Peter Stoffer
Encyclopedia
Peter Arend Stoffer is a Canadian
politician.
Stoffer is currently a member of the New Democratic Party
caucus in the Canadian House of Commons
, representing the riding of Sackville—Eastern Shore
. He represented Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore after the 2000 election
, and after the 1997 election
, he represented the riding of Sackville—Eastern Shore
. (Riding changes are due to redistribution.) Stoffer is a former airline employee and union activist who was also vocal on environmental issues.
Stoffer is the Official Opposition Critic for Veterans' Affairs. He is a former critic for Fisheries and Oceans, Shipbuilding, Seniors, Amateur Sport, Canada Post Corporation, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and National Defence.
Stoffer is a populist and has been an advocate of Third Way
policies championed by Tony Blair
. He is affiliated with the internal party reform group NDProgress
that successfully pushed the NDP to adopt a 'one member one vote' system to choose its leader, and which has called for limits on union influence within the party.
, Limburg
, Netherlands
. In 1997, he won his seat by a mere 39 votes. Subsequently, however, Stoffer increased his margin of victory, in the 2004 election
, his plurality was over 6,000 votes. In 2006, he took 53 per cent of the vote, the second placed candidate was over 12,000 votes behind. He was the only Nova Scotia
NDP Member of Parliament
elected in 1997 to have retained his seat, other than McDonough. In the federal election of 2008, Stoffer received 24,290 votes or 61.5 per cent of the total votes cast. He was more than 16,000 votes ahead of the candidate in second place.
Stoffer lives in Fall River, Nova Scotia with his wife Andrea, his two daughters (Jasmin and Amber) and his dog Angel.
on Parliament Hill
, Stoffer has been consistently voted “Most Fun MP to work for” by The Hill Times
newspaper, and is known for the “All Party, Party” – a non-partisan fundraiser for various charities.
In 2006 Stoffer withdrew his own private members bill aimed at preserving Canada's neglected heritage lighthouses, in order to support similar legislation, Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act introduced by Conservative Senator Pat Carney.
Stoffer has been critical of MPs who cross the floor and has repeatedly introduced a private member's bill
banning party-hopping by Members of Parliament. His proposal, requiring MPs who leave their party to either resign and contest a by-election or sit as independents, was included in a list of demands issued by NDP leader Jack Layton in October 2005, in exchange for continued NDP support of the Liberal minority government. After David Emerson
's controversial decision to cross the floor, he has revived this idea.
In 2010, Maclean's Magazine named him "Most Collegial" in its annual Parliamentarians of the Year awards. This is the second year in a row that Stoffer has received the award, which is voted on by fellow MPs.
, a former long serving NDP MP from Saskatchewan
. Days before the leadership convention, Stoffer let it be known to the media that his second ballot intention was to move to support Manitoba
MP Bill Blaikie
. While Nystrom was viewed as a long shot to begin with, many attribute Stoffer’s comments as killing any hope Nystrom had of winning over delegates at the convention, as his campaign co-chair was already talking about switching allegiances. At the convention, Toronto city councillor Jack Layton
was elected on the first ballot.
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.
Stoffer is currently 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...
caucus 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 Sackville—Eastern Shore
Sackville—Eastern Shore
Sackville—Eastern Shore is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997...
. He represented Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore after 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....
, and after 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...
, he represented the riding of Sackville—Eastern Shore
Sackville—Eastern Shore
Sackville—Eastern Shore is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997...
. (Riding changes are due to redistribution.) Stoffer is a former airline employee and union activist who was also vocal on environmental issues.
Stoffer is the Official Opposition Critic for Veterans' Affairs. He is a former critic for Fisheries and Oceans, Shipbuilding, Seniors, Amateur Sport, Canada Post Corporation, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and National Defence.
Stoffer is a populist and has been an advocate of Third Way
Third way (centrism)
The Third Way refers to various political positions which try to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of right-wing economic and left-wing social policies. Third Way approaches are commonly viewed from within the first- and second-way perspectives as...
policies championed by Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. He is affiliated with the internal party reform group NDProgress
NDProgress
NDProgress was a pressure group or faction within the Canadian federal New Democratic Party. Founded in 2000, NDProgress pushed for structural reform of the party as a means of increasing its electoral success....
that successfully pushed the NDP to adopt a 'one member one vote' system to choose its leader, and which has called for limits on union influence within the party.
Background and elections
Stoffer was born in HeerlenHeerlen
Heerlen is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. The municipality is the second largest in the province of Limburg. It forms part of Parkstad Limburg, , an agglomeration of about 220,000 inhabitants.After its early Roman beginnings and a rather modest medieval period, Heerlen...
, Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. In 1997, he won his seat by a mere 39 votes. Subsequently, however, Stoffer increased his margin of victory, in the 2004 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...
, his plurality was over 6,000 votes. In 2006, he took 53 per cent of the vote, the second placed candidate was over 12,000 votes behind. He was the only 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...
NDP Member 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,...
elected in 1997 to have retained his seat, other than McDonough. In the federal election of 2008, Stoffer received 24,290 votes or 61.5 per cent of the total votes cast. He was more than 16,000 votes ahead of the candidate in second place.
Stoffer lives in Fall River, Nova Scotia with his wife Andrea, his two daughters (Jasmin and Amber) and his dog Angel.
On Parliament Hill
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...
on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
, Stoffer has been consistently voted “Most Fun MP to work for” by The Hill Times
The Hill Times
The Hill Times is a Canadian weekly newspaper that covers the federal government and politics. Founded in 1989, this Ottawa based periodical is owned by Jim Creskey and Ross Dickson....
newspaper, and is known for the “All Party, Party” – a non-partisan fundraiser for various charities.
In 2006 Stoffer withdrew his own private members bill aimed at preserving Canada's neglected heritage lighthouses, in order to support similar legislation, Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act introduced by Conservative Senator Pat Carney.
Stoffer has been critical of MPs who cross the floor and has repeatedly introduced a private member's bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
banning party-hopping by Members of Parliament. His proposal, requiring MPs who leave their party to either resign and contest a by-election or sit as independents, was included in a list of demands issued by NDP leader Jack Layton in October 2005, in exchange for continued NDP support of the Liberal minority government. After David Emerson
David Emerson
David Lee Emerson, PC, OBC is a Canadian politician, businessman and civil servant.Emerson is a former Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Paul Martin...
's controversial decision to cross the floor, he has revived this idea.
In 2010, Maclean's Magazine named him "Most Collegial" in its annual Parliamentarians of the Year awards. This is the second year in a row that Stoffer has received the award, which is voted on by fellow MPs.
2003 leadership election
During the 2003 NDP leadership convention, Stoffer was the campaign co-chair to Lorne NystromLorne Nystrom
Lorne Edmund Nystrom, PC a Canadian politician, was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1993 when he lost his reelection bid. He returned to parliament in 1997 and served until 2004...
, a former long serving NDP MP from Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. Days before the leadership convention, Stoffer let it be known to the media that his second ballot intention was to move to support 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...
MP Bill Blaikie
Bill Blaikie
William Alexander "Bill" Blaikie, PC is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since April 2009, representing the Winnipeg division of Elmwood as a member of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and Minister of Conservation and Government House Leader...
. While Nystrom was viewed as a long shot to begin with, many attribute Stoffer’s comments as killing any hope Nystrom had of winning over delegates at the convention, as his campaign co-chair was already talking about switching allegiances. At the convention, Toronto city councillor 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...
was elected on the first ballot.