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Jim Eglinski

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Jim Eglinski
Member of Parliament
for Yellowhead
In office
November 17, 2014 – October 21, 2019
Preceded byRob Merrifield
Succeeded byGerald Soroka
Mayor of Yellowhead County
Assumed office
January 14, 2020
Mayor of Fort St. John, British Columbia
In office
2005–2008
Preceded bySteve Thorlakson
Succeeded byBruce Lantz
Personal details
Born
William James Eglinski

(1948-12-15) December 15, 1948 (age 75)
Two Hills, Alberta, Canada
Political partyConservative
Residence(s)Edson, Alberta, Canada
ProfessionRCMP then MP

William James Eglinski (born December 15, 1948) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of Parliament for the federal electoral district of Yellowhead, in western Alberta, from 2014 to 2019. He is a member of the Conservative Party.

Background

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Eglinski was born in Two Hills, Alberta and raised in Chipman, Alberta on a farm.[1] He worked for 40 years as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, and served as a councillor and eventually mayor for the town of Fort St. John, British Columbia.[2]

Federal Politics

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Eglinski was first elected to represent the riding Yellowhead in a 2014 by-election.[3][4]

He was re-elected in the 2015 Canadian federal election with over 70 percent of the vote.[5] In the 42nd Canadian Parliament, his Conservative Party formed the Official Opposition. While he was not assigned to a critic role, Eglinski did introduce one private member bill into the House of Commons, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (abuse of vulnerable persons) (Bill C-206), which sought to make physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse of a senior or someone who depends on others due to a mental or physical disability to be an aggravating circumstance for sentencing purposes. The bill was introduced on December 10, 2015, but did not advance to second reading.

In 2016, Eglinski surprised many by participating in the flag-raising to kick off Pride Week in Jasper, Alberta, a rare move for a Conservative MP. Acknowledging that he once opposed condoning homosexuality and saw no need for LGBT pride celebration, Eglinski credited his change of heart to the coming-out of one of his grandchildren.[6]

In the 2017 Conservative Party leadership contest, Eglinski initially endorsed eventual winner Andrew Scheer, but later switched his endorsement to Erin O'Toole.[7]

On 16 June 2017 Eglinski asked the government for a plan to protect the park from the pine beetle, and the residents who were "concerned for their own safety.. and the security of their homes," and the security of the tourists in the park. Catherine McKenna who was then Minister of the Environment and Climate Change offered to discuss this question in private.[8] Eglinski continued to raise the issue throughout his tenure in Parliament but he never managed to convince the government that there was a danger. Eglinski continued to pepper and prod the government, for example: "In June this year, the minister said in the House that she looked forward to discussing it further, but I have continued to repeatedly bring up the pine beetle issue because there has been no talk and no action."[9]

In late 2017, Eglinski faced nomination challenge for re-election from Ryan Ouderkirk, a parliamentary assistant to fellow MP David Yurdiga. "Surprised" by and "not happy" with the challenge, Eglinski announced in January 2018 that he would not seek re-election in 2019.[10]

Electoral record

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2015 Canadian federal election: Yellowhead
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Jim Eglinski 37,950 72.3 -5.77 –
Liberal Ryan Maguhn 7,467 14.2 +11.31 –
New Democratic Ken Kuzminski 4,753 9.0 -3.88 –
Green Sandra Wolf Lange 1,538 2.9 -2.44 –
Libertarian Cory Lystang 817 1.6 -1.4 –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 52,525 100.0     $257,007.56
Total rejected ballots 161 – –
Turnout 52,686 71.2% –
Eligible voters 73,996
Conservative hold Swing -8.54
Source: Elections Canada[11][12]
Canadian federal by-election, November 17, 2014: Yellowhead
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Jim Eglinski 7,884 62.6
Liberal Ryan Heinz Maguhn 2,518 20.0
New Democratic Eric Rosendahl 1,203 9.5
Independent Dean Williams 622 4.9
Libertarian Cory Lystang 374 3.0
Total valid votes/Expense limit 100.0   –  
Total rejected ballots -
Turnout 12,601 16.06
Eligible voters 78,481
By-election due to the resignation of Rob Merrifield.
Source: "List of candidates — Yellowhead (Alberta) — By-election (Monday, November 17, 2014)". Elections Canada. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.

References

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  1. ^ "Edson Leader - September 23, 2013 - 0022". Archived from the original on 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  2. ^ "Jim Eglinski: In the running" Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine. Whitecourt Press, October 8, 2014.
  3. ^ "Yellowhead byelection called for Nov. 17". The Fitzhugh, October 15, 2014.
  4. ^ "Jim Eglinski to be elected in Yellowhead riding, CBC projects". CBC News, November 17, 2014.
  5. ^ "Conservatives Take Yellowhead In Landslide". Whitecourt Press, October 8, 2014. Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Markusoff, Jason (2017-07-26). "The Tory MP who made his peace with Pride Week". Maclean's.
  7. ^ "Erin O'Toole winning Conservative caucus as it shuns leadership front-runners Bernier, O'Leary". CBC News. 2017-03-28.
  8. ^ Hansard 196 2017-06-16 12:02 [p.12846]
  9. ^ Hansard 223 2017-10-26 18:21 [p.14610]
  10. ^ Rana, Abbas (2018-01-22). "Seven Conservative MPs face divisive nomination challenges, party denies it's behind the move". The Hill Times.
  11. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Yellowhead, 30 September 2015
  12. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived 2015-08-15 at the Wayback Machine
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