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Dianne Mcgifford




McGifford was born in Manchester , England , and moved to Manitoba at a young age. She was educated at the University Of Manitoba , receiving a Bachelor Of Arts degree in 1970 , a Master Of Arts degree in 1974 , and a Ph.D. in English in 1979 . She subsequently worked as a professor at the University Of Saskatchewan , the University Of Manitoba and the University Of Winnipeg , and has served as a director of the Fort Garry Women's Resource Centre and Kali-Shiva AIDS Services. McGifford has edited ''Shafti's Words: An Anthology of South Asian Canadian Women's Poetry'' and ''The Geography of Voice: Canadian Literature of the South Asian Diaspora''.

McGifford was elected to the Manitoba Assembly in the Provincial Election Of 1995 , defeating incumbent Liberal Norma McCormick by almost one thousand votes in the central Winnipeg riding of Osborne . She was easily re-elected in the 1999 Election in the redistributed riding of Lord Roberts .

The New Democratic Party won the election of 1999 , and McGifford was appointed to Premier Gary Doer 's first cabinet as Minister Of Culture, Heritage And Tourism on October 5 , 1999. On January 17 , 2001 , she was transferred to the Ministry Of Advanced Education And Training . On her initial appointment to cabinet, she was also given responsibility for the Status Of Women , Seniors , and the administration of the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation Act . She was relieved of the last responsibility on September 25 , 2002 , and of the first two on November 4 , 2003 .

In 2003 , McGifford supported Bill Blaikie 's campaign to become leader of the federal New Democratic Party .

McGifford was easily re-elected in The Provincial Election Of 2003 .