The Honourable
Seamus O'Regan
PC MP
O'Regan in June 2018
Minister of Seniors
Assumed office
July 26, 2023
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byKamal Khera
Minister of Labour
Assumed office
October 26, 2021
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byFilomena Tassi
Minister of Natural Resources
In office
November 20, 2019 – October 26, 2021
Preceded byAmarjeet Sohi
Succeeded byJonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Indigenous Services
In office
January 14, 2019 – November 20, 2019
Preceded byJane Philpott
Succeeded byMarc Miller
Minister of Veterans Affairs
Associate Minister of National Defence
In office
August 28, 2017 – January 14, 2019
Preceded byKent Hehr
Succeeded byJody Wilson-Raybould
Member of Parliament
for St. John's South—Mount Pearl
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded byRyan Cleary
Personal details
Born
Seamus Thomas Harris O'Regan

(1971-01-18) January 18, 1971
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Steve Doussis
​
(m. 2010)​
ResidenceSt. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador[1]
Alma mater
Occupation

Seamus Thomas Harris O'Regan PC MP (born January 18, 1971) is a Canadian politician who has been the federal minister of labour since October 26, 2021, and minister of seniors since July 26, 2023. A member of the Liberal Party, O'Regan was elected to the House of Commons in 2015, representing St. John's South—Mount Pearl. He has been in Cabinet since 2017, previously serving as minister of natural resources from 2019 to 2021, minister of Indigenous services in 2019, and minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence from 2017 to 2019. Before he entered politics, O'Regan was a correspondent with CTV National News, and a host of Canada AM, which he co-hosted from 2003 to 2011 with Beverly Thomson.[2]

Early life and education

O'Regan was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, and spent 14 years growing up in Goose Bay, graduating from Goose High School. O'Regan is of half Irish descent. His father, also named Seamus O'Regan, was a judge of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.[3] At the age of 10, O'Regan became a regional correspondent for CBC Radio's Anybody Home?, producing stories that celebrated the unique accomplishments of local residents, ranging from a professor hunting for giant squid to one woman's fight against leukemia.

He studied politics at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. He studied marketing strategies at INSEAD, an international business school near Paris, France. He received his Masters of Philosophy in Politics from the University of Cambridge, studying at Darwin College in Cambridge, England.[4]

Career

He has worked as an assistant to Environment Minister Jean Charest in Ottawa and to Justice Minister Edward Roberts in St. John's, and was policy advisor and speechwriter to Premier Brian Tobin of Newfoundland and Labrador.[5] In December 1999, O'Regan was named as one of Maclean's 100 Young Canadians to Watch in the 21st century.[2]

In 2000, O'Regan joined talktv's current affairs program, the chatroom. He began his duties at Canada AM on December 19, 2001. On November 8, 2011, he announced that he would be leaving Canada AM on November 24, 2011, to become a correspondent for CTV National News.[2] O'Regan left CTV in 2012.[6] Since leaving CTV, he has occasionally been a fill-in host on radio station CFRB in Toronto, ⁣[7] and worked on independent television productions and as a media innovator in residence at Ryerson University.[7][8] O'Regan also served as the executive vice president for communications of the Stronach Group.[8]

Political career

In September 2014, O'Regan was nominated as the Liberal Party candidate in the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of St. John's South—Mount Pearl for the 2015 federal election.[9] On October 19, 2015, O'Regan won the election, defeating New Democrat incumbent Ryan Cleary.[10][11] He was appointed to the cabinet on August 28, 2017, as the minister of veterans affairs[12] and on January 14, 2019, was made the minister of Indigenous services, vacating his previous post.

He was re-elected in the 2019 federal election. Following the election, he was appointed minister of natural resources. He was re-elected again in the 2021 federal election.[13]

O’Regan has been serving as minister of labour since 2021 and expanded his portfolio to also include minister of seniors during the 2023 cabinet shuffle.[14] As the labour minister, O’Regan was involved in the BC port workers strike between International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada and the BC Maritime Employers Association, which included a 13 day work stoppage in the summer of 2023.[15][16][17]

Personal life

On July 9, 2010, O'Regan married his longtime partner, Steve Doussis, in Newfoundland.[18]

O'Regan serves on the Boards of Katimavik, Canada's leading youth service-learning programme, and The Rooms, which houses the provincial art gallery, museum, and archives of Newfoundland and Labrador. He also sits on the board of directors for fellow Newfoundlander Allan Hawco's theatre company, The Company Theatre, located in Toronto.

In January 2016, O’Regan announced that he entered an alcoholism rehabilitation programme.[19][20]

In November 2017, he was hospitalised in Ottawa for a major gastrointestinal obstruction.[21]

Shortly after the November 2020 death of his father Seamus Bernard O'Regan (1942–2020), Natural Resources Canada announcements began to give his name as Seamus O'Regan Jr.; previous announcements did not use the "Jr." suffix.[22][23][24]

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election: St. John's South—Mount Pearl
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalSeamus O'Regan19,47856.17+5.07$92,438.10
New DemocraticRay Critch8,11323.40-3.38$25,603.86
ConservativeSteve Hodder6,44718.59-0.50$8,313.27
People'sGeorgia Faith Stewart6381.84–$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 34,67698.82+0.25$105,099.33
Total rejected ballots 4141.18-0.25
Turnout 35,09053.00-8.42
Registered voters 66,201
Liberal hold Swing +4.21
Source: Elections Canada[25][26]
2019 Canadian federal election: St. John's South—Mount Pearl
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalSeamus O'Regan20,79351.13−6.73$58,125.56
New DemocraticAnne Marie Anonsen10,89026.78−9.98$25,130.37
ConservativeTerry Martin7,76719.10+14.53$56,978.54
GreenAlexandra Hayward7401.82+1.01$0.00
People'sBenjamin Ruckpaul3350.82–none listed
Christian HeritageDavid Jones1410.35–none listed
Total valid votes/expense limit 40,66698.57 $100,487.58
Total rejected ballots 5921.43+1.13
Turnout 41,25861.42−5.71
Eligible voters 67,170
Liberal hold Swing +1.62
Source: Elections Canada[27]
2015 Canadian federal election: St. John's South—Mount Pearl
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalSeamus O'Regan25,99257.86+29.16$124,533.70
New DemocraticRyan Cleary16,46736.76–9.58$98,225.69
ConservativeMarek Krol2,0474.57–19.64$24,331.40
GreenJackson McLean3650.81+0.09–
Total valid votes/expense limit 44,801100.00 $201,093.98
Total rejected ballots 1330.30
Turnout 44,93467.13
Eligible voters 66,936
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +19.37
Source: Elections Canada[28][29]

References

  1. ↑ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Seamus O'Regan joining CTV National News as correspondent". CTV News. November 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  3. ↑ Dyer, Evan (September 20, 2015). "Mulcair, Trudeau cross swords in Newfoundland where NDP and Liberals are in battle". CBC News. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Seamus O'Regan, Correspondent, CTV National News". CTV. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Seamus O'Regan - Summary Profile". National Speakers Bureau. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Seamus O'Regan to run for Liberals in St. John's". CTV News. August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Seamus O'Regan: Mental health spokesman" Archived 2014-08-19 at the Wayback Machine. The Grid, June 23, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Canadian Press (August 18, 2014). "Seamus O'Regan seeks federal Liberal nomination in Nfld". Maclean's. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Seamus O'Regan takes Liberal nomination in St. John's South-Mount Pearl". CBC News. September 23, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Seamus O'Regan upsets Ryan Cleary for Liberal win in St. John's South-Mount Pearl". CBC News. October 20, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Liberals sweep all 7 N.L. ridings in federal election". CBC News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Indigenous Affairs department split, Seamus O'Regan new veterans minister in cabinet shakeup". CBC News. August 27, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Federal election 2021 live results".
  14. ↑ "Trudeau overhauls his cabinet, drops 7 ministers and shuffles most portfolios". CBC.
  15. ↑ "B.C. port strike: Federal labour minister launches review to uncover 'structural issues'". British Columbia. August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  16. ↑ "B.C. port dispute ends as workers vote to accept new deal". CBC.
  17. ↑ "Terms of deal that ended B.C. port strike revealed | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  18. ↑ Takeuchi, Craig (November 8, 2011). "CTV anchor Seamus O'Regan to leave Canada AM for CTV National News". The Georgia Straight. Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corporation. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Liberal MP Seamus O'Regan checks into wellness program seeking 'alcohol free lifestyle'". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Seamus O'Regan draws from his own personal struggles as Veterans Affairs Minister". Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  21. ↑ "VOCM - Minister O'Regan Still in Hospital, Will Attend Remembrance Ceremony". Archived from the original on November 10, 2017.
  22. ↑ Maher, David (November 20, 2020). "Justice Seamus O'Regan, a pillar of Newfoundland and Labrador's justice system, died this week at age 79". The Telegram. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Canada Raising Awareness for Electric Vehicles in Newfoundland and Labrador". Natural Resources Canada (press release). January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021. The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced[...]
  24. ↑ "Celebrating Indigenous Leadership in Clean Energy". Natural Resources Canada (press release). December 22, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021. The Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced[...]
  25. ↑ "Confirmed candidates — St. John's South—Mount Pearl". Elections Canada. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Candidate Campaign Returns". Elections Canada. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Results Validated by the Returning Officer". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  28. ↑ "October 19, 2015 Election Results — St. John's South—Mount Pearl (Validated results)". Elections Canada. October 21, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  29. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
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