Steven Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Steven John Fletcher, PC
, MP (born June 17, 1972) is a Canadian
politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons
since 2004, representing the riding
of Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia
as a member of the Conservative Party
. He is the first quadriplegic to serve in the House of Commons, as well as in Cabinet. Fletcher was appointed as Minister of State (Democratic Reform) on October 30, 2008. After the Conservative Party victory on May 2, 2011, Fletcher was appointed as Minister of State (Transport).
, Brazil
, where his Canadian father was working as an engineer. He was raised in Manitoba
, and attended Shaftesbury High School
in Winnipeg
. Fletcher received a degree in Geological Engineering from the University of Manitoba
in 1995.
He became a complete quadriplegic
in 1996, after hitting a moose
with his vehicle while travelling to a geological engineering job in northern Manitoba. The accident left him completely paralysed below the neck, and he now requires 24-hour-a-day attendant care. He was unable to speak for several months, and only regained this ability after a long process of recovery.
In the immediate aftermath of his accident, Fletcher was told that he would have to spend the rest of his life in an institution. Years later, he joked: "I don't think the doctors ever thought the institution would be Parliament." When asked about his disability during his first campaign for public office, he quipped: "I would rather be paralyzed from the neck down than from the neck up."
Before his accident, Fletcher was a wilderness canoe enthusiast. He served as president of the Manitoba Recreational Canoeing Association, was a two-time former Manitoba Kayak Champion, and competed in national events. He was able to resume his life as an outdoorsman in the mid-2000s through inventions such as the TrailRider, which allows quadriplegics to travel over rough terrain. In late 2004, he was able to stand again with the assistance of an hydraulic wheelchair. He recently competed in water races, and has won awards using "sip and puff
" steering technology. In 2006, he visited the Burgess Shale
in the Rocky Mountains
with the help of a TrailRider and other hikers.
Fletcher has said that the accident changed his political views. He acknowledges that he "didn't give the less-fortunate any consideration" before 1996, but now describes himself as a "compassionate conservative".
(MBA) program. He was elected president of the University of Manitoba Students' Union
(UMSU) in February 1999, and identified his main priorities as improving the university's public profile and increasing access for students in financial need. He also called for greater university access for disabled students and for higher aboriginal enrollment. In October 1999, he met with federal Finance Minister
Paul Martin
to lobby for increased student funding.
Fletcher's political views often put him at odds with other campus organizations during much of his tenure, and he was sometimes accused of administrative bias against left-wing groups. In early 2000, he supported a decision by student council to freeze university funding for The Manitoban, a campus newspaper with a left-leaning editorial board. He argued that the issue at stake was one of financial accountability, although his opponents suggested he was trying to infringe on the paper's autonomy. Funding was restored when the newspaper staff agreed to accept an Ombudsman Board.
Fletcher was elected as a director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
during his first term. He was re-elected student body president in 2000, and presided over the elimination of the UMSU's debt in May 2000. He credited a partnership with Starbucks
for much of the council's $43,000 surplus.
In late 2000, Fletcher announced that he would seek the Progressive Conservative
nomination for a provincial by-election
in Tuxedo. Some of his opponents later tried to remove him as student president, arguing that such partisan activity was inappropriate for someone elected to represent the interests of all students. Fletcher argued that the university's constitution did not prevent him from participating in provincial politics, and described his opponents as "far left extremists". He lost the provincial nomination to Heather Stefanson
. His opponents in the Graduate Students Association later voted to separate from the UMSU, although the University of Manitoba refused to sanction the separation.
Near the end of 2000, Fletcher endorsed a report from the right-wing Fraser Institute
which suggested that Canada would have to end university union contracts and professorial tenure to retain bright young academics. He was quoted as saying: "There is merit. You'd have to break the union, I would guess."
During the 2001 student election campaign, Fletcher, with the assistance of Colleen Bready (UMSU vice-president) and a Security Services officer, performed an unannounced search of several student group offices. The affected groups included the Graduate Students' Association, the Womyn's Centre, Amnesty International, the U of M Recycling Group (UMREG), the Rainbow Pride Mosaic, and the Manitoban. Fletcher and Bready said they had been "made aware of a suspicion" that campaign materials were being stored in the student group offices in violation of UMSU election bylaws. The search was condemned by other campus groups, with UMREG coordinator Rob Altemeyer
describing Fletcher's actions as "completely inappropriate". Fletcher defended his actions, saying: "It's UMSU space. We have the authority and the right to check [student organization] space at any time." Bready said they felt warranted since a slate of candidates had already been found guilty earlier in the week of using the Graduate Students' Association office for campaign activities.
In March 2001, Fletcher called for a central co-ordination body to oversee Manitoba's universities, arguing that the province "is too small to have five universities offering the same thing". He opposed the provincial government's 2001 decision to build a new university in northern Manitoba. Fletcher finished his second and final term as student president in May 2001, and received his MBA in 2002.
was sometimes fractious. Fletcher criticized Murray in 2002 for hiring discredited advisor Taras Sokolyk
without informing him, and suggested that Murray had not taken sufficient action to improve the state of the party's finances.
After Fletcher's election as party president, Manitoba Public Insurance
announced that it would no longer provide travel expenses for his personal assistant. A representative for MPI argued that attending party functions was not a prerequisite for Fletcher's stated career goal of becoming an elected politician, and indicated that the fund was not legally required to pay for these activities. Fletcher appealed this decision before the Manitoba Court of Appeal, hiring former New Democratic Party
cabinet minister Sidney Green as his attorney. In May 2003, the Court of Appeal ruled that MPI has the discretion to fund such activities under Section 138 of the MPI Act, but is not obliged to use this discretion. He later tried to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada
, but the court twice declined to hear his case. Fletcher filed a lawsuit against former provincial cabinet minister Becky Barrett
in September 2003, arguing that she had "maliciously" interfered in his legal battles.
nomination in Charleswood—St. James for the 2004 federal election
. He later supported the merger of the Canadian Alliance with the more centrist Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
, and endorsed Stephen Harper
's bid to lead the merged Conservative Party of Canada in early 2004. Fletcher's Alliance nomination was rendered void by the merger, and he was required to contest another nomination for the new party. He defeated Murdock a second time, and was declared the riding's Conservative Party candidate in March 2004.
Fletcher defeated star Liberal
candidate Glen Murray, a popular former Mayor of Winnipeg, by 734 votes in the 2004 election. His victory was considered an upset, although polls before election day indicated the result would be close. The Liberal Party won a minority government
nationally, and Fletcher was named as Senior Health Critic in the Official Opposition
.
Fletcher is the first Member of Parliament
(MP) in Canadian history with a permanent disability
. A running joke during his first campaign was that he would have to be a front bench
MP, as the backbenches are not wheelchair-accessible. His election created the need for a "stranger to the House
"—a person who is not officially an MP or officer of Parliament—in this case, his aide, to actually be on the floor of the Commons during sessions.
The Parliament buildings had to be adapted to accommodate Fletcher. In Ottawa, Fletcher has advocated for community living, the integration of physically or mentally challenged individuals into society. He has said, “Community living is better for the individual for sure, better for their families, and in most cases—not all—it’s better on the taxpayer too.”
but also indicated a willingness to permit greater private-sector involvement. He suggested that the government is "notorious for stifling innovation", and argued that the private sector should not be "pigeonholed like doctors who tried to pigeonhole me". Liberal Health Minister
Ujjal Dosanjh
responded by arguing that the Conservative position would jeopardize the principles of the Canada Health Act.
On April 20, 2005, the House of Commons supported Fletcher's Motion to compensate all Canadians who were infected with Hepatitis C
by the Canadian Red Cross
as a result of its failure to test blood samples. This was a major development in a decade-long struggle to have the pre-1986 and post-1990 Hepatitis C victims included in a federal compensation package. A compensation funding package was announced in 2006.
The following month, Fletcher became involved in a controversy unrelated to his parliamentary duties. On May 21, 2005, he apologized for saying "The Japs were bastards" at a veteran
s' convention in Winnipeg the previous week, in reference to Japanese Imperial Army during World War II
. He defended the general intent of his remarks, noting that his grandfather had witnessed the Japanese army commit atrocities when he was taken as a prisoner of war
after the fall of Singapore
. He also acknowledged that he used "language that was inappropriate".
In November 2005, Fletcher and New Democratic Party
MP Pat Martin
endorsed a motion to minimize trans-fats in the Canadian food supply. A task force to investigate the issue of trans-fats was subsequently struck, and provided recommendations to the government in 2007.
, as the Conservatives won a minority government
nationally. After the election, he was appointed as parliamentary secretary
to the Minister of Health
and the minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario.
Fletcher supported Sam Katz
's bid for re-election as Mayor of Winnipeg in 2006. In late 2006, he assisted Liberal MP Andy Scott in presenting a motion for a national strategy on the treatment of persons with autism
. He received a 2006 Champion of Mental Health Award.
Fletcher has received awards for community involvement, including a special award from the National Cancer Leadership Forum for advocating a national cancer strategy. He has also received the Courage and Leadership Award from the Canadian Cancer Society, and was inducted into the Terry Fox
Hall of Fame on November 13, 2006.
Fletcher has advocated for embryonic stem cell research using embryos that would otherwise be discarded from in-vitro fertilization techniques. He stated on CBC's The National " I would ask this question. A Canadian who finds themselves with a terrible ailment or a loved one with a terrible ailment and there is a cure that is derived by embryonic stem cell research, would they deny their loved one or themselves that cure because of the source of the cure? Most Canadians would say please, cure me."
In March 2007, Fletcher began a campaign to have Ottawa's taxi service improve its wheelchair accessibility. There is a book written by Linda McIntosh, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly in Manitoba, about Fletcher’s life entitled What Do You Do If You Don't Die? released in December 2008.
, Fletcher was appointed as Minister of State for Democratic Reform on October 30, 2008. Fletcher is the first person in history with a permanent disability
to be named to the Canadian cabinet. At the time of his appointment, he was quoted saying “I would pinch myself if I could.”
Fletcher is only the third federal conservative cabinet minister from a Winnipeg riding. The previous two were Gordon Churchill
during the 1950s and the son of Canada's first Prime Minister, Hugh John Macdonald
, who served as a cabinet minister in the late 19th century.
On March 4, 2010, Fletcher received the Christopher Reeve Award from the Canadian Paraplegic Association. Teren Clarke, Executive Director of the Canadian Paraplegic Association said when
the announcement was made. “Steven Fletcher’s journey is an inspiration to all of us since sustaining a high level spinal cord injury only a few years ago. And now as a member of the Federal Cabinet, he deals with matters well beyond the scope of disability issues, and that deserves our recognition with this national/international award.”
. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, MP (born June 17, 1972) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. He has served 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...
since 2004, representing 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 Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia
Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia
Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-History:...
as a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. He is the first quadriplegic to serve in the House of Commons, as well as in Cabinet. Fletcher was appointed as Minister of State (Democratic Reform) on October 30, 2008. After the Conservative Party victory on May 2, 2011, Fletcher was appointed as Minister of State (Transport).
Early life and career
Fletcher was born in Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, where his Canadian father was working as an engineer. He was raised in 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...
, and attended Shaftesbury High School
Shaftesbury High School
Shaftesbury High School is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Tuxedo neighbourhood. It has a population of 750 students who come from Charleswood, Linden Woods and Tuxedo.-Notable alumni:* Nia Vardalos - Actress* Steven Fletcher - Politician...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. Fletcher received a degree in Geological Engineering from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
in 1995.
He became a complete quadriplegic
Quadriplegia
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial or total loss of use of all their limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but does not affect the arms...
in 1996, after hitting a moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
with his vehicle while travelling to a geological engineering job in northern Manitoba. The accident left him completely paralysed below the neck, and he now requires 24-hour-a-day attendant care. He was unable to speak for several months, and only regained this ability after a long process of recovery.
In the immediate aftermath of his accident, Fletcher was told that he would have to spend the rest of his life in an institution. Years later, he joked: "I don't think the doctors ever thought the institution would be Parliament." When asked about his disability during his first campaign for public office, he quipped: "I would rather be paralyzed from the neck down than from the neck up."
Before his accident, Fletcher was a wilderness canoe enthusiast. He served as president of the Manitoba Recreational Canoeing Association, was a two-time former Manitoba Kayak Champion, and competed in national events. He was able to resume his life as an outdoorsman in the mid-2000s through inventions such as the TrailRider, which allows quadriplegics to travel over rough terrain. In late 2004, he was able to stand again with the assistance of an hydraulic wheelchair. He recently competed in water races, and has won awards using "sip and puff
Sip-and-puff
Sip-and-Puff or Sip 'n' Puff ' technology is a method used to send signals to a device using air pressure by "sipping" or "puffing" on a straw, tube or "wand." It is primarily used by people who do not have the use of their hands...
" steering technology. In 2006, he visited the Burgess Shale
Burgess Shale
The Burgess Shale Formation, located in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, is one of the world's most celebrated fossil fields, and the best of its kind. It is famous for the exceptional preservation of the soft parts of its fossils...
in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
with the help of a TrailRider and other hikers.
Fletcher has said that the accident changed his political views. He acknowledges that he "didn't give the less-fortunate any consideration" before 1996, but now describes himself as a "compassionate conservative".
Student president
Fletcher returned to the University of Manitoba in 1997 to take a Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA) program. He was elected president of the University of Manitoba Students' Union
University of Manitoba Students' Union
The University of Manitoba Students' Union is the university-wide representative body for undergraduate students at the University of Manitoba, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It was established in 1919, replacing the former University of Manitoba Students' Association established in 1914...
(UMSU) in February 1999, and identified his main priorities as improving the university's public profile and increasing access for students in financial need. He also called for greater university access for disabled students and for higher aboriginal enrollment. In October 1999, he met with federal Finance Minister
Minister of Finance (Canada)
The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
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....
to lobby for increased student funding.
Fletcher's political views often put him at odds with other campus organizations during much of his tenure, and he was sometimes accused of administrative bias against left-wing groups. In early 2000, he supported a decision by student council to freeze university funding for The Manitoban, a campus newspaper with a left-leaning editorial board. He argued that the issue at stake was one of financial accountability, although his opponents suggested he was trying to infringe on the paper's autonomy. Funding was restored when the newspaper staff agreed to accept an Ombudsman Board.
Fletcher was elected as a director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations was formed in 1995 by several post-secondary institutions' student unions who had withdrawn from the Canadian Federation of Students and previously unaffiliated student unions...
during his first term. He was re-elected student body president in 2000, and presided over the elimination of the UMSU's debt in May 2000. He credited a partnership with Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
for much of the council's $43,000 surplus.
In late 2000, Fletcher announced that he would seek the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
nomination for a provincial by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Tuxedo. Some of his opponents later tried to remove him as student president, arguing that such partisan activity was inappropriate for someone elected to represent the interests of all students. Fletcher argued that the university's constitution did not prevent him from participating in provincial politics, and described his opponents as "far left extremists". He lost the provincial nomination to Heather Stefanson
Heather Stefanson
Heather Stefanson is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She is currently a member of the Manitoba legislature, representing the opposition Progressive Conservative Party....
. His opponents in the Graduate Students Association later voted to separate from the UMSU, although the University of Manitoba refused to sanction the separation.
Near the end of 2000, Fletcher endorsed a report from the right-wing Fraser Institute
Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
which suggested that Canada would have to end university union contracts and professorial tenure to retain bright young academics. He was quoted as saying: "There is merit. You'd have to break the union, I would guess."
During the 2001 student election campaign, Fletcher, with the assistance of Colleen Bready (UMSU vice-president) and a Security Services officer, performed an unannounced search of several student group offices. The affected groups included the Graduate Students' Association, the Womyn's Centre, Amnesty International, the U of M Recycling Group (UMREG), the Rainbow Pride Mosaic, and the Manitoban. Fletcher and Bready said they had been "made aware of a suspicion" that campaign materials were being stored in the student group offices in violation of UMSU election bylaws. The search was condemned by other campus groups, with UMREG coordinator Rob Altemeyer
Rob Altemeyer
Rob Altemeyer is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently a member of the Manitoba legislature.Altemeyer was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and was educated at the University of Manitoba where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and a Master's Degree in Natural...
describing Fletcher's actions as "completely inappropriate". Fletcher defended his actions, saying: "It's UMSU space. We have the authority and the right to check [student organization] space at any time." Bready said they felt warranted since a slate of candidates had already been found guilty earlier in the week of using the Graduate Students' Association office for campaign activities.
In March 2001, Fletcher called for a central co-ordination body to oversee Manitoba's universities, arguing that the province "is too small to have five universities offering the same thing". He opposed the provincial government's 2001 decision to build a new university in northern Manitoba. Fletcher finished his second and final term as student president in May 2001, and received his MBA in 2002.
Party president
Fletcher was elected president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba in November 2001, and was re-elected in 2003. His relationship with party leader Stuart MurrayStuart Murray
Stuart Murray is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba and leader of the opposition in the Manitoba legislature from 2000 to 2006.-Early life and career:...
was sometimes fractious. Fletcher criticized Murray in 2002 for hiring discredited advisor Taras Sokolyk
Taras Sokolyk
Taras Sokolyk is a former political organizer and currently the Chief Executive Officer of CanadInns in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He played a prominent role in the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba's 1995 election campaign, in which the party won a majority government.Once a political organizer...
without informing him, and suggested that Murray had not taken sufficient action to improve the state of the party's finances.
After Fletcher's election as party president, Manitoba Public Insurance
Manitoba Public Insurance
Manitoba Public Insurance is a non-profit Crown corporation based in Manitoba that has provided basic public auto insurance since 1971....
announced that it would no longer provide travel expenses for his personal assistant. A representative for MPI argued that attending party functions was not a prerequisite for Fletcher's stated career goal of becoming an elected politician, and indicated that the fund was not legally required to pay for these activities. Fletcher appealed this decision before the Manitoba Court of Appeal, hiring former New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
cabinet minister Sidney Green as his attorney. In May 2003, the Court of Appeal ruled that MPI has the discretion to fund such activities under Section 138 of the MPI Act, but is not obliged to use this discretion. He later tried to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
, but the court twice declined to hear his case. Fletcher filed a lawsuit against former provincial cabinet minister Becky Barrett
Becky Barrett
Becky Barrett is a retired politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1990 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Gary Doer from 1999 to 2003....
in September 2003, arguing that she had "maliciously" interfered in his legal battles.
Federal politician
In late 2003, Fletcher defeated Don Murdock to win the Canadian AllianceCanadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
nomination in Charleswood—St. James for the 2004 federal 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...
. He later supported the merger of the Canadian Alliance with the more centrist Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
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....
, and endorsed Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
's bid to lead the merged Conservative Party of Canada in early 2004. Fletcher's Alliance nomination was rendered void by the merger, and he was required to contest another nomination for the new party. He defeated Murdock a second time, and was declared the riding's Conservative Party candidate in March 2004.
Fletcher defeated star Liberal
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...
candidate Glen Murray, a popular former Mayor of Winnipeg, by 734 votes in the 2004 election. His victory was considered an upset, although polls before election day indicated the result would be close. The Liberal Party won a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
nationally, and Fletcher was named as Senior Health Critic in 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...
.
Fletcher is the first 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) in Canadian history with a permanent disability
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
. A running joke during his first campaign was that he would have to be a front bench
Frontbencher
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
MP, as the backbenches are not wheelchair-accessible. His election created the need for a "stranger to the House
Stranger to the House
In the Canadian House of Commons and its provinces' Legislative Assemblies , a Stranger to the House is anyone permitted to be on the floor of the House who is not either a Member of Parliament, an Officer of the House or a parliamentary page.The position was created at the federal level following...
"—a person who is not officially an MP or officer of Parliament—in this case, his aide, to actually be on the floor of the Commons during sessions.
The Parliament buildings had to be adapted to accommodate Fletcher. In Ottawa, Fletcher has advocated for community living, the integration of physically or mentally challenged individuals into society. He has said, “Community living is better for the individual for sure, better for their families, and in most cases—not all—it’s better on the taxpayer too.”
Opposition MP
As Conservative Health Critic, Fletcher described himself as a supporter of the Canada Health ActCanada 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...
but also indicated a willingness to permit greater private-sector involvement. He suggested that the government is "notorious for stifling innovation", and argued that the private sector should not be "pigeonholed like doctors who tried to pigeonhole me". Liberal 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...
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...
responded by arguing that the Conservative position would jeopardize the principles of the Canada Health Act.
On April 20, 2005, the House of Commons supported Fletcher's Motion to compensate all Canadians who were infected with Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
by the Canadian Red Cross
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society is a Canadian humanitarian charitable organization and one of 186 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies....
as a result of its failure to test blood samples. This was a major development in a decade-long struggle to have the pre-1986 and post-1990 Hepatitis C victims included in a federal compensation package. A compensation funding package was announced in 2006.
The following month, Fletcher became involved in a controversy unrelated to his parliamentary duties. On May 21, 2005, he apologized for saying "The Japs were bastards" at a veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s' convention in Winnipeg the previous week, in reference to Japanese Imperial Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He defended the general intent of his remarks, noting that his grandfather had witnessed the Japanese army commit atrocities when he was taken as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
after the fall of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. He also acknowledged that he used "language that was inappropriate".
In November 2005, Fletcher and 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...
MP Pat Martin
Pat Martin
Patrick "Pat" Martin is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Canadian House of Commons since 1997, representing the riding of Winnipeg Centre for the New Democratic Party.-Career:...
endorsed a motion to minimize trans-fats in the Canadian food supply. A task force to investigate the issue of trans-fats was subsequently struck, and provided recommendations to the government in 2007.
Government MP
Fletcher was re-elected with an increased majority in the 2006 federal electionCanadian 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:...
, as the Conservatives won a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
nationally. After the election, he was appointed as parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister of Health
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...
and the minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario.
Fletcher supported Sam Katz
Sam Katz
Samuel Michael Katz, OM is the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is also a businessperson and a member of the Order of Manitoba.- Life before mayorship :...
's bid for re-election as Mayor of Winnipeg in 2006. In late 2006, he assisted Liberal MP Andy Scott in presenting a motion for a national strategy on the treatment of persons with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. He received a 2006 Champion of Mental Health Award.
Fletcher has received awards for community involvement, including a special award from the National Cancer Leadership Forum for advocating a national cancer strategy. He has also received the Courage and Leadership Award from the Canadian Cancer Society, and was inducted into the Terry Fox
Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox , was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research...
Hall of Fame on November 13, 2006.
Fletcher has advocated for embryonic stem cell research using embryos that would otherwise be discarded from in-vitro fertilization techniques. He stated on CBC's The National " I would ask this question. A Canadian who finds themselves with a terrible ailment or a loved one with a terrible ailment and there is a cure that is derived by embryonic stem cell research, would they deny their loved one or themselves that cure because of the source of the cure? Most Canadians would say please, cure me."
In March 2007, Fletcher began a campaign to have Ottawa's taxi service improve its wheelchair accessibility. There is a book written by Linda McIntosh, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly in Manitoba, about Fletcher’s life entitled What Do You Do If You Don't Die? released in December 2008.
Minister of State (Democratic Reform)
After being elected for a third time in the 2008 federal electionCanadian 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...
, Fletcher was appointed as Minister of State for Democratic Reform on October 30, 2008. Fletcher is the first person in history with a permanent disability
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
to be named to the Canadian cabinet. At the time of his appointment, he was quoted saying “I would pinch myself if I could.”
Fletcher is only the third federal conservative cabinet minister from a Winnipeg riding. The previous two were Gordon Churchill
Gordon Churchill
Gordon Minto Churchill, PC, DSO was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1946 to 1949 as an independent representative, and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1951 to 1968 as a Progressive Conservative...
during the 1950s and the son of Canada's first Prime Minister, Hugh John Macdonald
Hugh John Macdonald
Sir Hugh John Macdonald, PC was the only surviving son of the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald, and was a politician in his own right, serving as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and a federal cabinet minister, and briefly as the eighth Premier of Manitoba.-Early...
, who served as a cabinet minister in the late 19th century.
On March 4, 2010, Fletcher received the Christopher Reeve Award from the Canadian Paraplegic Association. Teren Clarke, Executive Director of the Canadian Paraplegic Association said when
the announcement was made. “Steven Fletcher’s journey is an inspiration to all of us since sustaining a high level spinal cord injury only a few years ago. And now as a member of the Federal Cabinet, he deals with matters well beyond the scope of disability issues, and that deserves our recognition with this national/international award.”
Electoral record
All electoral information is taken from Elections CanadaElections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
External links
- Steven Fletcher official site
- The Steven Fletcher Story