Paul Dewar
Encyclopedia
Paul W. Dewar is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Ottawa Centre
.
Dewar is a member of the New Democratic Party
(NDP) and was first elected to the House of Commons
in the 2006 federal election
. He previously served as the Official Opposition
Critic
for Foreign Affairs, till leaving the post in October 2011, to run for the leadership
of the NDP. Before entering politics he worked as a teacher and was an elected representative of the Ottawa Carleton Elementary School Teachers' Federation.
, Ontario
on January 25, 1963. He is the son of former Ottawa mayor and New Democratic Member of Parliament, Marion Dewar
. When he was in grade 3 Dewar was diagnosed with dyslexia
, after his teacher noticed that he was struggling to read and write. He earned a Bachelor of Education
degree from Queen's University
and a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Carleton University
in political science and economics. Dewar was employed as constituency assistant to Evelyn Gigantes
, when she was Ottawa Centre NDP Member of Provincial Parliament from 1990 to 1995.
Prior to entering politics, Dewar taught at D. Roy Kennedy Elementary School and Hopewell Elementary School. He won the A. Lorne Cassidy Award for work with children with special needs. Dewar was also the Vice President of the Ottawa Carleton Elementary School Teachers' Federation and helped establish the teachers' Humanity Fund, providing donations to projects in developing countries. Dewar is married to Julia Sneyd who is also a teacher. They have two children.
In 2002, Dewar organized a Community Forum on Public Education. He was actively involved with the Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa and the Partnership for a Pesticide Bylaw. He served on the board of the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization and is active with the First United Church, Old Ottawa East
Community Association and Fair Vote Canada
.
, but lost to former party leader Ed Broadbent
. After losing, he went on to volunteer for Broadbent's successful campaign, playing a major role in organizing the NDP election day effort. In order to care for his ailing wife, Broadbent decided to decline an opportunity to seek re-election. Dewar won the proceeding nomination contest on June 22, 2005. He defeated returning candidate Jamey Heath
, who had sought election in 1997
, lawyer Tiffani Murray and Ottawa Citizen
columnist Shannon Lee Mannion on the first ballot.
Dewar was acclaimed on February 12, 2007 as the New Democrats' candidate for the 2008 federal election
. He was re-elected on October 14, 2008 by a substantial margin over his closest challenger, Penny Collenette of the Liberal Party
.
Since February 5, 2009, Dewar has served as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity
.
In April 2009, Dewar reintroduced legislation to protect Gatineau Park. If passed the act would provide legislated boundaries for the park, prevent the removal of land from the park, create a mechanism for expanding the park, and respecting that some of the land belongs to private citizens. However, he was later criticized in the media for having abandoned his commitments on the park, for supporting the Conservative government’s legislation, and for not attending the committee studying that legislation.
Dewar was re-elected in the 2011 federal election, winning 52% of the popular vote. The NDP formed the Official Opposition following the election and Dewar was named the Critic for Foreign Affairs. Following the death of Jack Layton
in August 2011, Dewar was seen as a potential candidate to succeed him as the leader of the New Democrats. On October 2, 2011, Dewar announced his candidacy for the leadership
of the party.
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
.
Dewar is a member 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...
(NDP) and was first elected to the 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...
in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
. He previously served as the Official Opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
Critic
Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (Canada)
The Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 39th Canadian parliament is listed below. Members are drawn from the Liberal Party of Canada, and most are members of their parliamentary caucus...
for Foreign Affairs, till leaving the post in October 2011, to run for the leadership
New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
An election for the leadership of the New Democratic Party , a social democratic party in Canada, will occur on March 24, 2012, as a result of the death of Jack Layton, the party's former leader. The party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011...
of the NDP. Before entering politics he worked as a teacher and was an elected representative of the Ottawa Carleton Elementary School Teachers' Federation.
Background
Paul W. Dewar was born in OttawaOttawa
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...
, 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....
on January 25, 1963. He is the son of former Ottawa mayor and New Democratic Member of Parliament, 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:...
. When he was in grade 3 Dewar was diagnosed with dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
, after his teacher noticed that he was struggling to read and write. He earned a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
degree from Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
and a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
in political science and economics. Dewar was employed as constituency assistant to Evelyn Gigantes
Evelyn Gigantes
Evelyn Adelaide Gigantes is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She served as a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on three occasions between 1975 and 1995, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae.The daughter of Earle Sanford Peach...
, when she was Ottawa Centre NDP Member of Provincial Parliament from 1990 to 1995.
Prior to entering politics, Dewar taught at D. Roy Kennedy Elementary School and Hopewell Elementary School. He won the A. Lorne Cassidy Award for work with children with special needs. Dewar was also the Vice President of the Ottawa Carleton Elementary School Teachers' Federation and helped establish the teachers' Humanity Fund, providing donations to projects in developing countries. Dewar is married to Julia Sneyd who is also a teacher. They have two children.
In 2002, Dewar organized a Community Forum on Public Education. He was actively involved with the Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa and the Partnership for a Pesticide Bylaw. He served on the board of the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization and is active with the First United Church, Old Ottawa East
Old Ottawa East
Old Ottawa East or just Ottawa East is a neighbourhood of Ottawa, Canada. It is located south of Nicholas Street and between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River. The southern border is generally defined by Main Street and Riverdale Avenue. To the south is the neighbourhood of Old Ottawa South...
Community Association and Fair Vote Canada
Fair Vote Canada
Fair Vote Canada is a nonprofit, multi-partisan advocacy group for electoral reform in Canada. It is active both federally and in those provinces where there are efforts to reform the first-past-the-post electoral system that is used in Canada...
.
Politics
Dewar ran for the New Democratic nomination in Ottawa Centre for the 2004 federal electionCanadian 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...
, but lost to former party leader Ed Broadbent
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
. After losing, he went on to volunteer for Broadbent's successful campaign, playing a major role in organizing the NDP election day effort. In order to care for his ailing wife, Broadbent decided to decline an opportunity to seek re-election. Dewar won the proceeding nomination contest on June 22, 2005. He defeated returning candidate Jamey Heath
Jamey Heath
Jamey Heath is a political activist in Ontario, Canada. He was the research and communications director for the New Democratic Party under Jack Layton until shortly after the 2006 federal election...
, who had sought election in 1997
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...
, lawyer Tiffani Murray and Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen
The Ottawa Citizen is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Canada. According to the Canadian Newspaper Association, the paper had a 2008 weekly circulation of 900,197.- History :...
columnist Shannon Lee Mannion on the first ballot.
Member of Parliament
Dewar won the 2006 election and became an MP.Dewar was acclaimed on February 12, 2007 as the New Democrats' candidate for the 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
. He was re-elected on October 14, 2008 by a substantial margin over his closest challenger, Penny Collenette of 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...
.
Since February 5, 2009, Dewar has served as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity
Genocide Prevention Group (Canada)
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes Against Humanity is an informal group of Parliamentarians composed of members from all parties in the Canadian House of Commons and the Canadian Senate with an interest in the prevention of genocide and similar...
.
In April 2009, Dewar reintroduced legislation to protect Gatineau Park. If passed the act would provide legislated boundaries for the park, prevent the removal of land from the park, create a mechanism for expanding the park, and respecting that some of the land belongs to private citizens. However, he was later criticized in the media for having abandoned his commitments on the park, for supporting the Conservative government’s legislation, and for not attending the committee studying that legislation.
Dewar was re-elected in the 2011 federal election, winning 52% of the popular vote. The NDP formed the Official Opposition following the election and Dewar was named the Critic for Foreign Affairs. Following the death of Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
in August 2011, Dewar was seen as a potential candidate to succeed him as the leader of the New Democrats. On October 2, 2011, Dewar announced his candidacy for the leadership
New Democratic Party leadership election, 2012
An election for the leadership of the New Democratic Party , a social democratic party in Canada, will occur on March 24, 2012, as a result of the death of Jack Layton, the party's former leader. The party's executive and caucus set the rules for the campaign at a series of meetings in September 2011...
of the party.
Electoral history
Source: Elections Canada| Ottawa Center New Democratic Party Nomination Contest, 2006 | ||
| Candidate | Residence | June 22, 2005 |
|---|---|---|
| Tiffani Murray | Ottawa | |
| Jamey Heath Jamey Heath Jamey Heath is a political activist in Ontario, Canada. He was the research and communications director for the New Democratic Party under Jack Layton until shortly after the 2006 federal election... |
Ottawa | |
| Paul Dewar | Ottawa | X |
| Shannon Lee Mannion | Ottawa | |
| Ottawa Center New Democratic Party Nomination Contest, 2004 | ||
| Candidate | Residence | January 20, 2004 |
|---|---|---|
| Ed Broadbent Ed Broadbent John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life... |
Ottawa | X |
| Paul Dewar | Ottawa | |