Chris Axworthy
KC
Member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly
for Saskatoon Fairview
In office
June 28, 1999 – March 17, 2003
Preceded byBob Mitchell
Succeeded byAndy Iwanchuk
Member of Parliament
for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar
Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing (1988–1997)
In office
November 21, 1988 – June 1, 1999
Preceded byRay Hnatyshyn[1]
Succeeded byDennis Gruending
Personal details
Born(1947-03-10)March 10, 1947
Plymouth, England
DiedAugust 11, 2023(2023-08-11) (aged 76)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Political party

Christopher S. Axworthy, KC (March 10, 1947 – August 11, 2023) was a Canadian politician and academic.

Law professor

After teaching law at the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie Law School, Chris Axworthy came to Saskatoon in 1984 as the founding executive director of the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and as a professor of law at the University of Saskatchewan.[2] In 2003 he returned to the University of Saskatchewan as a professor of law, where he taught until the spring of 2008.[3]

In the spring of 2008, he was appointed Dean of Robson Hall at the University of Manitoba for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2008.[4] He was also the President of the Institute of Parliamentary and Political Law.

In May 2010, Axworthy assumed the position as the Founding Dean of Law at Thompson Rivers University's new law school, which opened in Fall 2011. On July 15, 2013, he resigned this position.[5][6]

Political career

Axworthy was elected as a Saskatchewan Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party in 1988 and was re-elected in 1993 and 1997.

Axworthy resigned from the House of Commons on June 1, 1999, to join the cabinet of then Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow. He was elected as an MLA in a by-election as the Saskatchewan NDP MLA for the constituency of Saskatoon-Fairview with 64% of the vote.[7] He was also re-elected three months later in a general election that same year. He served as Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.[3] After Romanow stepped down, Axworthy ran against Lorne Calvert for the provincial NDP leadership convention and finished second.[8][9] Axworthy, who was still serving as Justice Minister, resigned as MLA in January 2003.[10]

Although he had been an NDP member for his entire political career, Axworthy announced his bid for the Liberal nomination in the riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin on March 5, 2004. He received 32.58% of the vote, but lost to incumbent Conservative MP, Maurice Vellacott. He lost to Vellacott a second time in the 2006 federal election.

Personal life and death

Axworthy was born in Plymouth, England on March 10, 1947.[2] He died from cancer on August 11, 2023, at the age of 76.[11][12]

Electoral results

Federal

2006 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Wanuskewin
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeMaurice Vellacott17,75349.39+2.74$62,331.71
LiberalChris Axworthy8,65524.08−8.50$52,437.43
New DemocraticJim Maddin7,93922.09+4.27$35,098.35
GreenDon Cameron1,2923.59+0.63$880.29
Christian HeritageDale Sanders3070.85−0.90$1,552.99
Total valid votes 35,946 100.00
Total rejected ballots 96 0.27 +0.03
Turnout 36,042 67.35 +7.63
Electors on the lists 53,513
2004 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Wanuskewin
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeMaurice Vellacott15,10946.64−11.09$66,433.82
LiberalChris Axworthy10,55332.58+15.76$72,269.97
New DemocraticPriscilla Settee5,77017.81−6.42$38,635.22
GreenDavid Greenfield9602.96+1.75$25.00
Total valid votes 32,392 100.00
Total rejected ballots 76 0.23 −0.03
Turnout 32,468 59.72 −1.90
Electors on the lists 54,366
Percentage change figures are factored for redistribution. Conservative Party percentages are contrasted with the combined Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative percentages from 2000.
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.
1997 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%Expenditures
New DemocraticChris Axworthy12,09543.72$56,131
ReformElwin Hermanson9,01132.57$33,126
LiberalTanyss Munro4,43816.04$37,991
Progressive ConservativeRichard Gabruch1,9316.98$11,361
Canadian ActionRick Barsky1910.69$1,760
Total valid votes/Expense limit 27,666100.00$58,640
Total rejected ballots 1130.41
Turnout 27,77959.9
1993 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing
Party Candidate Votes
New DemocraticChris Axworthy11,587
ReformFrederick Wesolowski10,376
LiberalRoy Norris10,226
Progressive ConservativePeter McCann3,668
NationalHenry Garman604
Natural LawPatrick James Coulterman185
IndependentRhys Frostad109
Canada PartyShawn Cawley71
1988 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing
Party Candidate Votes
New DemocraticChris Axworthy19,889
Progressive ConservativeRay Hnatyshyn14,847
LiberalBill Patrick6,554
GreenKeith A. Morvick222

Provincial

1999 Saskatchewan general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  NDP Chris Axworthy 2,653 56.68 -7.55
SaskatchewanSandra Rees1,13724.29+3.11
LiberalBarry Anderson64913.86+1.67
  Prog. Conservative Gwen Katzman 153 3.27 -
New GreenLynn Oliphant891.90-0.50
Total 4,681 100.00
June 28, 1999 By-Election: Saskatoon Fairview
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  NDP Chris Axworthy 1,871 64.23 -0.56
SaskatchewanHarry Meyers61721.18*
LiberalBarry Anderson35512.19-12.70
New GreenNeil Sinclair702.40*
Total 2,913 100.00

References

  1. ↑ Saskatoon West
  2. 1 2 Roberts, David. Why Chris Axworthy feels at home. The Globe and Mail. October 30, 1999. p. A22
  3. 1 2 College of Law: Faculty and Staff Directory. Chris Axworthy.
  4. ↑ University of Manitoba: Faculty of Law Archived June 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "Dean of TRU Law School resigns without explanation".
  6. ↑ Gardiner, Heather (July 22, 2013). "Tension marks TRU law dean's exit". Canadian Lawyer. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ NDP retains two ridings. The Globe and Mail. June 29, 1999. p. A5.
  8. ↑ Adams, Paul. Race tests Saskatchewan NDP. The Globe and Mail. January 26, 2001. p. A4
  9. ↑ Girard, Daniel. Calvert's first job to renegotiate coalition. The Toronto Star. January 29, 2001. p. A06.
  10. ↑ "Saskatchewan justice minister quits". CBC News. January 21, 2003. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ Cairns, John (August 14, 2023). "Former MP, provincial cabinet minister Chris Axworthy has died". SaskToday. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Former MP, MLA Chris Axworthy dies after battle with cancer". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.