Anne Swarbrick

Anne Swarbrick (born in Toronto, Ontario) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae.

Related Topics:
Toronto - Ontario - Politician - Canada - New Democratic Party - Legislative Assembly of Ontario - 1990 - 1995 - Cabinet minister - Bob Rae

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Swarbrick worked as a clerk and adjudicator to the Federal Immigration Department before entering public life. She also worked with the Public Service Alliance of Canada for four years, and was executive assistant to the Metro Toronto Labour Council president from 1986 to 1990. In addition, she was the director of the Yellow Brick House, a shelter for battered women.

Related Topics:
1986 - 1990

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She first sought election to the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial election, but finished a distant third against Progressive Conservative Don Cousens in the Greater Toronto Area riding of Markham.

Related Topics:
1987 provincial election - Progressive Conservative - Don Cousens - Greater Toronto Area - Markham

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 1990 provincial election, she ran to succeed veteran NDP member Richard Johnston in the riding of Scarborough West. The NDP won an unexpectedly majority government in this election, and Swarbrick won a landslide victory in her riding. On October 1, 1990, she was named a minister without portfolio responsible for Women's Issues. Swarbrick was among the ministers who supported the government's decision to retreat from its pledge to introduce public automobile insurance to the province.

Related Topics:
1990 provincial election - Richard Johnston - Scarborough West - October 1 - 1990 - Minister without portfolio - Women's Issues

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Swarbrick became involved in controversy in 1991, when it was revealed she had intervened in a quasi-judicial hearing (ie. writing letters to a medical board that was considering the case of a physician accused of sexual assualt). She was not initially fired from cabinet, but resigned her position on September 11, 1991.

Related Topics:
1991 - September 11

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On February 3, 1993, Swarbrick was brought back into the cabinet as Minister of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. There are some reports that she considered resigning again in protest against the Rae government's Social Contract legislation, but she did not actually do so.

Related Topics:
February 3 - 1993 - Minister of Culture, Tourism and Recreation - Social Contract

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The NDP were defeated in the 1995 provincial election, and Swarbrick lost her seat to Progressive Conservative Jim Brown by fewer than 2,000 votes. She has not sought a return to the provincial legislature since this time.

Related Topics:
1995 provincial election - Progressive Conservative - Jim Brown

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After her defeat, Swarbrick served as manager of Toronto operations for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and Executive Director of the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange. She is now president and CEO of the Toronto Community Federation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~