Information AboutHedy Fry |
|
Hedy Fry, PC , MP , MD , L.R.C.P.S.I. , L.M. (born August 6 1941 ) is a Canadian politician and physician. Fry was born in San Fernando , Trinidad And Tobago , and received her medical training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin , Ireland . She migrated to Canada and established a practice in Vancouver . She served as president of the British Columbia Federation of Medical Women in 1977 . She was president of the Vancouver Medical Association in 1988-89, the BC Medical Association in 1990-91, and chaired the Canadian Medical Association's Multiculturalism Committee in 1992-9. Fry sought and won the Liberal Party nomination for Vancouver Centre for the 1993 Federal Election over lawyer David Varty and college lecturer John Lang in March 1993. She was elected to the Canadian House Of Commons , defeating Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Kim Campbell . Fry was only the fourth person to unseat a sitting prime minister, and the first to do so on his or her first try for office. Fry has been re-elected in every subsequent election ( 1997 , 2000 , 2004 , and 2006 ). She served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Health and Welfare from 1993 until 1996 when she was appointed to the Cabinet as Secretary Of State for Multiculturalism and Status Of Women . She became a favourite target of Conservative s for her perceived Political Correctness , Anti-Americanism , Feminism and support for Gay Rights . Fry has a reputation for making controversial statements. She ignited a political backlash when, on March 21 2001 , in reply to a question in the House of Commons, she claimed that crosses were being burned on lawns in Prince George, British Columbia "as we speak". No evidence of this had ever been given and, when asked to justify her claim, she stated that the Mayor of Prince George had informed her of this. When asked, the mayor denied having said such a thing. It was later suggested Fry had confused Prince George with Merritt, British Columbia , where a Ku Klux Klan grand wizard was arrested following reported racist activity. {Link without Title} Later in 2001 , shortly after September 11 , Fry attended a women's conference in Vancouver where she did not protest or leave during an anti-American speech by UBC professor Sunera Thobani. Her credibility damaged, Fry was dropped from the Cabinet when it was Shuffled in 2002 . Early in 2003 , Fry caused offence by naming Israel as a country violating human rights and "threatening the United States." {Link without Title} When Paul Martin became Prime Minister Of Canada at the end of 2003 , he made her Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration with special emphasis on Foreign Credentials. After the 2004 Election , she was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development with special emphasis on the Internationally Trained Workers Initiative. The Liberals lost power in 2006, and Fry was named as Critic for Sport Canada in the Liberal Shadow Cabinet . She was rumoured to be seeking the Liberal Leadership ; on May 2 , 2006 , it was confirmed that Fry would launch a leadership campaign. {Link without Title} EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|