Kathy Corrigan

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Kathy Corrigan
British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Burnaby-Deer Lake
In office
May 12, 2009 – May 9, 2017
Preceded byRiding Established
Succeeded byAnne Kang
Personal details
Born1953
Toronto, Ontario
Political partyNew Democratic Party
SpouseDerek Corrigan
Children4
Residence(s)Burnaby, British Columbia
OccupationLawyer, policy researcher, politician

Kathy Corrigan is a Canadian politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 39th and 40th Parliament of British Columbia, from 2009 to 2017. As a member of the BC New Democratic Party, she was elected to represent the riding of Burnaby-Deer Lake in the 2009 provincial election and re-elected in the 2013 election. In both parliaments her NDP formed the official opposition and Corrigan acted as their critic on various issues, including 2010 Winter Olympics, women's issues, public safety, the Solicitor General and advanced education. During both the 2011 and the 2014 NDP leadership elections, Corrigan endorsed John Horgan. At the same time as she served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, her husband Derek Corrigan served as mayor of Burnaby.

Background

She was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a mother who worked as a physics teacher and a father who worked as an engineer.

UBC Law.[1] It was there, at a social event for law students in March 1976 that she met Derek Corrigan. They spent time together and were married in December. She graduated in 1978 and practiced law before having her first child in 1980, at the age of 26.[1] She decided to focus on raising a family, so she became a full-time mother and had three more children in the next six years. After her children entered high school, Corrigan took a job as a policy researcher for the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Hospital Employees' Union.[2]

After several unsuccessful attempts, her husband Derek was elected to the Burnaby City Council in 1987 and would serve as a city councillor until 2002 when he was elected mayor. Derek's enjoyment of being a councillor motivated Kathy to seek a public position, so she stood in Burnaby's (School District 41) 1999 school board election.[2] She won a seat on the seven member board, coming in third in total votes.[3] She was re-elected in the 2002 and 2005 elections, coming in first and second in total votes, respectively.[4][5] She was elected, each year, by the board to be the vice-chair from 2003 to 2006, and then to be the chair of the board in 2007 and 2008.[6] On school board issues, she resisted regionalization of school districts[7][8] and public-private partnerships in service delivery.[9] She had a dispute with Burnaby MLA Patty Sahota over what Corrigan believed was political interference[10][11] and with a fellow board member who attributed good performance at school to specific ethnicities.[12]

Provincial politics

Prior to becoming an MLA, Corrigan worked as a policy researcher for the

University of British Columbia Law School in 1978 and married fellow law student Derek Corrigan. After having their first child, Kathy decided to leave the law profession and become a homemaker. Derek went on to be elected to the Burnaby City Council in 1987 and become mayor in 2002, while Kathy was elected to the Burnaby School Board
for three terms, between 1999 and 2008, where she also served as chair for two years.

In April 2008 she announced she would not be seeking reelection to the school board

Metro Vancouver.[21] In the general election, in May 2009, Corrigan defeated two-term BC Liberals candidate Nuraney and BC Green Party candidate and retired business consultant Bruce Friesen,[22]
though the BC Liberals won a renewed majority government, with the NDP as the official opposition.

As the

In Fall 2010, as an NDP caucus revolt unfolded, Corrigan remained loyal to party leader

autism and Down syndrome, who had their support withdrawn sought help from Corrigan's office.[45][46] She also had a dispute with Christy Clark who had referred to a female NDP MLA as part of the NDP's "women's auxiliary", in reference to Clark's belief that the party did not allow women to speak on substantive issues in the Legislative Assembly, but which Corrigan found to be disrespectful towards the women in the NDP caucus.[47]

Corrigan sought re-election in the 2013 provincial election. She was challenged by medical doctor Shian Gu for the BC Liberals and school teacher Rick McGowan for the BC Greens but was projected to easily win the riding.[48] Following the election Dix adjusted the critic roles so that Corrigan would focus on issues related to public safety and the Solicitor General. Following Dix's resignation as party leader, and her husband Derek declining to run, Corrigan endorsed John Horgan in the 2014 British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership election.[49] Once Horgan became leader he re-assigned Corrigan to be the critic on advanced education.[50] Also that year, Derek won re-election as mayor of Burnaby.[51] In 2016, the 62-year old Corrigan announced that she would not be seeking reelection in upcoming 2017 provincial election.[52] In the subsequent election the NDP retained the seat with Anne Kang winning the riding.

Electoral history

2013 British Columbia general election: Burnaby-Deer Lake
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Kathy Corrigan 8,189 48.48 −0.27 $102,395
Liberal
Shian Gu 7,286 43.13 −2.54 $82,445
Green Richard (Rick) McGowan 1,417 8.39 +2.81 $465
Total valid votes 16,892 100.00
Total rejected ballots 168 0.98 +0.05
Turnout 17,060 48.03 −0.62
Registered voters 35,520
Source: Elections BC[53]


2009 British Columbia general election: Burnaby-Deer Lake
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
New Democratic Kathy Corrigan 8,103 48.75 $92,681
Liberal
John Nuraney 7,591 45.67 $116,999
Green Bruce Friesen 928 5.58 $1,633
Total valid votes 16,622 100
Total rejected ballots 156 0.93
Turnout 16,778 48.65
Registered voters 34,488

References

  1. ^ a b c d Moreau, Jennifer; Pat Tracy (September 13, 2008). "Burnaby's power couple; An up close and personal look at Derek and Kathy Corrigan". Burnaby Now. pp. 1, 11.
  2. ^ a b c Granger, Grant (May 8, 2009). "Burnaby-Deer Lake Election PROFILE: Kathy Corrigan". Burnaby News Leader. p. 5.
  3. ^ "Detailed results from the Lower Mainland and key communities throughout B.C.". The Province. Vancouver. November 21, 1999. pp. A12.
  4. ^ "Local Election Results 2002". The Province. Vancouver. November 18, 2002. pp. A9.
  5. ^ Granger, Grant (November 23, 2005). "ABCs oust Redman from school board seat". Burnaby News Leader. p. 3.
  6. ^ Fontaine, Paul (December 20, 2006). "Corrigan to lead board". Burnaby Now. p. 10.
  7. ^ Myers, Christina (October 30, 2004). "Centralization opposed". Burnaby Now. p. 8.
  8. ^ "Board seeks improved support". Burnaby News Leader. February 17, 2006. p. 6.
  9. The Vancouver Sun
    . pp. B2.
  10. ^ Thomas, Mia (September 15, 2002). "Sorry, no politics, we're trustees". Burnaby Now. p. 1.
  11. ^ Thomas, Mia (September 22, 2002). "Sahota school squabble continues". Burnaby Now. p. 3.
  12. ^ Hilborn, Dan (February 25, 2006). "The other Richard Lee backs Kathy Corrigan". Burnaby Now. p. 3.
  13. ^ "Kathy Corrigan to leave Bby board". Burnaby News Leader. April 18, 2008. p. 3.
  14. ^ Granger, Grant (April 29, 2008). "Kathy Corrigan to seek NDP nomination". Burnaby News Leader. p. 1.
  15. ^ Larsen, Brooke; Jennifer Moreau (October 25, 2008). "Corrigan is NDP's choice for provincial race". Burnaby Now. p. 10.
  16. The Vancouver Sun
    . p. A7.
  17. ^ Granger, Grant (November 25, 2008). "Burnaby a prime provincial battleground". Burnaby News Leader. p. 6.
  18. ^ Chow, Wanda (February 21, 2009). "NDP hosts prison meeting". Burnaby News Leader. p. 8.
  19. ^ Tracy, Pat (February 7, 2009). "Prisons and politics: A fascinating mix". Burnaby Now. p. 6.
  20. The Vancouver Sun
    . p. A3.
  21. ^ Hunter, Justine; Frances Bula (March 25, 2009). "Province steps back from Burnaby prison plan". The Globe and Mail. p. S1.
  22. ^ Larsen, Brooke (January 17, 2009). "Greens eye running in Deer Lake". Burnaby Now. p. 3.
  23. The Vancouver Sun
    . pp. A1.
  24. ^ Mickleburgh, Rod (January 28, 2011). "Critics lambaste VANOC over bonuses shortfall". The Globe and Mail. pp. A7.
  25. ^ Myers, Christina (October 28, 2009). "Ticket deal ruffles NDP feathers; Minister for Olympics defends the $1 million purchase as part of official hosting business". Burnaby Now. p. 1.
  26. ^ Matas, Robert (July 10, 2010). "Games tab under $1-billion". The Globe and Mail. p. A5.
  27. ^ Petti, Fong (July 10, 2010). "B.C. taxpayers' Olympic cost: $925 million: World turmoil, high temperatures drove up cost from original estimate of $600M, says minister". Toronto Star. p. A4.
  28. ^ Inwood, Damian (July 11, 2010). "Critics slam gov't over cost of Olympics; Say taxpayers misled because bill doesn't include costs of venues and infrastructure upgrades". The Province. Vancouver. p. A17.
  29. ^ Mickleburgh, Rod (December 18, 2010). "VANOC budget balanced, audit reveals". The Globe and Mail. p. A26.
  30. ^ Inwood, Damian (July 12, 2009). "NDP urges Olympic protest; Judge says IOC, not VANOC, in charge of sports". The Province. Vancouver. p. A13.
  31. ^ Corrigan, Kathy; Raj Chouhan (July 1, 2011). "NDP MLAs: Scrap HST". Burnaby Now. p. 7.
  32. ^ Lau, Alfie (September 9, 2009). "Local MLAs hold HST protest". Burnaby Now. p. 8.
  33. ^ Myers, Christina (March 17, 2010). "Tax plan debated". Burnaby Now. p. 12.
  34. The Vancouver Sun
    . p. A1.
  35. The Vancouver Sun
    . p. A2.
  36. ^ Mickleburgh, Rod (December 6, 2010). "Reconciliation in the works over provincial NDP leadership". The Globe and Mail. p. S1.
  37. ^ Moreau, Jennifer (December 8, 2010). "City MLA upset by resignation". Burnaby Now. p. 1.
  38. ^ Moreau, Jennifer (December 11, 2010). "Julian eyeing provincial NDP; Burnaby-New West MP considering a run at B.C. leadership". Burnaby Now. p. 5.
  39. ^ Moreau, Jennifer; Janaya Fuller-Evans (January 22, 2011). "Corrigans throw support behind Horgan". Burnaby Now. p. 1.
  40. ^ Bailey, Ian (April 27, 2011). "Dix's shadow cabinet includes all of the dissident 'Baker's Dozen'". The Globe and Mail. p. S3.
  41. ^ Chow, Wanda (February 16, 2011). "Status quo B.C. budget not good enough: Corrigan". Burnaby News Leader. p. 1.
  42. ^ Spencer, Kent (August 30, 2011). "Clark accused of breaking riot vow; NDP blasts premier for asking municipalities to pick up probe tab". The Province. Vancouver. p. A3.
  43. ^ Moreau, Jennifer (October 26, 2011). "Crime bill could be costly: MLA". Burnaby Now. p. 11.
  44. The Vancouver Sun
    . p. A3.
  45. ^ Fuller-Evans, Janay (May 20, 2011). "Burnaby family at centre of MLAs' debate". Burnaby Now. p. 5.
  46. ^ Chow, Wanda (May 24, 2011). "Disabled youth left high and dry by CLBC: MLA Corrigan". Burnaby News Leader. p. 5.
  47. The Vancouver Sun
    . p. A13.
  48. ^ Hope, Niki (May 10, 2013). "Tight race last time, but now? Who knows?". Burnaby Now. p. 3.
  49. ^ Dobie, Cayley (March 26, 2014). "Burnaby MLAs back Horgan's efforts; Corrigan says Vancouver Island MLA a good fit to lead NDP". Burnaby Now. p. A3.
  50. ^ Moreau, Jennifer (July 30, 2014). "Corrigan, Shin take on new critic roles in shadow cabinet shuffle". Burnaby Now. p. A4.
  51. ^ Carman, Tara (November 16, 2014). "Corrigan coasts to fifth term; Incumbent takes around 70% of vote, party sweeps council, school positions". The Province. Vancouver. p. A11.
  52. ^ Shaw, Rob (April 23, 2016). "Burnaby MLA Corrigan says she won't run in upcoming election". Vancouver Sun. p. A5.
  53. ^ "Statement of Votes - 40th Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved 12 December 2020.

External links