Kerry Diotte

Diotte was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada on February 26, 1956. He was educated at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.

Diotte was being employed at the Edmonton Sun from 1985 until October 2009 where he worked as Legislature bureau chief, as well as a copy editor, reporter, and assignment editor. Prior to that, he worked for the Calgary Sun and newsmagazines, including Alberta Report and Maclean's. He has also worked for a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation affiliate where he was an on-camera television reporter. For many years, Diotte was president of the Edmonton chapter of the Canadian Association of Journalists and a national director of the organization. He resigned those positions to campaign for a city council seat in the 2010 Edmonton municipal election.[1]

Diotte ran for city council in the 2010 Edmonton municipal election, winning Ward 11 with 44.3% of the vote.[1] On May 16, 2013, Diotte announced his candidacy for Mayor of Edmonton.[4] He finished in third with 32,917 votes.[5]

On February 26, 2014, Diotte announced his intention to seek the Conservative Party of Canada nomination in the new federal riding of Edmonton Griesbach.[6] Diotte won the nomination election on December 6, 2014.[7] In the 2015 election, Diotte won the seat, defeating his closest opponent by almost 3,000 votes.[8][9][10]

On February 23, 2016, Diotte apologized for participating in a "juvenile" game of Bingo during Question Period.[11] Later that year, on September 15 he was appointed deputy critic of Urban Affairs in Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose's shadow cabinet.[12]

Diotte was a member of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations in the 42nd Parliament.[13]

He was appointed in September 2018 as a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.[14]

Diotte sponsored private member's bill C-306, An Act to establish a Crimean Tatar Deportation ("Sürgünlik") Memorial Day and to recognize the mass deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 as an act of genocide. This bill sought to recognize the mass deportations of Crimean Tatars in 1944 by the Soviet regime as genocide and establish May 18 as a day of commemoration.[15] Bill C-306 was defeated at second reading.[16]

Diotte was appointed Deputy Shadow Cabinet Minister for Public Services and Procurement in Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer's shadow cabinet.[17]

On November 19, 2018, Diotte launched a lawsuit against University of Alberta student publication The Gateway for publishing two articles that the suit deemed “defamatory,” especially claims that he is racist.[18] The Gateway's quick apology and retraction stated: "That characterization of Mr. Diotte is false, damaging to his reputation, and caused Mr. Diotte and his family unwarranted embarrassment.

The Gateway sincerely apologizes to Mr. Diotte for this wrongful characterization and retracts the offending articles."[19]

In a statement Diotte stated that he was “glad that my lawyer and theirs could come to a mutually agreeable solution without a protracted court fight,” and that he was “a strong believer in free speech, but it’s important to remember there are legal lines that can’t be crossed.” [20]

• Official website
• Law Enforcement Review Board decision 002-2008