Kelly Block

Kelly Block
MP
Member of Parliament
for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek
Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar (2008-2015)
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 14, 2008
Preceded byCarol Skelton
Mayor of Waldheim
In office
October 2003 – 2008
Municipal Councilor for Waldheim
In office
2000–2003
Personal details
Born (1961-11-30) November 30, 1961 (age 62)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Political partyConservative
ResidenceWarman, Saskatchewan
ProfessionMayor, Administrator

Kelly Block MP (born November 30, 1961) is a Canadian politician representing the electoral district of Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek since 2015. She was first elected in the 2008 Canadian federal election to serve as the Member of Parliament for the Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar district. Prior to her election to the House of Commons, Block served two terms as mayor of Waldheim, Saskatchewan. Block was Waldheim's first female mayor, and also served as chairperson of the Gabriel Springs Health District. Block was later appointed to the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority when the government of Saskatchewan amalgamated its health districts. Block ran unsuccessfully for the Saskatchewan Party nomination for the provincial Martensville constituency by-election in November 2006 against Nancy Heppner.

Career

Block is a member of the Conservative Party. She was appointed to the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) and the Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee (ETHI). In fall 2009, Block was moved from PROC and appointed to the budget and finance committee. With the commencement of the 41st Parliament in 2011, Block was appointed to the health committee, and the government operations and estimates committee. Block was also appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to serve as the regional caucus chairperson for the Saskatchewan Conservative caucus.

Block was awarded the Maclean's Parliamentarian of the Year – Rising Star – Award in June 2010 after receiving the highest number of weighted votes from fellow parliamentarians of all parties.[1][2]

In October 2012, Block sent out a flyer to her constituents entitled Ending Unfair Benefits for Refugee Claimants which criticized refugee claimants and rejected refugee applicants access to extended healthcare benefits.[3] She was criticized in the media[4] and Parliament[5] for the newsletter. Block defended the message but said the content was a draft, and expressed regret about some of the language used.[6]

Following the 2013 redrawing of Saskatchewan's federal electoral boundaries, Block stated she would run in the new riding of Humboldt-Warman-Martensville-Rosetown (later renamed Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek).[7]

In September 2013, Block was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources.[8]

In the 2015 federal election, won by the Liberal Party, Block was elected in the redrawn riding of Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek. She was appointed as the Conservative critic for Transport by interim leader Rona Ambrose.[9]

In 2019, Block was re-elected with an increased margin and the fourth-highest voter turnout in the election.[10] She was appointed as the Opposition critic for Public Services and Procurement Canada by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.[11]

Block was elected Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts On October 15, 2020.[12]

In February 2021, Kelly Block introduced the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act.[13]

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election: Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Kelly Block 28,192 68.6 -9.96 $80,986.88
New Democratic Shannon O'Toole 5,608 13.6 +1.29 $64.04
People's Mike Bohach 3,791 9.2 +7.42 none listed
Liberal Harrison Andruschak 2,066 5.0 +0.36 $2,023.58
Maverick Diane Pastoor 1,053 2.6 – $16,312.07
Green Cherese Reemaul 379 0.9 -1.04 $229.40
Total valid votes/Expense limit 41,089 100.0 – $115,365.17
Total rejected ballots 189
Turnout 41,278 70.3
Eligible voters 58,737
Conservative hold Swing -5.63
Source: Elections Canada[14]
2019 Canadian federal election: Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Kelly Block 35,313 78.56 13.84 $111,554.48
New Democratic Jasmine Calix 5,535 12.31 -6.35 none listed
Liberal Rebecca Malo 2,085 4.64 -9.73 none listed
Green Dean Gibson 873 1.94 -0.3 $0.00
People's Cody Payant 799 1.78 – none listed
Independent Glenn Wright 344 0.76 – $56.96
Total valid votes/expense limit 44,949 100.0  
Total rejected ballots 240
Turnout 45,189 78.5
Eligible voters 57,601
Conservative hold Swing +20.19
Source: Elections Canada[15][16]
2015 Canadian federal election: Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Kelly Block 26,004 64.72 -3.62 $102,769.56
New Democratic Glenn Wright 7,499 18.66 -5.75 $36,765.92
Liberal Alexander Slusar 5,774 14.37 +10.45 $4,877.96
Green Lynn Wesley Oliphant 902 2.24 -0.36 –
Total valid votes/expense limit 40,179 100.0     $217,926.51
Total rejected ballots 109 0.19 –
Turnout 40,288 73.18 –
Eligible voters 55,048
Source: Elections Canada[17][18]
2011 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Kelly Block 14,652 48.70 +3.31
New Democratic Nettie Wiebe 14,114 46.91 +2.49
Liberal Lee Reaney 697 2.32 -2.09
Green Vicki Strelioff 626 2.08 -2.49
Total valid votes/Expense limit 30,089 100.00
Total rejected ballots 131 0.43
Turnout 30,220 62.29
Conservative hold Swing +0.82
2008 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Kelly Block 12,166 45.4 -0.2 $78,169
New Democratic Nettie Wiebe 11,913 44.5 +5.5 $63,284
Green Amber Jones 1,228 4.6 +2.1 $8,174
Liberal Roy Bluehorn 1,176 4.4 -7.7 $10,785
Independent Rick Barsky 134 0.5 +0.5 N/A
Christian Heritage Marcel Bourassa 111 0.4 -0.5 $50
Libertarian Kevin Stricker 74 0.3 +0.3 $1,339
Total valid votes/Expense limit 26,802 100.0 $78,625
Conservative hold Swing -2.85

References

  1. ^ Geddes, John (2 June 2010). "Rising Star: Kelly Block". Maclean's. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Tight race in Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar". The StarPhoenix. 15 October 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012.
  3. ^ Warick, Jason (2012-10-16). "MP Kelly Block sends flyer criticizing refugees' access to healthcare". Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  4. ^ Mandryk, Murray (2012-10-16). "MP's message only too clear". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 2013-08-24. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  5. ^ Bolen, Michael (2012-10-17). "Kelly Block's Newsletter On Refugee Health Cuts Called 'Offensive'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  6. ^ "Kelly Block defends flyer". CBC News. 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  7. ^ Graham, Jennifer (2013-08-21). "Contentious redrawing of federal election ridings in Saskatchewan complete". Maclean's. Retrieved 2013-08-23 – via The Canadian Press.
  8. ^ "Parliamentary Secretaries - Prime Minister of Canada". Archived from the original on 2013-10-06. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  9. ^ Hamilton, Charles (2015-11-20). "Kelly Block and Gerry Ritz are now part of the Conservative's new shadow cabinet". The StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
  10. ^ Britneff, Beatrice (2019-10-23). "The ridings that had the lowest, highest voter turnout in the 2019 election". Global News. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
  11. ^ "Block named as Conservative public services and procurement critic". The Humboldt Journal. 2019-11-29. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
  12. ^ "Evidence PAPC 43-2 No1". Our Commons. 2020-10-15. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  13. ^ "MP Block introduces the Protection of Freedom of Conscience Act". 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  14. ^ "Election Night Results - Electoral Districts".
  15. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  16. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  17. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, 30 September 2015
  18. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine