Peter Stoffer
Peter Arend Stoffer | |
|---|---|
 Stoffer in the spring of 2007 at Lockview High School, Fall River, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| Member of Parliament for Sackville—Eastern Shore | |
| Assumed office 2003 | |
| Preceded by | riding renamed from Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore |
| In office 1997–2003 | |
| Preceded by | new riding |
| Succeeded by | riding renamed to Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore |
| Member of Parliament for Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore | |
| In office 1999–2003 | |
| Preceded by | riding renamed from Sackville—Eastern Shore |
| Succeeded by | riding renamed to Sackville—Eastern Shore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 6, 1956 Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands |
| Political party | New Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Andrea Stoffer |
| Residence(s) | Fall River, Nova Scotia |
| Profession | Manager |
Peter Arend Stoffer (born January 6, 1956) is a Canadian politician.
Stoffer is currently a member of the New Democratic Party caucus in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Sackville—Eastern Shore. He represented Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore after the 2000 election, and after the 1997 election, he represented the riding of Sackville—Eastern Shore. (Riding changes are due to redistribution.) Stoffer is a former airline employee and union activist who was also vocal on environmental issues.
Stoffer is the Official Opposition Critic for Veterans' Affairs. He is a former critic for Fisheries and Oceans, Shipbuilding, Seniors, Amateur Sport, Canada Post Corporation, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and National Defence.
Stoffer is a populist and has been an advocate of Third Way policies championed by Tony Blair. He is affiliated with the internal party reform group NDProgress that successfully pushed the NDP to adopt a 'one member one vote' system to choose its leader, and which has called for limits on union influence within the party.
Background and elections
Stoffer was born in Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands, where his parents worked in the coal mines. After the mines closed down in 1956, they decided to move to Canada. His father became a mail carrier, and later worked as the head of a center for the disabled.
In 1997, Stoffer won his seat by a mere 39 votes. Subsequently, however, he increased his margin of victory, in the 2004 election, his plurality was over 6,000 votes. In 2006, he took 53 per cent of the vote, the second placed candidate was over 12,000 votes behind. He was the only Nova Scotia NDP Member of Parliament elected in 1997 to have retained his seat, other than McDonough. In the federal election of 2008, Stoffer received 24,290 votes or 61.5 per cent of the total votes cast. He was more than 16,000 votes ahead of the candidate in second place.[1]
Stoffer lives in Fall River, Nova Scotia with his wife Andrea, his two daughters (Jasmin and Amber) and his dog Angel.
On Parliament Hill
In Ottawa on Parliament Hill, Stoffer has been consistently voted “Most Fun MP to work for” by The Hill Times newspaper, and is known for the “All Party, Party” – a non-partisan fundraiser for various charities.
In 2006 Stoffer withdrew his own private members bill aimed at preserving Canada's neglected heritage lighthouses, in order to support similar legislation, Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act introduced by Conservative Senator Pat Carney.[2]
Stoffer has been critical of MPs who cross the floor and has repeatedly introduced a private member's bill banning party-hopping by Members of Parliament. His proposal, requiring MPs who leave their party to either resign and contest a by-election or sit as independents, was included in a list of demands issued by NDP leader Jack Layton in October 2005, in exchange for continued NDP support of the Liberal minority government. After David Emerson's controversial decision to cross the floor, he has revived this idea.
In 2010, Maclean's Magazine named him "Most Collegial" in its annual Parliamentarians of the Year awards.[3] This is the second year in a row that Stoffer has received the award, which is voted on by fellow MPs.[4]
2003 leadership election
During the 2003 NDP leadership convention, Stoffer was the campaign co-chair to Lorne Nystrom, a former long serving NDP MP from Saskatchewan. Days before the leadership convention, Stoffer let it be known to the media that his second ballot intention was to move to support Manitoba MP Bill Blaikie. While Nystrom was viewed as a long shot to begin with, many attribute Stoffer’s comments as killing any hope Nystrom had of winning over delegates at the convention, as his campaign co-chair was already talking about switching allegiances. At the convention, Toronto city councillor Jack Layton was elected on the first ballot.
References
- ^ "40th General Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
- ^ 'Lighthouse Bill Protecting Our Lighthouses - The Icons of Canada's Maritime Heritage' Canadian Heritage Foundation Featured Heritage Buildings by Douglas Franklin http://www.heritagecanada.org/eng/featured/current.html
- ^ http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/06/02/most-collegial-peter-stoffer-2010/ Most Collegial: Peter Stoffer - Canada - Macleans.ca (2010)
- ^ http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/05/14/most-collegial-peter-stoffer/ Most Collegial: Peter Stoffer - Canada - Macleans.ca (2009)
External links
- Peter Stoffer's Homepage
- New Democratic Party of Canada
- Elections Canada: Sackville--Eastern Shore (Nova Scotia)
- Peter Stoffer – Parliament of Canada biography
