Michelle Dockrill
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Bras d'Or
In office
September 22, 1997  October 22, 2000
Preceded bydistrict created
Succeeded byRodger Cuzner
Personal details
Born (1959-05-22) May 22, 1959
Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada
Political partyNew Democratic Party

Michelle Dockrill (born May 22, 1959) is a Canadian former politician who represented the Nova Scotia riding of Bras d'Or in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2000.

Early life

Prior to entering politics, Dockrill was a member of the Nova Scotia Government Employee's Union and a receptionist at a Cape Breton health care facility.

1997 election

Dockrill was nominated to run for the Canadian New Democratic Party in the federal election called for June 2, 1997. She was up against then-Health Minister David Dingwall, perceived as the most powerful Nova Scotian figure in the government of then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. With the NDP having only won 5% of the vote in 1993, Dockrill, nominated after the election had already been called, was not taken seriously by Dingwall's Liberals or the NDP, who initially devoted few resources to her campaign.

Dingwall, MP for the area since 1980, was seen as unable or unwilling to use his vast patronage powers to improve living conditions in his impoverished riding. Changes to laws governing unemployment insurance, restrictions on the fisheries, the slow destruction of the area's coal mining industry and problems with health care services all contributed to a growing sense that Dingwall was out of touch.

Dockrill ran an aggressive campaign, assisted by resources directed to the riding by then Nova Scotia NDP Provincial Secretary Ron Cavalucci. Cavalucci sent his assistant to manage the campaign; he launched a series of ads accusing Dingwall of lying and implicating him in secret discussions to close the coal mines. Dingwall was seen to lose a CBC Radio debate with Dockrill and the Progressive Conservative candidate.

On election night, Dockrill defeated Dingwall by more than 1,200 votes, capturing 41.30% of the vote.

Member of Parliament

She worked tirelessly on the issue of the coal industry, the last Cape Breton mine was closed soon after her defeat in the election of November 2000, when she lost in a landslide by Liberal Rodger Cuzner.[1] She achieved brief fame for being the first MP to bring her newborn baby into the House of Commons.

In 2004 Dockrill, who had returned to her previous position working in a health facility, ran for and lost the NDP nomination to newcomer Shirley Hartery, who went on to be defeated by Cuzner in the June election.

Electoral record

2019 Canadian federal election: Cape Breton—Canso
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalMike Kelloway16,69438.88-35.51none listed
ConservativeAlfie MacLeod14,82134.52+20.07$99,102.26
New DemocraticLaurie Suitor6,35414.80+6.59none listed
GreenClive Doucet3,3217.73+4.77$23,886.83
People'sBilly Joyce[2]9252.15-$0.00
IndependentMichelle Dockrill6851.60-none listed
National Citizens AllianceDarlene Lynn LeBlanc1400.33-$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 42,94098.62 $102,831.89
Total rejected ballots 6011.38+0.75
Turnout 43,54171.73+0.15
Eligible voters 60,699
Liberal hold Swing -27.79
Source: Elections Canada[3]
2000 Canadian federal election: Cape Breton—Canso
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalRodger Cuzner20,81554.85+16.41
Progressive ConservativeAlfie MacLeod8,11421.38+1.12
New DemocraticMichelle Dockrill7,53719.86-21.44
AllianceJohn Currie1,4833.91
Total valid votes 37,949100.00
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +18.93
1997 Canadian federal election: Cape Breton—Canso
Party Candidate Votes%
New DemocraticMichelle Dockrill17,57541.30
LiberalDavid Dingwall16,35838.44
Progressive ConservativeFrank Crowdis8,62020.26
Total valid votes 42,553 100.00

References

  1. "Liberals stage C.B. comeback". The Chronicle Herald. November 28, 2000. Archived from the original on January 24, 2005. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
  2. Mack Lamoureux (September 11, 2019). "A QAnon YouTuber Is Running for Office in Canada". Vice. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  3. "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
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