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Margaret MacDiarmid

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Margaret MacDiarmid
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Vancouver-Fairview
In office
May 12, 2009 – May 14, 2013
Preceded byJenn McGinn
Succeeded byGeorge Heyman
Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for Early Learning and Literacy of British Columbia
In office
June 10, 2009 – October 25, 2010
PremierGordon Campbell
Preceded byShirley Bond
Succeeded byGeorge Abbott
Minister of Tourism, Trade and Investment and Minister Responsible for the Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat of British Columbia
In office
October 25, 2010 – March 14, 2011
PremierGordon Campbell
Preceded byKevin Krueger
Succeeded byPat Bell (Jobs, Tourism and Innovation)
Minister of Education of British Columbia
In office
November 25, 2010 – March 14, 2011
PremierGordon Campbell
Preceded byGeorge Abbott
Succeeded byGeorge Abbott
Minister of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government of British Columbia
In office
September 26, 2011 – September 5, 2012
PremierChristy Clark
Preceded byStephanie Cadieux
Succeeded byPat Bell (Minister Responsible for Labour)
Minister of Health of British Columbia
In office
September 5, 2012 – June 10, 2013
PremierChristy Clark
Preceded byMichael de Jong
Succeeded byTerry Lake
Personal details
Born1957 or 1958 (age 66–67)[1]
Political partyBC Liberal
Residence(s)Vancouver, British Columbia
Alma materMemorial University of Newfoundland
Queen's University
ProfessionPhysician

Margaret MacDiarmid is a Canadian politician and physician. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia for the riding of Vancouver-Fairview from 2009 to 2013. A caucus member of the British Columbia Liberal Party, she served in several cabinet posts under premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark.

Biography

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She was originally from Saskatchewan, where her father worked as a general practitioner in the town of Shaunavon.[2] She lived in Salt Lake City, England and Winnipeg through her childhood and teenage years, then studied science at the Memorial University of Newfoundland before attending medical school at Queen's University.[2][3] She worked in Toronto before moving with her husband Robert to Rossland, British Columbia in 1989, where she practised as a family physician.[2][4] She was a member of the board of the British Columbia Medical Association for 12 years, serving as president from 2006 to 2007.[2][4]

MacDiarmid ran as a candidate for the British Columbia Liberal Party in the October 2008 by-election for the provincial riding of Vancouver-Fairview, which took place as a result of incumbent MLA Gregor Robertson's decision to resign his seat in order to run for mayor of Vancouver at the 2008 municipal election. She lost to British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) candidate Jenn McGinn.[5] In a rematch for the Fairview seat at the 2009 provincial election, MacDiarmid defeated McGinn to become the riding's MLA,[5] and was appointed to the cabinet by Premier Gordon Campbell in June 2009 to serve as Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for Early Learning and Literacy.[6][7][8]

In November 2009, MacDiarmid was rushed to Peace Arch Hospital for emergency treatment and transferred to Royal Columbian Hospital for intensive care for pneumococcal meningitis.[9] She recovered and was re-assigned as Minister of Tourism, Trade and Investment and Minister Responsible for the Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat in October 2010.[6][10] With George Abbott resigning as Minister of Education in November 2010 to contest the Liberal Party leadership, MacDiarmid additionally took on the education portfolio.[6][11]

After Christy Clark took over as premier in March 2011, MacDiarmid was initially without a cabinet post, until her appointment as Minister of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government that September;[12] she was then re-assigned as Minister of Health in September 2012.[13]

In 2012, Mike de Jong's Ministry of Health fired seven ministry workers without cause.[14] MacDiarmid, as his freshly appointed replacement, claimed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was investigating what she referred to as their misconduct;[15] it emerged in 2015 that the RCMP had not conducted any criminal investigation due to lack of evidence.[16][17] The matter in its entirety was referred to the Ombudsperson of British Columbia, who in 2017 issued a report titled "Misfire: The 2012 Ministry Of Health Employment Terminations and Related Matters". The Ombudsperson recommended that by May 31, 2017, the government of British Columbia "make a public statement that acknowledges and apologizes for the harm caused by the Ministry of Health investigations and the decisions".[18]

Following her defeat in the 2013 provincial election by BC NDP candidate George Heyman,[19] she was appointed to the board of directors for Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, serving from 2013 to 2017.[20]

Electoral results

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2013 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-Fairview
Party Candidate Votes %
New Democratic George Heyman 12,649 47.32
Liberal Margaret MacDiarmid 11,298 42.26
Green Matthew Pedley 2,785 10.42
Total valid votes 26,732 100.00
Total rejected ballots 220 0.82
Turnout 26,952 58.98
Source: Elections BC[21]
2009 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-Fairview
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
Liberal Margaret MacDiarmid 11,034 47.09 $144,364
New Democratic Jenn McGinn 9,881 42.17 $106,859
Green Vanessa Violini 2,232 9.52 $749
Independent Graham Clark 165 0.70 $250
Reform Norris Matthew Barens 85 0.36 $250
Refederation Alex Frei 37 0.16 $260
Source: [1]
By-election, October 29, 2008: Vancouver-Fairview
Party Candidate Votes % ± Expenditures
  NDP Jenn McGinn 5,752 46.98 $70,030
Liberal Margaret MacDiarmid 4,936 40.32 $92,092
Green Jane Sterk 900 7.35 – $7,773
Conservative Wilf Hanni 489 3.99 $6,886
Marijuana Jodie Emery 166 1.36 $430
Total valid votes 12,243 100%
Total rejected ballots 29 0.24%
Turnout 12,272 26.93%

References

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  1. ^ Hansen, Darah (May 13, 2013). "Vancouver-Fairview candidates taking nothing for granted". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Draper, Jay (2006). "Interview with the President: Dr Margaret MacDiarmid". British Columbia Medical Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "Spring Convocation '79" (PDF). Luminus, Volume 7, Number 1. 1979. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "39th Parliament Members at dissolution on April 16, 2013: MLA: Hon. Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid". Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Smith, Charlie (May 12, 2009). "B.C. Liberal Margaret MacDiarmid takes Vancouver-Fairview from NDP". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Campbell Cabinet: 37th Parliament 2001-2005, 38th Parliament 2005-2009, 39th Parliament 2009-2011" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Steffenhagen, Janet (June 10, 2009). "Margaret MacDiarmid is the new education minister". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  8. ^ "B.C. premier names new 24-member cabinet". CBC News. June 10, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  9. ^ Fowlie, Johnathan (November 4, 2009). "Margaret MacDiarmid recovers from catastrophic illness". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved July 12, 2014.[dead link]
  10. ^ "Campbell rolls out new B.C. cabinet". CBC News. October 25, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  11. ^ Wintonyk, Darcy (November 25, 2010). "Abbott enters race to become BC Liberal leader". CTV News. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Hui, Stephen (September 26, 2011). "B.C. premier Christy Clark puts Margaret MacDiarmid back in cabinet, demotes Harry Bloy". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "Christy Clark Cabinet 2011-2017" (PDF). Legislative Library of British Columbia. January 24, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Shaw, Rob (April 7, 2017). "B.C. government was wrong to fire health researchers, says ombudsperson". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  15. ^ "B.C. health officials fired over access to medical records". CBC News. September 6, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  16. ^ Shaw, Rob (June 3, 2015). "RCMP never investigated fired B.C. health workers, records show". Times-Colonist. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  17. ^ Beers, David; Barrett, Tom (April 4, 2017). "98 BC Liberal Falsehoods, Boondoggles and Scandals: The Clark Era 53". The Tyee. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  18. ^ Chalke, Jaye. "The Ombudsperson of British Columbia" (PDF). bcombudsperson.ca. The Office of the Ombudsperson of BC. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  19. ^ Hansen, Darah (May 14, 2013). "Riding results: New Democrat George Heyman wins a narrow victory in Vancouver Fairview". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on June 23, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  20. ^ MacDiarmid, Margaret (October 10, 2022). "Dr". Self reporting by author of the page. Linkdn. Linkdn. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  21. ^ "Statement of Votes - 40th Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
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