Sheila Copps
Encyclopedia
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC
(born November 27, 1952) is a former Canadian
politician
who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997.
Copps is a second-generation member of a political family that has dominated the Hamilton, Ontario
area politics on the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Her father, Victor K. Copps, was one of the most influential mayors of the City of Hamilton; the city's landmark sports arena, Copps Coliseum
, is named in his honour. Her mother, Geraldine Copps
, was a Hamilton city councillor.
Considered a prominent left-wing member of the Liberal Party of Canada
, Copps was an advocate for women's and minority rights
, and protection of the environment
. Her combative style and reputation for flamboyance were trademarks of her political career.
, Ontario
. She attended Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School. She is married to Austin Thorne (her third husband), and has one daughter, Danelle (from her second marriage). She was the first sitting Member of Parliament in Canadian history to give birth.
Copps earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in French and English from King's University College
at the University of Western Ontario
in London, Ontario
, and pursued further studies at McMaster University
in Hamilton and the University of Rouen
in France
. She worked as a newspaper journalist, both with the Hamilton Spectator and the Ottawa Citizen
.
, running for the Ontario Liberal Party
in Hamilton Centre
. She lost, finishing fourteen votes behind incumbent New Democrat Mike Davison
. Copps appeared on the ballot for this election as "Sheila Copps Miller", using the surname of her then-husband. In all subsequent campaigns, she would refer to herself as "Sheila Copps".
After working as a constituency assistant to party leader Stuart Smith
for the next four years, Copps again ran in Hamilton Centre for the 1981 election
. She defeated Davison by 2,804 votes, and joined thirty-three other Liberals in forming the Official Opposition to Premier
William Davis
's Progressive Conservative
government. Copps ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1982 following Smith's resignation, and despite her lack of experience finished a strong second against David Peterson
.
Copps turned to national politics in the 1984 federal election
, campaigning for the federal Liberals in the riding
of Hamilton East. This election resulted in a landslide victory for Brian Mulroney
and his Progressive Conservative Party
, which won 211 out of 282 seats. Copps was personally elected, defeating New Democratic Party
candidate David Christopherson
by 2,661 votes, but had relatively few allies in the House of Commons
for the next four years.
Copps proved to be an influential member of the small Liberal opposition. She became a prominent member of the "Rat Pack
", a group of young Liberal MPs who made it their business to bring misery to the Mulroney government. She earned both praise and scorn for her spirited attacks on Mulroney and his ministers. She released her autobiography, Nobody's Baby
, only two years into her federal career, and was by all accounts a rising star in Canadian politics. The book came after Minister of Justice
John Crosbie
told Copps to "just quiet down, baby" during a heated debate.
In 1987, Copps became the first sitting MP in Canadian history to give birth, when her daughter Danelle was born. Later, Copps commented that she became part of her "entourage", making friends across the country. In 1988, Copps was re-elected without difficulty in the federal election
.
Copps was a candidate in the 1990 Liberal leadership race to succeed John Turner
. She finished third, behind Jean Chrétien
and Paul Martin
.
In 1992, Copps supported Murray Elston
's unsuccessful bid to succeed David Peterson as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.
, defeating Kim Campbell
's Tories. Chrétien became prime minister following the election, and named Copps as Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of the Environment
. This marked the first time in Canadian history that a woman had been named to the post of Deputy Prime Minister. Following a 1996 cabinet shuffle, she relinquished the Environment portfolio and became Minister of Canadian Heritage
.
Copps resigned briefly in the spring of 1996. One of Chrétien's campaign promises had been to abolish Brian Mulroney's highly unpopular Goods and Services Tax
, a promise he later reneged on in an effort to avoid decreasing government revenues. During the 1993 election campaign, Copps promised during a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
"town hall" program that she would resign if the GST was not abolished. After commissioning a poll which suggested that she would win her riding should a by-election be called, Copps accordingly vacated her Hamilton East seat in 1996, and promptly ran again in the ensuing by-election. The by-election would have Reform
put up billboards around her riding, one of which featured a pig at a trough with "SHEILA" marked on it; and another with her picture and, "Promise to cut the GST: It worked last time!" written on it. Copps won handily, though with a significantly reduced percentage of the vote from 1993, and Chrétien reinstated her to her previous cabinet posts. During her victory speech, she noted that the Liberals "kicked butt" in the by-election; an editorial cartoon in the right-wing Toronto Sun
tabloid the next day portrayed Hamilton East voters as "buttheads," which caused some controversy.
Following the 1997 election
, Copps' somewhat damaged reputation led to Chrétien removing her from the position of deputy prime minister, which was instead given to political stalwart Herb Gray
. Copps made little upward progress in cabinet after this demotion, and by many accounts came to have relatively little influence over the direction of government policy. Many believe that Anne McLellan
surpassed her as the most prominent woman in government during this period.
Following Jean Chrétien's announcement of his intent to retire in February 2004, Copps became the first candidate to officially declare for the party leadership. Despite her efforts to build support among women, minority groups and the party's left-wing, she began and ended the leadership contest well behind the overwhelming favourite, Paul Martin
, whose supporters controlled the party machinery; John Manley
departed from the running before the vote. She was supported by few MPs, and many questioned the relevance of her campaign. Some speculated that she would withdraw prior to the Liberal leadership convention on November 14, 2003. She did not, but instead gave a nomination speech that was effectively a concession, urging her followers to rally around Martin as party leader after the vote. As expected, Martin easily won the Liberal leadership and went on to become prime minister. Quite notably, her national campaigning saw her sign up over 32,000 new party members.
On December 9, 2003, Copps turned down the offer of a patronage
appointment from Martin and announced that she intended to remain in the House of Commons. Many suspect that Martin wanted to appoint Copps as Canada's ambassador to France
or UNESCO
.
, who was named to Martin's cabinet as Minister of Transport. With redistribution, part of Valeri's Stoney Creek riding was merged with part of Copps's Hamilton East to create Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
, while the remainder was merged with other neighbouring ridings to create Niagara West—Glanbrook
. The remaining portion of Hamilton East was merged with parts of Hamilton West to create Hamilton Centre
. Of the 115,709 constituents of the riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, a slight majority of constituents (58,462) were from Valeri's Stoney Creek riding while a minority (57,247) were from Copps' Hamilton East riding.
Copps' position was that Valeri should have sought the nomination in Niagara West-Glanbrook, where he resided and in which there was a regional airport that would complement his transport portfolio. Valeri's position was that the majority of his former Stoney Creek constituents lived in the new Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
riding, Copps no longer lived in Hamilton and he resided less than 100 metres from the riding boundary.
In a December interview with Hamilton's CHCH-TV
, Copps complained that Martin was trying to drive her, other women and other Martin opponents out of the Liberal caucus. On January 14, 2004, she suggested that she could campaign for the New Democratic Party
in the upcoming election if Valeri won the Liberal nomination. Copps later retracted this threat.
On March 6, 2004, Valeri defeated Copps by 2,802 votes to 2,491. Copps argued that there were improprieties in the nomination process and in the conduct of the vote, and called on various authorities to investigate (other nomination elections between Chrétien and Martin supporters had similar allegations of tampering). She initially appealed the vote results to the Liberal Party of Canada
. Her appeal was late as it was filed beyond the 72-hour deadline after the commencement of the nomination meeting, but the Appeals Commission of the Liberal Party waived the deadline. Nevertheless, Copps dropped the appeal on March 29, alleging a lack of transparency in the process.
In July 2005, Hamilton police announced a formal end to the investigation after finding no evidence to substantiate Copps' allegations including tampering of her telephones on the day of the nomination. As the access codes to her phone system were apparently listed on a bulletin board, the police estimated that at least 40 individuals had access to the phone system.
during her years as an Opposition member. She was often heckled in parliamentary debates, and the tone of the criticism was frequently considered sexist. Tory Member of Parliament
(MP) John Crosbie
once told her to "just quiet down, baby" in response to a question in 1985. Copps responded that she was "nobody's baby," a line which would remain her trademark for years. Crosbie also took another dig at a fundraising dinner in Victoria, British Columbia
in 1990 by saying she made him think of the song lyrics, "Pass the tequila, Sheila, lay down and love me again!" Bill Kempling
, another Tory MP, was forced to apologize after calling her a "slut." After joining the federal cabinet, Copps was also called a "bitch" by Reform
MP Ian McClelland
.
The feud between Copps and Crosbie appears to have cooled down in recent years. Crosbie devoted an entire chapter in his autobiography to his confrontations with Copps. In her second autobiography Worth Fighting For, Copps had Crosbie write an introduction in which he wrote, "I write this Introduction to her new book as a tribute to a feisty, sometimes ferocious, feminist protagonist, never shy or retiring but redoubtable political personality. She was a constant thorn in my side while she was in Opposition, but her marriage to my fellow Newfoundlander Austin Thorne has made her more serene and has calmed her sometimes volcanic and partisan excesses."
. The program had cost about CAD
$45 million for about one million flags, making each flag cost about $45. In addition, the manufacturers added no eyelets, sleeves or halyard lines to the flags, thus rendering them unflyable. The flag effort led many to accuse her of being too generous with taxpayer money for projects of questionable relevance, especially in times of financial difficulty and budget cuts.
and announced she would not run for re-election as an independent. She later suggested in comments to reporters that she may return to politics once Paul Martin was no longer Prime Minister. In her first public engagement after departing politics, she accepted a role in a Kingston, Ontario
dinner theatre production of Steel Magnolias
. She also guest starred on the evening soap opera
Train 48
.
Her second autobiography, Worth Fighting For, was published by McClelland and Stewart in October 2004, and resulted in further public controversy with Paul Martin and other members of the Liberal Party. Copps alleged that Martin had put a pledge in his 1995 budget to rescind the "outdated" Canada Health Act
, and further claimed that her intervention had the offending line removed from the document. Her allegations were denied by Martin and David Dodge
(whom Copps claims faxed her the draft of the budget), Diane Marleau
(who was Health Minister
at the time) and others.
After leaving politics, Copps wrote regular commentary for the National Post
. In September 2005, concurrent with a redesign, she was introduced as a regular columnist for the Toronto Sun
which was also published in various Sun papers across Canada. Copps quit her column in December 2007.
She also hosts a weekly syndicated radio talk show
, Weekends with Sheila Copps, focusing on lifestyle issues such as health and financial planning. She succeeded Dini Petty
as host of the series. She is also employed by Quebecor
, a prominent Canadian media distribution company. In this capacity she has been working on a new series for the History Channel.
In March 2006, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
of Montreal, a prominent sovereigntist group, demanded $100,000 from Copps, claiming that she had defamed them in a television interview on January 6, 2006. Sovereigntists claim that Options Canada illegally spent $3.5 million to promote federalism in Quebec, while Copps claimed that the St-Jean Baptiste Society spent $4.8 million from the Quebec Government to promote sovereignty, which the group denies. Copps claims that she had been unaware of the group's demands until she was approached for comment by reporters on March 5, 2006, and that she has yet to receive any legal notice from the group.
In 2006, subsequent to Paul Martin's resignation as Prime Minister, Copps decided not to seek the Liberal leadership.
Following the 2006 election
, Liberal MP Paul Zed
(Liberal, New Brunswick
) and former MP Dennis Mills
(Liberal, Ontario
) organized a gala event to pay tribute to Copps and heal wounds caused by party infighting. Held on March 23, 2006, the event was attended by a host of prominent Liberals, including former Prime Minister John Turner
, and Aline Chrétien
. The event also served as a fundraiser for Liberal women in Canadian politics.
As the daughter of late Hamilton Mayor Victor Copps
, she has long been the object of speculation as to whether or not she would follow in the footsteps of her father, recently stating that, if she were to return to politics, she would do so "it would be in my hometown and nowhere else." Following the Liberals historic defeat in the 2011 federal election, Copps announced she would return to public life to run for the Presidency of the Liberal Party of Canada
.
Chapter contribution
Articles
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,...
(born November 27, 1952) is a former 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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada is an honorary position in the cabinet, conferred at the discretion of the prime minister. There is currently, , no deputy prime minister....
from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997.
Copps is a second-generation member of a political family that has dominated the Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
area politics on the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Her father, Victor K. Copps, was one of the most influential mayors of the City of Hamilton; the city's landmark sports arena, Copps Coliseum
Copps Coliseum
Copps Coliseum is a sports and entertainment arena, on the corner of Bay Street North and York Boulevard, in Hamilton, Ontario. Depending on event, the Copps Coliseum has a capacity of up to 19,000.It is named after the former Hamilton mayor, Victor K...
, is named in his honour. Her mother, Geraldine Copps
Geraldine Copps
Geraldine Copps is a veteran political figure in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She is the widow of former mayor Victor Copps and a former councillor of that city...
, was a Hamilton city councillor.
Considered a prominent left-wing member of the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
, Copps was an advocate for women's and minority rights
Minority rights
The term Minority Rights embodies two separate concepts: first, normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic or sexual minorities, and second, collective rights accorded to minority groups...
, and protection of the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
. Her combative style and reputation for flamboyance were trademarks of her political career.
Biography
Copps was born in HamiltonHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, 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....
. She attended Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School. She is married to Austin Thorne (her third husband), and has one daughter, Danelle (from her second marriage). She was the first sitting Member of Parliament in Canadian history to give birth.
Copps earned 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 in French and English from King's University College
King's University College (University of Western Ontario)
This article refers to the King's College in London, Ontario. For the King's College in London, England, see King's College LondonKing's University College is a Catholic, co-educational liberal arts college affiliated with the University of Western Ontario.-History:It was founded as the "College of...
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...
in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, and pursued further studies at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Hamilton and the University of Rouen
University of Rouen
The University of Rouen is a French university, in the Academy of Rouen.-See also:* List of public universities in France by academy...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. She worked as a newspaper journalist, both with the Hamilton Spectator and the 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 :...
.
Political career
Copps entered provincial politics in the 1977 provincial electionOntario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, running for the Ontario Liberal Party
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...
in Hamilton Centre
Hamilton Centre
Hamilton Centre is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.It was created in 2003 from parts of Hamilton East, Hamilton West and Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot ridings....
. She lost, finishing fourteen votes behind incumbent New Democrat Mike Davison
Mike Davison
Michael Norman Davison is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1981 and again from 1984 to 1985 as a member of the New Democratic Party. He was arrested on criminal charges in 2004.Davison was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and...
. Copps appeared on the ballot for this election as "Sheila Copps Miller", using the surname of her then-husband. In all subsequent campaigns, she would refer to herself as "Sheila Copps".
After working as a constituency assistant to party leader Stuart Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith is a politician, psychiatrist, academic and public servant in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1982, and led the Ontario Liberal Party for most of this period....
for the next four years, Copps again ran in Hamilton Centre for the 1981 election
Ontario general election, 1981
The Ontario general election of 1981 was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. She defeated Davison by 2,804 votes, and joined thirty-three other Liberals in forming the Official Opposition to Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
William Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
's 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...
government. Copps ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1982 following Smith's resignation, and despite her lack of experience finished a strong second against 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....
.
Copps turned to national politics in the 1984 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, campaigning for the federal Liberals in the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Hamilton East. This election resulted in a landslide victory for 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...
and his 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....
, which won 211 out of 282 seats. Copps was personally elected, defeating 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...
candidate David Christopherson
David Christopherson
David Christopherson is a Canadian politician. Since 2004, he has represented the riding of Hamilton Centre in the Canadian House of Commons. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the provincial government of Bob Rae...
by 2,661 votes, but had relatively few allies in 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...
for the next four years.
Copps proved to be an influential member of the small Liberal opposition. She became a prominent member of the "Rat Pack
Liberal Party of Canada Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was the nickname given to a group of young, high-profile Canadian Liberal opposition Members of Parliament during the Progressive Conservative government of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney....
", a group of young Liberal MPs who made it their business to bring misery to the Mulroney government. She earned both praise and scorn for her spirited attacks on Mulroney and his ministers. She released her autobiography, Nobody's Baby
Nobody's Baby
Nobody's Baby is a 2001 comedy film written and directed by David Seltzer and starring Gary Oldman and Skeet Ulrich.-Cast:* Skeet Ulrich as Billy Raedeen* Gary Oldman as Buford Bill* Radha Mitchell as Shauna Louise* Mary Steenburgen as Estelle...
, only two years into her federal career, and was by all accounts a rising star in Canadian politics. The book came after Minister of Justice
Minister of Justice (Canada)
The Minister of Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice and is also Attorney General of Canada .This cabinet position is usually reserved for someone with formal legal training...
John Crosbie
John Crosbie
John Carnell Crosbie, PC, OC, ONL, QC is a retired provincial and federal politician and the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
told Copps to "just quiet down, baby" during a heated debate.
In 1987, Copps became the first sitting MP in Canadian history to give birth, when her daughter Danelle was born. Later, Copps commented that she became part of her "entourage", making friends across the country. In 1988, Copps was re-elected without difficulty in the federal 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 ....
.
Copps was a candidate in the 1990 Liberal leadership race to succeed John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
. She finished third, behind 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 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....
.
In 1992, Copps supported Murray Elston
Murray Elston
Murray John Elston is an executive and former Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1994, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson...
's unsuccessful bid to succeed David Peterson as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.
Federal minister
The Liberals came to power in the 1993 electionCanadian 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...
, defeating Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
's Tories. Chrétien became prime minister following the election, and named Copps as Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada is an honorary position in the cabinet, conferred at the discretion of the prime minister. There is currently, , no deputy prime minister....
and Minister of the Environment
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
. This marked the first time in Canadian history that a woman had been named to the post of Deputy Prime Minister. Following a 1996 cabinet shuffle, she relinquished the Environment portfolio and became Minister of Canadian Heritage
Minister of Canadian Heritage
The Minister of Canadian Heritage is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who heads the Department of Canadian Heritage, the federal government department responsible for Canada's Arts, Culture, Media, Communications network, and Sport....
.
Copps resigned briefly in the spring of 1996. One of Chrétien's campaign promises had been to abolish Brian Mulroney's highly unpopular Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
, a promise he later reneged on in an effort to avoid decreasing government revenues. During the 1993 election campaign, Copps promised during a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
"town hall" program that she would resign if the GST was not abolished. After commissioning a poll which suggested that she would win her riding should a by-election be called, Copps accordingly vacated her Hamilton East seat in 1996, and promptly ran again in the ensuing by-election. The by-election would have Reform
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....
put up billboards around her riding, one of which featured a pig at a trough with "SHEILA" marked on it; and another with her picture and, "Promise to cut the GST: It worked last time!" written on it. Copps won handily, though with a significantly reduced percentage of the vote from 1993, and Chrétien reinstated her to her previous cabinet posts. During her victory speech, she noted that the Liberals "kicked butt" in the by-election; an editorial cartoon in the right-wing Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
tabloid the next day portrayed Hamilton East voters as "buttheads," which caused some controversy.
Following 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...
, Copps' somewhat damaged reputation led to Chrétien removing her from the position of deputy prime minister, which was instead given to political stalwart Herb Gray
Herb Gray
Herbert Eser Gray, is a retired Canadian politician. He was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister, and is one of only a few Canadians ever granted the title The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.-Early life:Born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Harry...
. Copps made little upward progress in cabinet after this demotion, and by many accounts came to have relatively little influence over the direction of government policy. Many believe that Anne McLellan
Anne McLellan
|-...
surpassed her as the most prominent woman in government during this period.
Following Jean Chrétien's announcement of his intent to retire in February 2004, Copps became the first candidate to officially declare for the party leadership. Despite her efforts to build support among women, minority groups and the party's left-wing, she began and ended the leadership contest well behind the overwhelming favourite, 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....
, whose supporters controlled the party machinery; John Manley
John Manley
John Manley may refer to:* John Manley , English soldier, MP and Postmaster General* John Manley, Canadian politician* John Manley , British archaeologist* John H. Manley, American nuclear physicist...
departed from the running before the vote. She was supported by few MPs, and many questioned the relevance of her campaign. Some speculated that she would withdraw prior to the Liberal leadership convention on November 14, 2003. She did not, but instead gave a nomination speech that was effectively a concession, urging her followers to rally around Martin as party leader after the vote. As expected, Martin easily won the Liberal leadership and went on to become prime minister. Quite notably, her national campaigning saw her sign up over 32,000 new party members.
On December 9, 2003, Copps turned down the offer of a patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
appointment from Martin and announced that she intended to remain in the House of Commons. Many suspect that Martin wanted to appoint Copps as Canada's ambassador to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
Nomination battle before 2004 federal election
Riding redistribution placed Copps in a serious nomination battle with another Liberal MP, Tony ValeriTony Valeri
Tony Valeri, PC is a former Canadian politician. Valeri was the Canadian Government House Leader in Paul Martin's government from 2004 until 2006...
, who was named to Martin's cabinet as Minister of Transport. With redistribution, part of Valeri's Stoney Creek riding was merged with part of Copps's Hamilton East to create Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding was formed in 2003 from parts of the former ridings of Hamilton East and Stoney Creek....
, while the remainder was merged with other neighbouring ridings to create Niagara West—Glanbrook
Niagara West—Glanbrook
Niagara West—Glanbrook is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding was created in 2003 from parts of Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot,...
. The remaining portion of Hamilton East was merged with parts of Hamilton West to create Hamilton Centre
Hamilton Centre
Hamilton Centre is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.It was created in 2003 from parts of Hamilton East, Hamilton West and Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot ridings....
. Of the 115,709 constituents of the riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, a slight majority of constituents (58,462) were from Valeri's Stoney Creek riding while a minority (57,247) were from Copps' Hamilton East riding.
Copps' position was that Valeri should have sought the nomination in Niagara West-Glanbrook, where he resided and in which there was a regional airport that would complement his transport portfolio. Valeri's position was that the majority of his former Stoney Creek constituents lived in the new Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding was formed in 2003 from parts of the former ridings of Hamilton East and Stoney Creek....
riding, Copps no longer lived in Hamilton and he resided less than 100 metres from the riding boundary.
In a December interview with Hamilton's CHCH-TV
CHCH-TV
CHCH-DT, channel 11, is a television station originating in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with transmitters located throughout Ontario. CHCH currently operates as an independent station, having previously served as a CBC Television affiliate, and more recently as the flagship station of the...
, Copps complained that Martin was trying to drive her, other women and other Martin opponents out of the Liberal caucus. On January 14, 2004, she suggested that she could campaign for 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...
in the upcoming election if Valeri won the Liberal nomination. Copps later retracted this threat.
On March 6, 2004, Valeri defeated Copps by 2,802 votes to 2,491. Copps argued that there were improprieties in the nomination process and in the conduct of the vote, and called on various authorities to investigate (other nomination elections between Chrétien and Martin supporters had similar allegations of tampering). She initially appealed the vote results to the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
. Her appeal was late as it was filed beyond the 72-hour deadline after the commencement of the nomination meeting, but the Appeals Commission of the Liberal Party waived the deadline. Nevertheless, Copps dropped the appeal on March 29, alleging a lack of transparency in the process.
In July 2005, Hamilton police announced a formal end to the investigation after finding no evidence to substantiate Copps' allegations including tampering of her telephones on the day of the nomination. As the access codes to her phone system were apparently listed on a bulletin board, the police estimated that at least 40 individuals had access to the phone system.
Insults directed to Copps
Copps was a prominent target of the Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive 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....
during her years as an Opposition member. She was often heckled in parliamentary debates, and the tone of the criticism was frequently considered sexist. Tory 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,...
(MP) John Crosbie
John Crosbie
John Carnell Crosbie, PC, OC, ONL, QC is a retired provincial and federal politician and the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
once told her to "just quiet down, baby" in response to a question in 1985. Copps responded that she was "nobody's baby," a line which would remain her trademark for years. Crosbie also took another dig at a fundraising dinner in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
in 1990 by saying she made him think of the song lyrics, "Pass the tequila, Sheila, lay down and love me again!" Bill Kempling
Bill Kempling
William James Kempling was a Canadian politician. Born in Grimsby, Ontario, he represented the electoral districts of Halton—Wentworth in the Canadian House of Commons from 1972 to 1979, and Burlington from 1979 to 1993....
, another Tory MP, was forced to apologize after calling her a "slut." After joining the federal cabinet, Copps was also called a "bitch" by Reform
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....
MP Ian McClelland
Ian McClelland
Ian G. McClelland is an Edmonton-based businessperson, who was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2000, and a member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2004.-Business:...
.
The feud between Copps and Crosbie appears to have cooled down in recent years. Crosbie devoted an entire chapter in his autobiography to his confrontations with Copps. In her second autobiography Worth Fighting For, Copps had Crosbie write an introduction in which he wrote, "I write this Introduction to her new book as a tribute to a feisty, sometimes ferocious, feminist protagonist, never shy or retiring but redoubtable political personality. She was a constant thorn in my side while she was in Opposition, but her marriage to my fellow Newfoundlander Austin Thorne has made her more serene and has calmed her sometimes volcanic and partisan excesses."
Controversy
Copps' strong brand of Canadian nationalism has often drawn controversy. She led a largely unsuccessful campaign in the 1990s to keep American magazines from producing "split-run" Canadian editions and faced widespread criticism for her efforts to bolster nationalism through the distribution of tens of thousands of free Canadian flagsFlag of Canada
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
. The program had cost about CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
$45 million for about one million flags, making each flag cost about $45. In addition, the manufacturers added no eyelets, sleeves or halyard lines to the flags, thus rendering them unflyable. The flag effort led many to accuse her of being too generous with taxpayer money for projects of questionable relevance, especially in times of financial difficulty and budget cuts.
Post-political career
On May 14, 2004, Copps stood in the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian 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...
and announced she would not run for re-election as an independent. She later suggested in comments to reporters that she may return to politics once Paul Martin was no longer Prime Minister. In her first public engagement after departing politics, she accepted a role in a Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
dinner theatre production of Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross that stars Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts....
. She also guest starred on the evening soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Train 48
Train 48
Train 48 was a Canadian television soap opera, broadcast on Global Television Network or CH airing from 2003 until 2005.Train 48 was based on the format of an Australian television program called Going Home....
.
Her second autobiography, Worth Fighting For, was published by McClelland and Stewart in October 2004, and resulted in further public controversy with Paul Martin and other members of the Liberal Party. Copps alleged that Martin had put a pledge in his 1995 budget to rescind the "outdated" Canada Health Act
Canada Health Act
The Canada Health Act is a piece of Canadian federal legislation, adopted in 1984, which specifies the conditions and criteria with which the provincial and territorial health insurance programs must conform in order to receive federal transfer payments under the Canada Health Transfer...
, and further claimed that her intervention had the offending line removed from the document. Her allegations were denied by Martin and David Dodge
David A. Dodge
David A. Dodge, OC, FRSC is a Canadian economist. He served a seven-year term as Governor of the Bank of Canada from February 1, 2001 to January 31, 2008. He was succeeded by Mark Carney. On September 12, 2008 he joined Bennett Jones LLP, a leading Canadian law firm, as a senior advisor in their...
(whom Copps claims faxed her the draft of the budget), Diane Marleau
Diane Marleau
Diane Marleau, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Sudbury in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien...
(who was Health Minister
Minister of Health (Canada)
The Minister of Health is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health department and the enforcing the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Health Act, the law governing Medicare...
at the time) and others.
After leaving politics, Copps wrote regular commentary for the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
. In September 2005, concurrent with a redesign, she was introduced as a regular columnist for the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
which was also published in various Sun papers across Canada. Copps quit her column in December 2007.
She also hosts a weekly syndicated radio talk show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, Weekends with Sheila Copps, focusing on lifestyle issues such as health and financial planning. She succeeded Dini Petty
Dini Petty
Dini Petty is a Canadian television and radio host.At 22, wearing a trademark pink jumpsuit and working for Toronto radio station CKEY, she became the first female traffic reporter to pilot her own helicopter...
as host of the series. She is also employed by Quebecor
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
, a prominent Canadian media distribution company. In this capacity she has been working on a new series for the History Channel.
In March 2006, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society is an institution in Quebec dedicated to the protection of Quebec francophone interests and to the promotion of Quebec Sovereignism. Its current President is Mario Beaulieu....
of Montreal, a prominent sovereigntist group, demanded $100,000 from Copps, claiming that she had defamed them in a television interview on January 6, 2006. Sovereigntists claim that Options Canada illegally spent $3.5 million to promote federalism in Quebec, while Copps claimed that the St-Jean Baptiste Society spent $4.8 million from the Quebec Government to promote sovereignty, which the group denies. Copps claims that she had been unaware of the group's demands until she was approached for comment by reporters on March 5, 2006, and that she has yet to receive any legal notice from the group.
In 2006, subsequent to Paul Martin's resignation as Prime Minister, Copps decided not to seek the Liberal leadership.
Following the 2006 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:...
, Liberal MP Paul Zed
Paul Zed
Paul Zed is a Canadian lawyer, professor, and politician.Paul Zed was born in Toronto on December 31, 1956 and received his early education from local Saint John, NB schools, graduating from St...
(Liberal, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
) and former MP Dennis Mills
Dennis Mills
Dennis Joseph Mills is a Canadian businessman and former politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto-Danforth in the east-end of downtown Toronto. He now sits on the board of directors of Magna International....
(Liberal, 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....
) organized a gala event to pay tribute to Copps and heal wounds caused by party infighting. Held on March 23, 2006, the event was attended by a host of prominent Liberals, including former Prime Minister John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
, and Aline Chrétien
Aline Chrétien
Aline Chrétien is the wife of Canada's twentieth Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien.Born Aline Chaîné in Saint-Boniface-de-Shawinigan, Quebec, she married lawyer Jean Chrétien on September 10, 1957...
. The event also served as a fundraiser for Liberal women in Canadian politics.
As the daughter of late Hamilton Mayor Victor Copps
Victor Copps
Victor Kennedy Copps was a Canadian politician and Mayor of Hamilton.Born in Haileybury, Ontario, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, following which, he worked in Timmins, Ontario for a local newspaper. In 1945 he moved to Hamilton to become a sports broadcaster on...
, she has long been the object of speculation as to whether or not she would follow in the footsteps of her father, recently stating that, if she were to return to politics, she would do so "it would be in my hometown and nowhere else." Following the Liberals historic defeat in the 2011 federal election, Copps announced she would return to public life to run for the Presidency of the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
.
Writings and publications
- Nobody's Baby: A Survival Guide to Politics (1986). Toronto ON : Deneau. 192 p. ISBN 0888791356.
- Worth fighting for (2004). Toronto ON : McClelland & Stewart. 213 p. ISBN 0771022824.
- La batailleuse (2004). Montreal QC : Boréal. 236 p. ISBN 276460341X.
Chapter contribution
- Trish Hennessey and Ed Finn (editors). "Fight for equality is far from being won.", in: "Speaking Truth to Power : A Reader on Canadian Women's Inequality", Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Ottawa, c.2010. pp. 15–18.
Articles
- "Canada's Historic Places Initiative", Heritage/Patrimoine, 6:26, Spring 2003 .
- "Canadian Cultural Policy in a Global Economy", Canadian Business Economics, 7(3):40-3, Oct. 1999.
- "Celine Dion: Made in Canada", NPQ: New Perspectives Quarterly. 15(5):17, Fall 1998.
- "Initiative des Endroits Historiques du Canada", Heritage/Patrimoine. 6:26, Spring 2003 .
- "Liberal Flogging of the Government's Green Plan", New Environment. pp. 39ff, Annual, 1990.
- "Two Grit Guys and a Cutie?", Bulletin Centre for Investigative Journalism. no. 42:9, Winter 1990.
External links
- Perspective of a digital copyright reformer on Sheila Copps, MP
- Audio interview with THECOMMENTARY.CA's Joseph Planta
- Sheila Copps Editorial Cartoon Gallery By Graeme MacKay of The Hamilton Spectator