Joan Beatty facts for kids

Joan Beatty, born in 1940, is a Canadian politician. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the area called Cumberland. She represented the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP). Later, she became a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in a federal election.

She ran for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada in 2008. This was for the area of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River. However, she did not win that election. She was born in Deschambault Lake, Saskatchewan.

Joan Beatty's Political Journey

Starting in Provincial Politics

Before becoming a politician, Joan Beatty worked as a journalist for the CBC. In 2003, she made history. She became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the Saskatchewan legislature. This is the group of people who make laws for the province.

Just one month after being elected, she was chosen for a special role. She became a minister in the government's cabinet. This meant she was in charge of areas like Culture, Youth, and Recreation. She was also the Provincial Secretary.

In 2007, she was re-elected in the provincial election. However, her party, the NDP, did not win enough seats to form the government. So, she became an "Opposition Critic." This means she spoke for her party on important topics like Women's Issues and Northern Affairs.

Moving to Federal Politics

In 2007, two different national political parties asked Joan Beatty to join them. These were the federal NDP and the federal Liberal party. They wanted her to run in a special election called a "by-election." This election was for a seat in the Canadian Parliament.

On January 3, 2008, she decided to join the Liberal Party. The leader of the Liberal Party, Stéphane Dion, officially named her as their candidate.

Joan Beatty explained why she switched from the provincial NDP to the federal Liberals. She believed the Liberals had a better chance of forming the government. She said, "you have to be in government to have say when it comes to policy or budget decisions." This means she felt she could make more of a difference if her party was in power.

Challenges and Outcomes

Joan Beatty's selection as the Liberal candidate caused some debate. Some people, like David Orchard, had also wanted to be the Liberal candidate. A Métis leader named Jim Durocher wrote a letter to Stéphane Dion. He was upset that Joan Beatty was chosen without a vote by local party members. He felt that people from outside the area were making decisions for them.

Despite the debate, Joan Beatty ran in the by-election. However, she lost by a large number of votes. Later, she tried again to become the Liberal candidate for the next federal election. This time, there was an open vote among local Liberal members. David Orchard also ran for the nomination and won. This meant he became the candidate instead of Joan Beatty.

Electoral Results Summary

Joan Beatty participated in several elections.

• In the 2003 Saskatchewan general election, she won her seat for the NDP in Cumberland. She received a large majority of the votes.
• In the 2007 Saskatchewan general election, she was re-elected for the NDP in Cumberland. She again won with a strong lead.
• In the 2008 federal by-election for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, she ran for the Liberal Party but did not win.