Lois Moorcroft

Lois Moorcroft (born August 21, 1954) is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral districts of Mount Lorne (1992-2000) and Copperbelt South (2011-2016) in the Yukon Legislative Assembly. She is a member of the Yukon New Democratic Party.

Lois Moorcroft
MLA for Copperbelt South
In office
October 11, 2011 – November 7, 2016
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byScott Kent
MLA for Mount Lorne
In office
October 19, 1992 – April 17, 2000
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byCynthia Tucker
Minister of Justice
Minister of Education
In office
1996–2000
Preceded by?
Succeeded byPam Buckway
Dale Eftoda
Personal details
Born (1954-08-21) August 21, 1954
Oshawa, Ontario
Political partyNew Democrat
ResidenceWhitehorse, Yukon
OccupationPolitician; Librarian

Early career

Moorcroft was born in Oshawa, Ontario, and grew up in Whitby, Ontario. She studied history at Trent University in Peterborough where she earned a bachelor's degree.

Prior to entering territorial politics, Moorcroft served as a librarian at Yukon College's Whitehorse campus. She also served on the Yukon Employment Standards Board and has held positions on the boards of the Yukon College Employees' Union and the Yukon Federation of Labour. In the 1980s, Moorcroft was one of the parents involved in successfully lobbying the territorial government for a new school (Golden Horn Elementary School) to be built for families and children living south of Whitehorse.[1]

Political career

28th Legislative Assembly

Moorcroft was narrowly elected in the 1992 Yukon election as the representative for Mount Lorne for New Democrats. Moorcroft had campaigned on pay equality for women and the importance of the Canadian Human Rights Act.[2][3][4]

In that election, however, the government of New Democrat leader Tony Penikett was defeated and reduced to Official Opposition status by a coalition of Yukon Party and Independent MLAs. As an opposition member, Moorcroft served on the Standing Committee on Rules, Elections, and Privileges.[5]

29th Legislative Assembly

Moorcroft was re-elected comfortably in the 1996 Yukon election, defeating Yukon Liberal leader Ken Taylor in her riding of Mount Lorne. The New Democrats, now led by Piers McDonald, formed a majority government.[6] Moorcroft was appointed Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister responsible for the Women's Directorate in the McDonald government.[7] It was during Moorcroft's tenure as Education minister that the community school in Old Crow burned down for the second time in 20 years.[8]

Moorcroft was defeated in the 2000 Yukon election by Liberal candidate Cynthia Tucker, when the Yukon Liberal Party swept the City of Whitehorse to form a majority government.

33rd Legislative Assembly

After a decade outside politics, Moorcroft announced her intent to seek the New Democrat nomination during the 2011 Yukon election in the newly constituted riding of Copperbelt South, which included much of her former riding of Mount Lorne. Moorcroft was narrowly successful, defeating Yukon Party candidate Val Boxall by just three votes. Her victory was confirmed in a recount.[9]

Moorcroft joined the New Democrats under leader Liz Hanson in forming Official Opposition during the 33rd Legislative Assembly and served as opposition critic for Justice, Highways and Public Works, and Advanced Education. She was also caucus whip.[10]

During the 33rd Legislative Assembly, Moorcroft took a stance against the Yukon Government's proposal to invest $200 million twinning the Alaska Highway through Whitehorse and opposed any fracking in the territory as a member of the Select Committee on Hydraulic Fracturing. Moorcroft also successfully put forward a motion, adopted unanimously, to make territorial campgrounds more successful.[11]

Moorcroft was once again defeated when seeking re-election, this time in the 2016 Yukon general election. She finished a distant third behind Yukon Party Cabinet minister Scott Kent and Liberal candidate and city councillor Jocelyn Curteanu. Moorcroft was one of four New Democrats to lose their seats on election night as part of the party's worst showing since 1978.

Personal life

After her first political defeat, she also served on the Yukon Electoral District Boundaries Commission and the Yukon Human Rights Commission.[12]

After her second political defeat, Moorcroft was appointed the Returning Officer for thee Liard First Nation, situated near Watson Lake, Yukon. The First Nation had failed to hold an election for its chief and council, whose terms had expired in December 2016. However, in March 2017, it was revealed that Moorcroft had abruptly resigned her position without reason, citing her confidentiality clause. Her resignation put election efforts on hold for the First Nation and led to speculation about her departure.[13]

Moorcroft has lived in the Yukon for more than 40 years, with her husband.[14]

Electoral record

2016 general election
Copperbelt South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Yukon PartyScott Kent44936.9%-4.8%
  Liberal Jocelyn Curteanu 425 34.9% +18.6%
  NDP Lois Moorcroft 331 27.2% -14.8%
GreenPhilippe LeBlond121.0%+1.0%
Total 1217 100.0% –

2011 general election
Copperbelt South[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
  NDP Lois Moorcroft 397 42.0% –
Yukon PartyValerie Boxall39441.7%–
  Liberal Colleen Wirth 154 16.3% –
Total 945 100.0% –

2000 general election
Mount Lorne
Party Candidate Votes % ±
  Liberal Cynthia Tucker 563 44.9% +19.9%
  NDP Lois Moorcroft 422 33.7% -6.8%
Yukon PartyKen Gabb26921.4%+0.8%
Total 1254 100.0% –

1996 general election
Mount Lorne
Party Candidate Votes % ±
  NDP Lois Moorcroft 484 40.5% +5.7%
  Liberal Ken Taylor 299 25.0% +15.2%
Yukon PartyAllan Doherty24720.6%-12.6%
  Independent Allen Luheck 166 13.9% -8.3%
Total 1196 100.0% –

1992 general election
Mount Lorne
Party Candidate Votes % ±
  NDP Lois Moorcroft 316 34.8% –
Yukon PartyChuck Walker30233.2%–
  Independent Barb Harris 202 22.2% –
  Liberal Roger Moore 89 9.8% –
Total 909 100.0% –
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References
  1. Former NDP minister hits the campaign trail Whitehorse Star (Stephanie Waddell), March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  2. Still No Pay Equity for Women in Canada. Lois Moorcroft. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
  3. Lois Moorcroft Archived 2008-11-14 at the Wayback Machine Gunzburger's Politics1 Canada. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
  4. Yukon Human Rights Commissioners Archived 2007-09-01 at the Wayback Machine. Yukon Human Rights Commission. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
  5. Lois Moorcroft Yukon Legislative Assembly. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  6. Yukon Votes 2006: Mount Lorne. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
  7. Lois Moorcroft Yukon Legislative Assembly. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  8. Former NDP minister hits the campaign trail Whitehorse Star (Stephanie Waddell), March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  9. "Moorcroft confirmed Copperbelt South winner". CBC News, October 17, 2011.
  10. Lois Moorcroft. Yukon New Democratic Party. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  11. Former NDP minister hits the campaign trail Whitehorse Star (Stephanie Waddell), March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  12. Lois Moorcroft Yukon Legislative Assembly. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  13. Legal threats forced out Liard First Nation returning officer Yukon News (Pierre Chauvin), March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  14. Former NDP minister hits the campaign trail Whitehorse Star (Stephanie Waddell), March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  15. "Moorcroft confirmed Copperbelt South winner". CBC News, October 17, 2011.
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