Joan Crockatt
Member of Parliament
for Calgary Centre
In office
November 26, 2012 – October 19, 2015
Preceded byLee Richardson
Succeeded byKent Hehr
Personal details
Born (1955-12-05) December 5, 1955
Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada
Political partyConservative
Residence(s)Calgary, Alberta
ProfessionJournalist

Joan Crockatt (born December 5, 1955) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in a by-election on November 26, 2012.[1] A member of the Conservative Party of Canada, she represented the electoral district of Calgary Centre until November 2015.

From Alberta, Crockatt is a business journalist who worked most notably as a senior newspaper executive with the Calgary Herald, and later as a communications consultant and national public affairs commentator.

Personal life

Crockatt was born and raised in Lloydminster and has called Calgary home for more than 18 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan and was awarded a Southam Fellowship in Journalism at the University of Toronto. She studied strategic thinking at the London School of Economics.[2]

Crockatt has been an active community volunteer, chairing the Alberta College of Art and Design's major fundraiser for student scholarships, being a founder of the Lloydminster Sexual Assault Centre, serving as a mentor for the Famous Five Foundation, and competing as a competitive synchronized figure skater (1993 Canadian Silver Medal, 2003 Canadian Festival Silver Medal).[2]

Journalism

Crockatt has worked as director of editorial for CanWest Global Communications, and managing editor and editorialist for the Calgary Herald. For the past decade, before election to parliament, she has been a communications consultant, working for clients including the Calgary Stampede, corporations and non-profits.[2] During her time as the Calgary Herald's managing editor, the newspaper's journalists went on a union drive and then a prolonged strike in 1999.[3]

In her career in journalism, much of Crockatt's work focused on politics. She has appeared as a political commentator on CBC News Network and Sun News Network.[2]

Politics

In November 2012, Crockatt won a by-election against Liberal candidate Harvey Locke and Green candidate Chris Turner, focusing her campaign on door-knocking and personal interactions with constituents.[3] However, she won with only 37 percent of the vote, the worst showing for a centre-right candidate in the riding in decades and the closest that a centre-left candidate had come in recent memory to winning a Calgary seat.

She served on the House of Commons Standing Committees for Natural Resources and the Status of Women.[4] As part of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, Crockatt has participated in numerous studies that promote equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada.[5]

Since being elected she has been a featured speaker at the 2013 annual Manning Conference in Ottawa, where she took part in a panel to discuss issues of gender and politics.[6] She has been named one of the top 10 Alberta politicians in the use of social media.[7]

in the 2015 federal election on October 19, former Liberal MLA Kent Hehr defeated Crockatt, gaining one of two seats for the Liberals in Calgary.[8]

2013 Alberta floods

Following the 2013 Alberta floods, Crockatt has become a strong advocate for those affected and continues to push for flood mitigation,[9] leading to $2.8 billion being set aside for 2013 Alberta flood recovery, including the $200 million National Disaster Mitigation Program in the 2014 federal budget, and eligibility for disaster mitigation infrastructure projects under the New Building Canada Fund, of which Alberta will see $3.2 billion over the next 10 years.

Crockatt also joined the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, in announcing a $135 million investment that will allow Environment Canada to make significant upgrades to the monitoring networks and to the weather warning and forecast systems,[10] as to better predict events like the 2013 Alberta floods.

Electoral record

2015 Canadian federal election: Calgary Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures - Calgary Centre
LiberalKent Hehr28,49646.52+27.40–
ConservativeJoan Crockatt27,74645.30-10.07–
New DemocraticJillian Ratti3,4125.57-9.59–
GreenThana Boonlert1,3472.20-8.13–
IndependentYogi Henderson2480.39–
Total valid votes/Expense limit 61,249100.00 $221,059.99
Total rejected ballots 2270.37–
Turnout 61,47672.36–
Eligible voters 84,960
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +18.73
Source: Elections Canada[11][12]
Canadian federal by-election, November 26, 2012: Calgary Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeJoan Crockatt10,19136.87−20.81$95,251
LiberalHarvey Locke9,03332.68+15.15$97,025
GreenChris Turner7,09025.65+15.74$100,180
New DemocraticDan Meades1,0643.85−11.01$90,148
IndependentAntoni Grochowski1410.51–$0
LibertarianTony Prashad1210.44–$255
Total valid votes/expense limit 27,640 100.00–$102,128.86
Total rejected ballots 92
Turnout 27,73229.51
Eligible voters 93,984
Conservative hold Swing −35.96
By-election due to the resignation of Lee Richardson.
Source: "November 26, 2012 By-elections". Elections Canada. November 27, 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2012.

References

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