Rob Norris

Norris was born in Edmonton, raised in Red Deer completing his undergraduate degree in Lethbridge and moving to Saskatoon in 1994. He is a graduate of Red Deer College, University of Lethbridge (Political Science with distinction) and University of Alberta (M.A., Political Science). He also completed graduate classes in politcs at the University of Saskatchewan. He's taught Canadian Government at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Saskatchewan. In the late 1990s, he moved to Ottawa, working as a legislative assistant in the House of Commons.[1] He was then recruited back to the University of Saskatchewan, ultimately serving as the coordinator of Global Relations. Invited to join the Saskatchewan Party after debating Brad Wall in 2003, he served in Premier Brad Wall's Government from 2007 to 2015, when he returned to the University of Saskatchewan as Senior Strategist. [2]

Norris ran as a Saskatchewan Liberal Party candidate in the 2003 Saskatchewan provincial election. During the campaign Norris debated Brad Wall, the leader of the Saskatchewan Party and MLA for Swift Current, as well as the MLA for Saskatoon Mount Royal, Eric Cline. Norris was not elected, but Wall invited Norris to join the Saskatchewan Party as both an Advisor on Innovation and the candidate for Saskatoon Greystone.

Norris was elected as MLA for Saskatoon-Greystone in the 2007 provincial election by a slim margin of 300 votes.[2] In November 2007, Norris was appointed as the Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Labour and Minister responsible for Immigration in the Saskatchewan Party government.[3] Norris oversaw changes in the advanced education portfolio, including the Graduate Retention Program, established a defining strategy for immigration and helped to promote occupational health and saftey through the launch of Mission Zero. He also led efforts to revise labour legislation in Saskatchewan including Bill 5, the Public Services Essential Services Act, and Bill 6, the Trade Union Amendment Act, in 2007.[4] The former was ultimately deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2015.[5]

On June 29, 2010, Norris's responsibilities were adjusted, with the Labour portfolio passing to the Minister of Justice, Don Morgan. Norris was made the Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration. He also carried responsibility for SaskPower and Innovation. He oversaw the opening of the CCS project at Boundary Dam 3, the concomitant establishment of the nearby CCS test facility as well as the establishment of the University of Saskatchewan's Global Institute for Water Security, the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation (University of Saskatchewan) and International Minerals Innovation Institute. [6] He was re-elected as MLA in the 2011 provincial election.[2] Norris was named Premier Wall's Legislative Secretary for First Nations & Metis Peoples portfolio and later took on the International Trade & International Education portfolio. Norris was re-instated into Premier Brad Wall's Cabinet, serving as the Minister of Advanced Education. He opted not to run in 2016, instead returning to the University of Saskatchewan. While serving as the MLA for Saskatoon Greystone, Norris launched numerous initiatives including championing the academic health science buildings at the University of Saskatchewan, new student residences and digital and distance learning in northern Saskatchewan. He also served during three major post-secondary crises, namely the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan Strike in 2007, the 2010 First Nations University Crisis, and the University of Saskatchewan Controversy in 2014.

Norris did not stand in the 2016 provincial election.[7][8] His leaving caucus prompted the observation in the media that "there really is no "liberal" presence in the Sask. Party caucus anymore," which could be problematic given that the Liberal Party was in power in Ottawa.[9][10]

In 2020 Norris launched a bid to become mayor of Saskatoon, challenging incumbent Charlie Clark.[1] His campaign platform included plans to halt the downtown public library project [11] which he characterized as 'gold plated' and a Halloween social media post in which he accused Charlie Clark of mistreating women.[12] Norris ultimately expressed regret for this post.[13] Charlie Clark won the election by a large margin, having received more votes than Norris and the former mayor, Don Atchison combined.[14][15]

In 2015, Rob Norris was named in a lawsuit against the Norris, Brad Wall, and the University of Saskatchewan and its Board of Governors for the controversial firing of the President, Ilene Busch-Vishniac. Wall and Norris are accused of unlawfully inserting themselves into the Board's decision of firing Busch-Vishniac Busch-Vishniac.[16] [17]

The Saskatoon & District Labour Council, which typically endorses candidates, warned voters against supporting Norris due to his anti-labour record as a minister in the provincial government. The president of the council, Don MacDonald, said that Norris was "not considered a friend of labour" and that "[t]here's not a lot of trust."[18]

After deciding not to run for re-election in 2016, Norris re-joined the University of Saskatchewan as a senior strategist. In 2019, he became the Senior Government Relations Officer at the Canadian Light Source on the university campus. Norris serves as Board Chair for Canada World Youth, has been an election observer in Tunisia and Lebanon, worked on governance projects in Eastern Europe and Africa. He writes essays and book reviews for popular and academic publications.[19]