Daniel Blaikie is a Canadian politician who served as the member of Parliament (MP) for

Elmwood—Transcona Elmwood—Transcona (formerly Winnipeg—Transcona) is a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1988. Its population in 2021 was 101,691. ...

from October 19, 2015 until March 31, 2024. A member of the

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

(NDP), he was elected to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

in the 2015 federal election. Born in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

, Blaikie completed a bachelor's degree in

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

and

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

from the

University of Winnipeg The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg, UW, or U of W) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It offers undergraduate programs in art, business, economics, education, science and applied health as well as graduate progra ...

, before earning a master's degree in philosophy from

Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...

. He later trained as an

electrician An electrician is a tradesman, tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the ...

, before entering politics. His father,

Bill Blaikie William Alexander "Bill" Blaikie (June 19, 1951 – September 24, 2022) was a Canadian politician. He served as a member of Parliament (MP) from 1979 to 2008, representing Elmwood—Transcona and its antecedent ridings in the House of Commons ...

, served as an NDP MP and member of the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba () is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at List of Manitoba genera ...

(MLA). His sister, Rebecca Blaikie, served as the NDP's president and treasurer. He currently works in the office of Manitoba Premier

Wab Kinew Wabanakwut "Wab" Kinew (born December 31, 1981) is a Canadian politician who has served as the 25th premier of Manitoba since October 18, 2023 and the leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) since September 16, 2017. Kinew represents ...

as a special advisor for intergovernmental affairs.

Early life and education

Daniel Blaikie was born to Brenda and

in the northeast

suburb of

Transcona Transcona is a ward and suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, located about east of the downtown area. Until 1972, it was a separate municipality, having been incorporated first as the Town of Transcona on 6 April 1912 and then as the City of Transc ...

. He studied

and

at the

, earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA), before earning a Master of Arts (MA) in philosophy at

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. Blaikie taught courses in the introduction to philosophy at the University of Winnipeg and later trained as an

, becoming very active in the

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is a trade union, labor union that represents approximately 820,000 workers and retirees in the electricity, electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Guam, Panama, Puerto Rico, an ...

Community work

Blaikie has been involved in several community engagements in Transcona, Winnipeg, and in the province of

. He has sat on the board of directors of the Transcona Historical Museum in the past and continues to maintain his interest and involvement with the museum. As an MP, he currently sits as an honorary board member. Blaikie is an active associate member of the Royal Canadian Legion - Branch #7, known by locals as the Transcona Legion. With its official formation date being December 6, 1926, the legion celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2016. He commemorated the anniversary as a Member of Parliament by using his allotted time for ''Statements by Members'' in the House of Commons to speak to the Legion's history and relevance in the community. Before becoming an MP, Blaikie was a board member of the Apprenticeship and Certification Board of Manitoba, which coordinates the apprenticeship and certification system in Manitoba. After being elected to the House of Commons, Daniel Blaikie continued to sit on the executive of the Winnipeg Labour Council for a period. During his electoral campaign in 2015, the council was active in supporting his campaign to become a Member of Parliament.

Political career

Blaikie was nominated as the NDP candidate for his father's former riding ahead of the 2015 election. He defeated

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

incumbent Lawrence Toet by only 61 votes, the lowest margin of victory for any MP elected that year. He was the only non- Liberal elected from a

riding. He defeated Toet in a 2019 rematch by a much larger margin of over 3,500.

Member of Parliament

Blaikie was a Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, and was also a member of several parliamentary associations, including the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, Canada-Ireland Interparliamentary Group, Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association, Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group, and

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights. In 1989 the patron of the CPA was the Head ...

(CPA), as well a part of the Canadian Delegations to the

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the p ...

Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), NATO Parliamentary Association (NATO PA) and ParlAmericas. Blaikie announced his resignation from parliament, effective March 31, 2024, in order to accept a position in the office of Manitoba Premier

as special advisor on intergovernmental affairs.

Electoral record

References

External links

Official bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blaikie, Daniel 1984 births Living people 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada Canadian people of Scottish descent Concordia University alumni Canadian electricians International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers people Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Manitoba New Democratic Party MPs Politicians from Winnipeg Trade unionists from Manitoba University of Winnipeg alumni