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Bonnie Mitchelson




Her husband, Don Mitchelson , is also a politician, having served as a city councillor in Winnipeg .

Mitchell was educated at the Health Sciences Centre School Of Nursing and practiced as a Registered Nurse . She was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1986 , defeating incumbent New Democrat Phil Eyler in the northeast Winnipeg riding of River East . She was re-elected by a wider margin in 1988 , as Filmon's Tories won a Minority Government .

On May 9 , 1988, Mitchelson was appointed Minister Of Culture, Heritage And Recreation (later renamed Culture, Heritage And Citizenship ), with responsibility for the Manitoba Lotteries Foundation Act . On February 5 , 1991 , she was also named Minister Of Multiculturalism with responsibility for Status Of Women . As Minister of Culture, Mitchelson made the controversial decision to establish a review commission for Manitoba's arts policy that was made up entirely of non-artists.

After a cabinet shuffle on September 10 , 1993 , she was named Minister Of Family Services , and retained the position until the Filmon government was defeated in 1999 . Prior to the election of 1999, she proposed a series of Workfare measures as part of a policy of welfare reform.

Mitchelson was re-elected by a comfortable margin in 1990 , and by narrower margins in 1995 and 1999 . She was chosen as interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party on May 29 , 2000 , and held the position until Stuart Murray was acclaimed as party leader in November. She was then named as the party's Deputy Leader.

In the General Election Of 2003 , Mitchelson defeated New Democrat Doug Longstaffe , 4,935 votes to 4,402. She is currently the only Progressive Conservative MLA to hold a seat in the north end of Winnipeg.

She is a supporter of Hugh McFadyen ’s campaign to succeed Stuart Murray as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.


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