and Oceans made significant investment to expand aerial surveillance and at sea patrols in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
The is an intergovernmental organization with a mandate to provide scientific advice and management of fisheries in the northwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean...
(NAFO) Regulatory Area (NRA). The increase in patrols and surveillance led to reductions in non-compliant behaviour and a decrease of 29% in foreign vessels fishing in the NRA. Regan was also an active member of the High Seas Task Force, an international task force committed to stopping IUU in parts of the ocean not under the exclusive control of sovereign states. In addition to this, Regan hosted an intergovernmental conference on global overfishing. This meeting held in St. John’s attracted Fisheries and Oceans Ministers from around the world.
Regan introduced the Oceans Action Plan (OAP) in May 2005. The OAP enabled government-wide action to develop Canada’s ocean resources for the benefit of coastal communities, while protecting fragile marine ecosystems. The OAP was the framework to advance an integrated federal oceans agenda and was a key priority in the DFO’s strategic plan. It recognized that Canada, with almost 245,000 km of coastline, is an important maritime nation.
In opposition
Regan was re-elected in the 2006, 2008, and 2011 federal elections, despite significant Liberal losses in all three. Under the leadership of Stephane DionStéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
, Regan served as Opposition Critic for Human Resources and Skills Development. Under Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, Regan served as Liberal Critic for Natural Resources, and later, Public Works and Government Services. He is currently acting as the Liberal Critic for Industry and Consumer Affairs under interim leader 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....
and serves as Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.
Family life
Geoff married Kelly ReganKelly Regan
Kelly Regan, MLA is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia in the 2009 election, representing the electoral district of Bedford-Birch Cove as a member of the Liberal Party....
in 1993. They live in Bedford, Nova Scotia and have three children.