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Bill Blaikie
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Bill Blaikie was first elected as Member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly for the constituency of Elmwood on March 24, 2009. On November 3, 2009, Premier Greg Selinger appointed him as Government House Leader, as well as Minister of Conservation and the Minister responsible for recycling, environmental education and climate change.
A Member of Parliament from 1979 to 2008, he represented the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona as a member of the New Democratic Party. As a Member of Parliament, he served in a number of critic roles, including Environment, Health, Trade and Foreign Affairs. He also served as NDP House Leader, Parliamentary Leader and Deputy Leader. He was the Dean of the House of Commons from 2004 to 2008 and, in 2006, he was appointed Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, the first New Democrat to serve in that position. In 2007, he was voted Parliamentarian of the Year in a poll of his peers conducted by Maclean’s Magazine.
Bill Blaikie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the University of Winnipeg, and a Master of Divinity from the Toronto School of Theology. He was ordained a minister in the United Church of Canada in 1978. He also received an Honourary Doctor of Divinity from the University of Winnipeg in 2007, and also from Victoria University, Toronto, in 2009.
Bill and his wife Brenda were married in 1973 and have four children.
