Keith Ashfield

Keith John Ashfield[1] PC (March 28, 1952 – April 22, 2018) was a Canadian politician. He served as the member of Parliament (MP) for the electoral district of Fredericton from 2008 to 2015 and, before that, was a member of the New Brunswick Legislature from 1999 to 2008. He served in the federal cabinet in various capacities from 2008 to 2013.

The Honourable

Keith Ashfield

PC
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Fredericton
In office
October 14, 2008 – October 19, 2015
Preceded byAndy Scott
Succeeded byMatt DeCourcey
Member of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly
for New Maryland-Sunbury West
New Maryland (1999-2006)
In office
June 7, 1999 – September 8, 2008
Preceded byJoan Kingston
Succeeded byJack Carr
Personal details
Born(1952-03-28)March 28, 1952
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
DiedApril 22, 2018(2018-04-22) (aged 66)
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Political partyConservative
ResidenceLincoln, New Brunswick

Early life

The son of Jack Ashfield and Nora Locke, he studied Business at the University of New Brunswick for two years.[2]

Political career

Provincial

Ashfield was a school trustee for a number of years and was first a candidate for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 1991 election. A Progressive Conservative, Ashfield placed third with Confederation of Regions candidate Max White being victorious.

Ashfield was again a candidate in 1999 and was successful, defeating cabinet minister Joan Kingston in the riding of New Maryland. He was named deputy speaker of the Legislature. Ashfield faced Kingston again in 2003 and won again though by a closer margin. He was sworn in as Minister of Natural Resources & Energy on June 27, 2003. He was elected to a third term in 2006 in the redistributed district of New Maryland-Sunbury West, however he left the cabinet as his party formed the opposition following the election.

On March 6, 2018, Ashfield ran for the Progressive Conservative nomination in Oromocto-Lincoln-Fredericton. The nomination ultimately went to Mary Wilson.

Federal

On November 7, 2007, he won the nomination to be the candidate of the Conservative Party of Canada in Fredericton for the next federal election.[3] When the election was called, he resigned his provincial seat.[4] He was elected in the 2008 federal election[5] and re-elected in the 2011 federal election. Ashfield was appointed Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on May 18, 2011.[6]

Ashfield co-chaired the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers (CCFAM) in Victoria, British Columbia in 2012. Ministers discussed a range of issues such as aquaculture, aquatic invasive species, and protecting Canada's fisheries.[7]

In March 2013, Ashfield faced criticism for a photo-op during which he remarked to the teenage daughter of a constituent, "Grace, you’re a great cook. You’re going to make a wonderful wife for somebody."[8] Later that year, he was replaced as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and left the Cabinet.

He was defeated in the 2015 federal election.

Personal life and death

In October 2012, Ashfield had a heart attack and temporarily gave his role to then National Revenue Minister Gail Shea.[6] In June 2013, Ashfield announced he had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.[9] When he declared his candidacy for the 2015 Canadian federal election, he had beaten his cancer that had returned in Fall 2014.[10]

The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick officially announced Keith Ashfield's death in the early afternoon of April 22, 2018.[11]

References
  1. http://www.electionsnb.ca/content/dam/enb/pdf/registries/NOMINATIONCONTESTANTS-CANDIDATSALINVESTITURE-PC1.pdf
  2. "Biographies of Members" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. 2004. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
  3. "MLA wins federal Tory nomination in Fredericton". CBC News. 8 November 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  4. "MLA resigns to represent Conservatives in federal election". CBC News. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  5. "Fredericton goes Tory after 15-year Liberal rule". CBC News. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  6. "Heart attack sidelines Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield". CBC News. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  7. "Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers Continue to Work Together to Protect Canada's Fisheries". US Politics Today. US Politics Today. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  8. "Keith Ashfield's 'wonderful wife' backlash continues". CBC News. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  9. "Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield has cancer". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  10. "MP Keith Ashfield to seek re-election after beating cancer". CBC News. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  11. "New Brunswick politician Keith Ashfield dead at 66". CBC News. 22 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
28th Ministry – Cabinet of Stephen Harper
Cabinet posts (4)
Predecessor Office Successor
Gail Shea Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
2011–2013		 Gail Shea
Jean-Pierre Blackburn Minister of National Revenue
2010–2011		 Gail Shea
Peter MacKay Minister of the Atlantic Gateway
2010–2013		 Lisa Raitt
Peter MacKay Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
2008–2011		 Bernard Valcourt
New Brunswick provincial government of Bernard Lord
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Jeannot Volpé Minister of Natural Resources & Energy
2003–2006		 Donald Arseneault
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