Marietta Roberts
Encyclopedia
Marietta Roberts is a former politician
in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1987 to 1990.
Roberts was educated at the University of Western Ontario
, the Ontario College of Education and Dalhousie University
. She taught at Alma College
for three years, and then practiced law in the Elgin County
area from 1971 to 1987. She also worked as a farmer. She was a founding member of the Ontario Child Representation Program, and served as the acting crown attorney for Elgin. Roberts also chaired the Elgin County Board of Education.
She ran for the Canadian House of Commons
for the federal Liberal Party
in the 1974 federal election
, and lost to Progressive Conservative
John Wise by 2,502 votes in the riding of Elgin
. She first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election
, and lost to Progressive Conservative
incumbent Ron McNeil
by 1,831 votes in the provincial riding of the same name. She did not seek election again until the 1987 provincial election
, when she defeated McNeil by 2,447 votes.
She served as a supporter of David Peterson
's government for the next three years, and was chair of the Liberal Caucus in 1988 and 1989. She served as Vice-Chair of Select Committee on Constitutional Reform from 1987 to 1989 and as Deputy Government Whip
in 1989-90.
The Liberals were unexpectedly defeated by the New Democratic Party in the 1990 provincial election
, and Roberts lost to NDP candidate Peter North. She has not sought a return to the legislature since this time.
In 1991, Roberts was appointed as an Ontario Court of Justice
judge. She has been an Associate Chief Justice associate chief judge and coordinator of justices of the peace since 1995.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
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 1987 to 1990.
Roberts was educated at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, the Ontario College of Education and Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
. She taught at Alma College
Alma College (St. Thomas)
Alma College was a girls private school in St. Thomas, Ontario in Canada. Built in 1878, the school was in operation between 1881 and 1988. The college closed in 1988 in part due to a teacher's strike. Primary school and music classes were still taught on campus until 1994...
for three years, and then practiced law in the Elgin County
Elgin County, Ontario
Elgin County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario with a current population of approximately 46,000. The county seat is St. Thomas.It consists of:*Town of Aylmer*Municipality of Bayham*Municipality of Central Elgin...
area from 1971 to 1987. She also worked as a farmer. She was a founding member of the Ontario Child Representation Program, and served as the acting crown attorney for Elgin. Roberts also chaired the Elgin County Board of Education.
She ran for 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...
for the federal 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...
in the 1974 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1974
The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 30th Parliament of Canada. The governing Liberal Party won its first majority government since 1968, and gave Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau his third term...
, and lost to 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....
John Wise by 2,502 votes in the riding of Elgin
Elgin (electoral district)
Elgin was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Elgin West and Norfolk—Elgin ridings.It initially consisted of the county of Elgin, including the city of...
. She first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and lost to 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...
incumbent Ron McNeil
Ron McNeil
Ronald Keith McNeil was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1958 to 1987, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party....
by 1,831 votes in the provincial riding of the same name. She did not seek election again until the 1987 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, when she defeated McNeil by 2,447 votes.
She served as a supporter of David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
's government for the next three years, and was chair of the Liberal Caucus in 1988 and 1989. She served as Vice-Chair of Select Committee on Constitutional Reform from 1987 to 1989 and as Deputy Government Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in 1989-90.
The Liberals were unexpectedly defeated by the New Democratic Party in the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, and Roberts lost to NDP candidate Peter North. She has not sought a return to the legislature since this time.
In 1991, Roberts was appointed as an Ontario Court of Justice
Ontario Court of Justice
The Ontario Court of Justice is a Provincial Court for the Canadian province of Ontario. This court oversees matters relating to family law and criminal law....
judge. She has been an Associate Chief Justice associate chief judge and coordinator of justices of the peace since 1995.