Alaina Lockhart

Alaina Lockhart MP(born May 26, 1974) is a Canadian Liberal politician who was elected to represent the riding of Fundy Royal in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election. She took on the role of Parliamentary Secretary to Small Business and Tourism[1][2], as well as Official Languages and La Francophonie[3]. She has served as a member of the Agriculture and Agri-food Standing Committee, and the Veterans Affairs Standing Committee[4]. Lockhart did not win her seat again in the 2019 Canadian federal electionand lost her seat to Rob Moore.

Alaina Lockhart
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Member of Parliament
for Fundy Royal
Defeated
In office
October 15, 2019 – October 21, 2019
Preceded byRob Moore
Succeeded byRob Moore
Personal details
BornMay 26, 1974
CitizenshipCanadian
Political partyLiberal Party of Canada
Spouse(s)Rick Lockhart
ChildrenLauren Lockhart
Alma materUniversity of New Brunswick, Saint-John Campus
CommitteesVeterans Affairs, Agriculture and Agri-Foods
AwardsChamber of Commerce Woman Entrepreneur Award
Websitehttps://alainalockhart.liberal.ca


Early life and education

As a child, Lockhart was a member of the Girl Guides of Canada for eight years, and her daughter has registered with the program as well[5].

Lockhart graduated from the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, New Brunswick with a bachelor's degree in business administration, majoring in human resource management[6].

Business career

After graduating from university, Lockhart worked as a manager for a corporate company, up until the birth of her first child[7].

In 2004, she founded her own bridal salon business, Lockhart Weddings and Special Occasions located in Sussex, New Brunswick[7][8][9][10]. In 2010, Lockhart was presented with the Chamber of Commerce Woman Entrepreneur Award, for her success with her business[11]. The business was sold in June 2017 to Sherry McCormick[8].

Political career
Fundy Royal Electoral District

Her political involvement began with service as a town councilor in Norton from 2004 to 2008[12]. Lockhart was also a Director of the Royal District Planning Commission, prior to her involvement in federal politics[13].

42nd Canadian Government

She was the Liberal Party's nominee in Fundy Royalin the 2015 election. As a small business owner, Lockhart's campaign appealed to working, middle-class individuals[14]. Lockhart is encouraged by "strengthening the middle class to put more money in their pockets to then stimulate the economy"[14].

On October 19, 2015, Lockhart defeated Rob Moore and became the MP for her riding[14]. She is only the second non-Conservative to represent Fundy Royal in its century-long history, the first being Paul Zed, who served a single term from 1993to 1997[14]. Previously holding only one seat in New Brunswick, Lockhart's success was a result of a province-wide wave of liberal support, who held all ten seats for the province following the 2015 election[15]. Lockhart also became the first female MP for the Fundy Royal riding[16]. Whilst making history for her riding, many were critical of her candidacy during the 2015 election. Lockhart elaborated on the sexism faced from reporters in a 2019 interview with Chatelaine (magazine):

“I understand how I was a bit of a novelty being the first woman ever elected in Fundy Royal, but I am guessing no one ever asked my predecessors who would care for their children when they went to Ottawa.”[17]

In March 2019 on International Women's Day, Lockhart participated in a roundtable hosted by the Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC) in Kelowna, BC[18]. The purpose of the roundtable was to discuss the future of women entrepreneurs[18].

In June 2019, near the end of the 42nd Canadian Parliament, Lockhart addressed the House of Commonsin saying that her experience as a member of parliament "has been a true honour and the most challenging work of my life"[19].

Committees and Roles

During her time in parliament, Lockhart was part of many committees and had many roles as a member of parliament. She was a member of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee and a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee from January 2016 to September 2017[20]. Also, Lockhart was a Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Tourism from September 2017 to August 2018, as well as Parliamentary Secretary of Official Languages and La Francophone from August 2018 to September 2019[20].

Lockhart is also a strong advocate for immigration, proposing a private motion M-39 to increase immigration to Canada, specifically to Atlantic Canada[13][21]. According to Lockhart, "[w]hen Atlantic Canada does better, all of Canada does better"[21].

43rd Canadian Government

During the campaign, Lockhart was commended by Justin Trudeauas being a hard-working, connected member of her community with a passion for growing business and tourism[22].

Following her defeat in the 2019 Canadian Federal Election, Lockhart took to Twitter to congratulate Rob Moore, and thank the voting district for allowing her the opportunity to serve[23]. Despite the defeat, Lockhart takes great pride in making history as the first woman to represent the region at the federal level[23][24].

Parliamentary Secretary to Small Business and Tourism

Lockhart was Canada's Parliamentary Secretary to Small Business and Tourism[25]from September 2017 to September 2019[20]. This is a subject near to Lockhart's heart, as a previous small business owner herself[26]. Since becoming MP in 2015, Lockhart has made many contributions to Canada's small business and tourism sector.

In June 2018, Lockhart announced a federal grant of $180,000 to support business growth in rural communities[27].

In May 2019, Lockhart met with tourism companies to discuss growth in the Canadian tourism industry, which includes the Canadian Experiences Fund[25][28]. The CEF, created in 2019, has given many communities across the country to host events and generate tourism; events, who have been possible due to the $1.7 million federal grant[28], include a Pride festival in Kelowna[29]and an anti-racism conference in Hamilton[30]. Following the creation of the 2019 Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, Lockhart has expressed her excitement in saying:

"I look forward to seeing how it will impact the province by increasing visitors, strengthening our communities and growing the economy."[25]

Fundy National Park, which received many upgrades due to Lockhart's work

In July 2019, Lockhart participating in the announcement to upgrade the Fundy Trail Parkway. Lockhart says the upgrade are essential to tourism in order to "make sure that people have a greater experience when they come here and not just the drive"[31]. The federal government invested $6.6 million, announced Lockhart, to upgrade many aspects of Fundy National Park, including supporting the restoration of Atlantic salmon[32].

Personal life

Lockhart is married to her husband Rick and has a daughter, Lauren[13][33]. The family currently lives in the Sussex area[13].

Since 2014, Lockhart is an active member of the Rotary Club of Sussex[34].

Electoral record
2019 Canadian federal election: Fundy Royal
Party Candidate Votes%±%
ConservativeRob Moore22,38946.02+8.94
LiberalAlaina Lockhart12,43325.56-15.31
GreenTim Thompson7,27514.95+11.06
New DemocraticJames Tolan4,8049.88-7.65
People'sRudy Neumayer1,2492.57
IndependentDavid Raymond Amos2950.61-0.03
National Citizens AllianceJohn Evans2010.41
Total valid votes/Expense limit 48,64699.29
Total rejected ballots 3490.71+0.02
Turnout 48,99575.39+0.79
Eligible voters 64,992
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +12.13
Source: Elections Canada[35][36]
2015 Canadian federal election: Fundy Royal
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalAlaina Lockhart19,13640.87+30.44$44,760.36
ConservativeRob Moore17,36137.09-20.88$94,342.23
New DemocraticJennifer McKenzie8,20417.52-9.34$48,770.66
GreenStephanie Coburn1,8233.89-0.83$1,469.99
IndependentDavid Raymond Amos2960.63––
Total valid votes/Expense limit 46,820100.0 $204,844.46
Total rejected ballots 2410.51
Turnout 47,06175.04
Eligible voters 62,713
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +25.66
Source(s)
  • "Fundy Royal". Election Results. Elections Canada. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
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References
  1. Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development. "Parliamentary Secretary Lockhart meets with local businesses to discuss how the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy will support economic growth in New Brunswick". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  2. Staff, Huddle (2017-10-03). "MP Alaina Lockhart Says Tax Proposals Are About Fairness for the Middle Class". Huddle. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  3. Canada, Parks (2019-05-31). "Government of Canada Invests $6.6 million in Fundy National Park". gcnws. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  4. "Fundy Royal - Spring 2016" (PDF). Spring 2016.
  5. Blog, Girl Guides of Canada (2016-10-27). "Campfire on the Hill". GirlGuidesCANBlog. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  6. "Alaina Lockhart | Canada China Business Council". Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  7. Staff, Huddle (2017-10-03). "MP Alaina Lockhart Says Tax Proposals Are About Fairness for the Middle Class". Huddle. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  8. "About Lockhart's | Sussex NB | Bridal". Lockhart's Wedding & Special Occasions. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  9. "Biography | Alaina Lockhart | 2019 Federal Liberal Candidate for Fundy Royal". alainalockhart.liberal.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  10. "Fundy Royal flips for just second time in a century". CBC News. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
  11. "Alaina Lockhart - Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal in Hampton, NB - 506 832 4200 Community - Political Organization". marketplace-tt.tj.news. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  12. "Alaina Lockhart - Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal in Hampton, NB - 506 832 4200 Community - Political Organization". marketplace-tt.tj.news. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  13. "Biography | Alaina Lockhart | 2019 Federal Liberal Candidate for Fundy Royal". alainalockhart.liberal.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  14. "Fundy Royal flips for just second time in a century". CBC News. Retrieved 2015-10-20.
  15. "Federal election: A red tide in Atlantic Canada". www.macleans.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  16. "In Atlantic Canada's small towns, Conservatives hope to turn back 2015′s red tide". Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  17. "Sexism In Politics: Female MPs On Their Experiences | Chatelaine". www.chatelaine.com. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  18. "2017/18 ANNUAL REPORT - The Faces of Women's Entrepreneurship" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  19. "Lipad - June 19, 2019 - Browse the Canadian House of Commons". www.lipad.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  20. "Roles - Alaina Lockhart - Current and Past - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  21. "Debates (Hansard) No. 98 - October 26, 2016 (42-1) - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  22. "Trudeau Flies Across Country To Give N.B. Liberal Boost In Battleground Riding". HuffPost Canada. 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  23. Lockhart, Alaina (2019-10-22). "Congratulations @RobMoore_CPC TY #FundyRoyal for the honour & privilege of representing you. Proud to be the first woman elected in FR & of everything we accomplished together. Gr8ful for all my supporters, my team, volunteers & family who made this amazing experience possiblepic.twitter.com/q5TTu6JlMy". @AlainaLockhart. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  24. "Conservatives, Greens pick up seats in New Brunswick". Global News. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  25. Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development. "Parliamentary Secretary Lockhart meets with local businesses to discuss how the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy will support economic growth in New Brunswick". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  26. Staff, Huddle (2017-10-03). "MP Alaina Lockhart Says Tax Proposals Are About Fairness for the Middle Class". Huddle. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  27. Agency, Atlantic Canada Opportunities (2018-06-29). "Federal Government Supports Expansion of Commercial Tent Rentals & Sales Ltd". gcnws. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  28. "ANALYSIS: In this pre-writ period, Liberal ministers find a fondness for visits to battleground ridings". Global News. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  29. Média, Bell. "Kelowna Pride Announces $100,000 Federal Grant". www.iheartradio.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  30. "Hamilton to host anti-racism conference, thanks to federal funds". Global News. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  31. "Feds, N.B. both invest $600K to upgrade Fundy Trail Parkway | CTV News Atlantic". atlantic.ctvnews.ca. 2019-07-09. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  32. Canada, Parks (2019-05-31). "Government of Canada Invests $6.6 million in Fundy National Park". gcnws. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  33. "Alaina Lockhart @lockhartalaina's Instagram Post". PictoSee. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  34. "Our Members | Rotary Club of Sussex". www.sussexrotary.org. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  35. "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  36. "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
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