Murray Rankin (born January 26, 1950) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
lawyer, politician and
public law
Public law is the part of law that governs relations between legal persons and a government, between different institutions within a state, between different branches of governments, as well as relationships between persons that are of direct ...
expert who serves as British Columbia's Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. A member of the
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
, Rankin represents the riding of
Oak Bay-Gordon Head in the
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Legislative Assembly meets in Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria. Members ar ...
.
Rankin previously served as the federal
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
from 2012 to 2019, with senior roles including Justice and Attorney General Critic, Health Critic, and NDP
House Leader
{{Politics of Canada
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament (MP) and an expert in parliamentary procedure. The same representation is found in the pr ...
.
From 2019 to 2020, Rankin was head of Canada's
National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA; french: Office de surveillance des activités en matière de sécurité nationale et de renseignement, OSSNR) is an independent government agency organized to review all national security ...
(NSIRA), overseeing all national security and intelligence activities carried out by the
Government of Canada
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
.
Previously, he was a professor of law at the
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...
, where he taught environmental and administrative law.
Background
Rankin was born in
Belleville,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, the only male of five children, to Eleanore, a school teacher, and McKinley Rankin, a teacher and insurance agent.
["Murray Rankin"]
. ''Victoria Times-Colonist
The ''Times Colonist'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by the Sept. 2, 1980 merger of the ''Victoria Daily Times'', established in 1884, and the ''British Colonist'' (later the ''Daily Co ...
'', November 26, 2012. He went to university on scholarships, grants and loans,
[ completing his undergrad at Queen's University and the ]Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal (UdeM; ; translates to University of Montreal) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-de ...
and his law degrees at the University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
and Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, where he graduated ''summa cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'' with a master's degree in law.
Rankin is a founding member and former president of the British Columbia Public Interest Advocacy Centre, an NGO that provides legal services to marginalized groups in British Columbia. He is also former president of West Coast Environmental Law
West Coast Environmental Law is an environmental law and public advocacy organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada that works to shape environmental policies in British Columbia and in Canada. It is known for its involvement in gr ...
, past chairman of The Land Conservancy of British Columbia
The Land Conservancy of British Columbia is a not-for-profit, charitable land trust based in British Columbia, Canada.
The purpose of the Society is to protect plants, animals, natural communities and landscape features that represent diversity o ...
, and co-chair of the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...
, a student-run legal clinic doing public interest work in environmental law.
Rankin is a vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetarianism m ...
, lives in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...
, and is married to Linda Hannah,["NDP's Rankin wins Victoria byelection after tight race with Greens"]
''Vancouver Sun
The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published s ...
'', November 26, 2012. whom he met at a founding board meeting of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee
The Western Canada Wilderness Committee (often shortened to Wilderness Committee) is a non-profit environmental education organization that aims to protect Canada's wild spaces and species. Paul George, along with Richard Krieger, were the founding ...
. They have two children, Benjamin and Mark.
Academic and legal career
According to the ''Vancouver Sun'', Rankin "has fought for gay marriage rights in B.C., acted for governments, industry and First Nations on aboriginal land issues, and has taken a lead role on major environmental court cases in areas like sewage treatment, contaminated sites and environmental assessment." Rankin has appeared before all levels of court in British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
and in the Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the Supreme court, highest court in the Court system of Canada, judicial system of Canada. It comprises List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, nine justices, wh ...
. Rankin was appointed Queen's Counsel
In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...
in 1999.
After finishing graduate school at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
, Rankin taught at the University of Victoria
The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...
as a professor of law until 1990. Rankin returned to the law school in 2004 to teach part-time as an adjunct professor of law, donating his salary to charity.
In 1990, Rankin joined up with his friend Joseph Arvay
Joseph James Arvay, (March 18, 1949December 7, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer who argued numerous landmark cases involving civil liberties and constitutional rights.
Early life and education
He was born in Welland, Ontario in 1949. As a law studen ...
to become managing partner for the boutique law firm Arvay Finlay. In 1994, Murray Rankin was appointed by Premier Mike Harcourt
Michael Franklin Harcourt, OC (born January 6, 1943) served as the 30th premier of British Columbia from 1991 to 1996, and before that as the 34th mayor of Vancouver, BC's largest city, from 1980 to 1986.
Early life and education
Harcourt was ...
as the lead treaty negotiator for the province of British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. As treaty negotiator for the Province of British Columbia Rankin negotiated the first agreement in principle under the auspices of the British Columbia Treaty Commission
The British Columbia Treaty Process (BCTP) is a land claims negotiation process started in 1993 to resolve outstanding issues, including claims to un-extinguished indigenous rights, with British Columbia's First Nations.
Two treaties have been ...
with the Sechelt Indian Band. He also represented the Blueberry River First Nations The Blueberry River First Nations is an Indian band based in the Peace country in northeast British Columbia. The band is headquartered on Blueberry River 205 Indian reserve located northwest of Fort St. John. The band is party to Treaty 8.
Hi ...
in the negotiation of the first economic benefits agreement relating to natural resources revenues in British Columbia. He also advised BC Hydro
The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, operating as BC Hydro, is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia. It is the main electricity distributor, serving more than 4 million customers in most areas, with the excep ...
in the landmark agreement with two tribal councils related to the construction of the Lower Mainland Transmission Project. Rankin also successfully defended B.C. Forest Appeals Commission's jurisdiction in aboriginal rights case before Supreme Court of Canada (2003).
Rankin joined the national firm of Heenan Blaikie
Heenan Blaikie LLP is a defunct Canadian law firm. It practiced in the areas of business, labour and employment, litigation, taxation, entertainment law and intellectual property law. The firm was founded in 1973 by Roy Heenan, Donald Johnston, a ...
in 2006 as a partner in their Victoria office. He left the law firm in 2011 in order to pursue an independent practice that focused on environmental, aboriginal and public law.
National Security & Intelligence career
While at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
Rankin did his graduate thesis on freedom of information and national security matters and in the 1980s worked at the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...
in Paris on Transborder Information Flows. Rankin was later integrally involved in the consultations leading up to the enactment of the federal ''Access to Information Act
Access may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* ACCESS (Australia), an Australian youth network
* Access (credit card), a former credit card in the United Kingdom
* Access Co., a Japanese software company
* Access Healthcare, an Indian BPO se ...
'' and ''Privacy Act (Canada)
The ''Privacy Act'' (french: Loi sur la protection des renseignements personnels) is the federal information-privacy legislation of Canada that came into effect on July 1, 1983. Administered by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the Act sets ...
''. For his efforts, Rankin received the House of Commons Award of Merit for his contributions to the development of freedom of information and privacy. Rankin was later retained as a special advisor to Colin Gabelmann, the former Attorney General of British Columbia
The attorney general of British Columbia (AG) oversees the Ministry of Attorney General, a provincial government department responsible for the oversight of the justice system, within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The attorney general ...
and was a key architect of BC's own ''Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act''.
Rankin was former legal counsel to the Security Intelligence Review Committee
The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC; french: Comité de surveillance des activités de renseignement de sécurité) was a committee of Privy Councillors that was empowered to serve as an independent oversight and review body for the o ...
, received a top-secret clearance, and conducted terrorism hearings. He was later appointed by the Justice Minister as a special advocate to do national security work under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act where national security issues arise to protect the interests of people named in security certificates during hearings from which they and their own lawyers are excluded due to national security concerns. As Member of Parliament, Rankin gained recognition as a strong opponent of the Harper
Harper may refer to:
Names
* Harper (name), a surname and given name
Places
;in Canada
* Harper Islands, Nunavut
*Harper, Prince Edward Island
;In the United States
*Harper, former name of Costa Mesa, California in Orange County
* Harper, Il ...
Government's C-51 "Anti-Terrorism Act", arguing that the bill violated constitutional rights and would not protect Canadians.
Chair of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
In 2017, Rankin was appointed by the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
, to the newly formed . In July 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
named Rankin to lead the newly created National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA; french: Office de surveillance des activités en matière de sécurité nationale et de renseignement, OSSNR) is an independent government agency organized to review all national security ...
(NSIRA), overseeing all national security and intelligence activities carried out by the Government of Canada
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
.
Political career
Rankin's first entry into politics was as a volunteer for Stephen Lewis
Stephen Henry Lewis (born November 11, 1937) is a Canadian politician, public speaker, broadcaster, and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s.
During many of those years as leade ...
, former leader of the Ontario NDP
The Ontario New Democratic Party (french: link=no, Nouveau Parti démocratique de l'Ontario; abbr. ONDP or NDP) is a social-democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in Ontario following th ...
. Rankin has since acted as an advisor to successive leaders of the BC NDP
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social democracy, social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada.
As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the feder ...
. When the BC NDP
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social democracy, social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada.
As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the feder ...
was in power in the 1990s, he helped shape public policy initiatives on access to information, treaty negotiations, land use, environmental policy, and justice. Rankin also advised BC NDP Opposition Leaders on public policy. Rankin led the NDP legal team to oppose the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines were a project to build a twin pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. The eastbound pipeline would have imported natural gas condensate and the westbound pipeline would have exporte ...
. He argued that British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
should withdraw from the federal government's review process and set up a "made-in-B.C." environmental assessment that ensures BC's economic, social, environmental, and aboriginal interests are fully addressed. In the early 2000s Rankin was asked to seek the BC NDP
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social democracy, social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada.
As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the feder ...
leadership. Rankin never entered the race, because of the young age of his two sons, and the contest was eventually won by Carole James
Carole Alison James (born December 22, 1957) is a Canadian politician and former public administrator, who represented Victoria-Beacon Hill in the MLA from 2005 to 2020. She is the former Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia and former ...
. In February 2019, the BC Government announced that Rankin had been appointed as B.C.’s representative to help guide and design the reconciliation process between the Province and the Office of the Wetʼsuwetʼen
The Wetʼsuwetʼen ( ) are a First Nation who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and François Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia. The endonym Wetʼsuwetʼen means "People of the Wa Dzun ...
.
Member of Parliament of Canada
In September 2012, Rankin announced his intention to seek the NDP nomination to become the federal Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
following Denise Savoie
Denise Savoie (; born November 21, 1943) is a Canadian politician, who served as the federal Member of Parliament for Victoria (electoral district), Victoria from 2006 until 2012 representing the New Democratic Party. She was elected to the Hous ...
's retirement. On November 26, 2012, Rankin was elected to Parliament with over 37% of the vote.
Rankin was first sworn into office on December 11, 2012. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
immediately named Rankin to a senior role in his shadow cabinet as National Revenue Critic. On January 28, 2013 Rankin was appointed to the Standing Committee on Finance, which reviews fiscal and monetary policy. Mulcair later added responsibility for Pensions
A pension (, from Latin ''pensiō'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...
to Rankin's critic portfolio. In 2014 Rankin was elected as Chair of the British Columbia Caucus. On February 23, 2015 Rankin became Official Opposition
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...
Health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
Critic and Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Health. Rankin was recognised as a "rising star", one of the NDP's top recruits, and "one of Parliament's sharpest legal minds".
In his role as National Revenue Critic, Rankin was an outspoken on the Conservative government's failure to tackle the issue of tax havens
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...
and tax evasion
Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the taxp ...
, which he argued put an unfair burden on honest Canadians. Rankin criticized layoffs at the Canada Revenue Agency
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA; ; ) is the revenue service of the Canadian federal government, and most provincial and territorial governments. The CRA collects taxes, administers tax law and policy, and delivers benefit programs and tax credit ...
which investigates tax fraud
Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the taxp ...
and supported the efforts of Parliamentary Budget Officer
The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (OPBO; ) is an office of the Parliament of Canada which provides independent, authoritative and non-partisan financial and economic analysis. The office is led by the Parliamentary Budget Officer ...
Kevin Page
Kevin Page (born 1957) is a Canadian economist. He was the first Parliamentary Budget Officer for Canada. He was appointed to the position on March 25, 2008, and his term was completed on March 22, 2013. He now teaches at the University of Ott ...
to measure the tax gap
Tax noncompliance (informally tax avoision) is a range of activities that are unfavorable to a government's tax system. This may include tax avoidance, which is tax reduction by legal means, and tax evasion which is the criminal non-payment of tax ...
. A CBC and ICIJ
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Inc. (ICIJ), is an independent global network of 280 investigative journalists and over 140 media organizations spanning more than 100 countries. It is based in Washington, D.C. with pe ...
investigation later revealed a massive data leak
A data breach is a security violation, in which sensitive, protected or confidential data is copied, transmitted, viewed, stolen or used by an individual unauthorized to do so. Other terms are unintentional information disclosure, data leak, inf ...
which proved that hundreds of Canadians were exploiting tax havens, including Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
Senator Pana Merchant
Pana Pappas Merchant (born April 2, 1943) is a Liberal Party of Canada, Liberal Senate of Canada, Senator from the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. She has held the position since her appointment to the Sena ...
. Rankin also raised concerns over the federal government's crackdown on charities. In 2012, the Government ordered special audits of charities for political activities, and eventually provided $13.4 million for the initiative. The audits targeted environmental groups who have opposed the government's energy and pipeline policies, fight poverty, provide international aid and promote human rights, as well as a group of birdwatchers which were targeted for political activity. Rankin said he respected the need for audits to ensure charities comply with the rules, but he noted that many charities are now being tied up in paperwork over the audits, instead of being able to fulfil their charitable mandates and called for public hearings before the finance committee.
In his role as Health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
Critic, Rankin was recognised for bringing all parties together for a unanimous vote to compensate survivors of thalidomide poisoning. The victims, whose mothers were prescribed the federally approved drug for insomnia and morning sickness, were born with partial or missing limbs, blindness, deafness and internal organ damage. "I'm trying to do my very best for these people because I find their situation so poignant, so heart-wrenching," Rankin said. "They have been suffering from their disabilities for their whole lives. The Canadian government told their mothers that thalidomide was safe. That means we have a moral responsibility to provide them with support now." In May 2015, the Government agreed to provide victims of the drug annual payments of up to $100,000, depending on the severity of their disability, roughly on par with existing compensation levels in Germany and Britain. Taskforce representing Canada's living victims of Thalidomide thanked Rankin for his "tireless championing of our cause".
Rankin has been an outspoken advocate for environmental protection. Speaking at the 2013 NDP Convention, Rankin told delegates that "the NDP's leadership on the environment has always been a beacon to those of us who have fought to protect our environment and tackle the climate crisis
''Climate crisis'' is a term describing global warming and climate change, and their impacts. The term and the alternative term ''climate emergency'' have been used to describe the threat of global warming to humanity (and their planet), and to u ...
head on." Weeks after being sworn in as Member of Parliament, Rankin was barred from entering the Harper government's "public hearing" on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines
The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines were a project to build a twin pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. The eastbound pipeline would have imported natural gas condensate and the westbound pipeline would have exporte ...
in his Victoria constituency, a project he opposed.
Rankin has also championed democratic reform. He has called for proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
electoral reform. In an op-ed to the ''Times Colonist'' Rankin argued, "Consensual political institutions involve and empower more citizens. They respond to — and represent — a deeper pool of interests and people. The policies they enact aren't just more representative of the average voter, they're more credible and more stable. Those qualities make consensual politics better for people, better for business, and better for the planet." While he acknowledged that under a proportional representation electoral system the New Democrats would have had fewer seats in Parliament, he wrote "It's a matter of principle. And the principle is simple: Every Canadian deserves fair representation, every voice should be equal and every vote should be counted."
On October 19, 2015, Rankin was re-elected to Parliament with an increased margin and over 42% of the vote. Rankin received the most votes of any NDP candidate in the 2015 election. The runnerup Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
was later sanctioned by Elections Canada
Elections Canada (french: Élections Canada)The agency operates and brands itself as Elections Canada, its legal title is Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (). is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering Canadian federal electio ...
for violating the ''Canada Elections Act
The ''Canada Elections Act'' (french: Loi électorale du Canada; full title: ''An Act respecting the election of members to the House of Commons, repealing other Acts relating to elections and making consequential amendments to other Acts'', full ...
'' and "deliberately misleading voters" with "flawed and dated polling data in a bid to get voters to side with he Green Partycandidate." On July 26, 2016, the Green Party executive director signed a compliance agreement admitting guilt.
On November 12, 2016, Rankin was named Justice and Attorney General critic for the NDP. On December 11, 2016, Rankin was elected Vice-Chair of the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying. The all-party House and Senate committee was struck to advise on the government's response to the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in '' Carter vs. Canada''. On February 16, 2016, Rankin was elected Vice-Chair of Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
Rankin served as House Leader
{{Politics of Canada
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament (MP) and an expert in parliamentary procedure. The same representation is found in the pr ...
for the New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
from October 2016 to October 2017 during the 2017 New Democratic Party leadership election
The 2017 New Democratic Party leadership election was won by Jagmeet Singh. The election was triggered by Tom Mulcair having lost a vote on leadership review at the party's federal convention held in Edmonton, Alberta, on April 10, 2016, whic ...
. In October 2017, Rankin resumed his responsibilities as Justice and Attorney General critic for the NDP and was re-elected Vice-Chair of Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. On November 6, 2017, Rankin was appointed by the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, to the newly formed .
In October 2018, Rankin was nominated by his colleagues from all parties as a finalist for Maclean's "Hardest Working Member of Parliament," alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland and Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer.
In 2019, Rankin gained national recognition as Vice Chair of the Justice Committee for his key role investigating the SNC Lavalin affair that ultimately led to the resignation of the Prime Minister's Principle Secretary, the Clerk of the Privy Council, and two Ministers.
In 2018, Rankin worked across political parties to ban single-use plastics following a report from a University of Victoria student. In 2019, the Government announced that would ban single-use plastics across the country by 2021.
On February 28, 2019, Rankin announced that he would not be running in the Canadian federal election in 2019. In a farewell speech in June 2019, Rankin called for urgent work towards reconciliation with indigenous peoples and addressing the climate crisis. He also urged the next Parliament to complete work to bring in a comprehensive public pharmacare program for all of Canada. He closed by saying, ''"Let us all recommit to a fairer Canada. Let us reduce the enormous and growing inequality between the rich and poor in our society. What J.S. Woodsworth said is still true today: “What we desire for ourselves, we wish for all”. However, Jack Layton still said it best: “My friends, love is better than anger.... So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.”"'' In July 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
named Rankin to lead the newly created National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA; french: Office de surveillance des activités en matière de sécurité nationale et de renseignement, OSSNR) is an independent government agency organized to review all national security ...
(NSIRA), overseeing all national security and intelligence activities carried out by the Government of Canada
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
. His nomination was endorsed by all parties.
Member of Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
In 2020 Rankin was recruited as a star candidate for BC NDP
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social democracy, social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada.
As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the feder ...
in Oak Bay-Gordon Head, a riding the BC NDP had not won in nearly 30 years. In October 2020, Rankin was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Legislative Assembly meets in Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria. Members ar ...
after receiving the largest swing in support in the 2020 general election.
Rankin joined Cabinet as British Columbia's Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. British Columbia became the first province to release an action plan dedicated to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People in Canada. Rankin stated that, "''We must make the province a place where the human rights of Indigenous Peoples are respected, celebrated and finally implemented in every aspect of society. The work ahead of us won’t be easy – but together, we can change the trajectory of history and address the harms done by over 150 years of colonialism.''” In June 2022, Tahltan Central Government and the Province entered into the first consent-based decision-making agreement under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
In 2022 Rankin was appointed acting attorney general and minister responsible for Housing following David Eby's declaration that he was running to become BC's next premier. He was succeeded in that capacity by Niki Sharma
Niki Sharma is a Canadian politician and lawyer, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2020 British Columbia general election. She represents the electoral district of Vancouver-Hastings as a member of the Bri ...
in the new Eby ministry
The Eby ministry is the combined Cabinet (formally the Executive Council of British Columbia) that has governed British Columbia since November 18, 2022. It is chaired by the 37th premier of British Columbia, David Eby. The Cabinet is made up ...
.
Electoral record
Provincial elections
Federal elections
References
External links
Murray Rankin MP page
Parliament of Canada MP page
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rankin, Murray
1950 births
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia
Lawyers in British Columbia
Living people
New Democratic Party MPs
Politicians from Belleville, Ontario
Politicians from Victoria, British Columbia
Harvard Law School alumni
Canadian King's Counsel
Osgoode Hall Law School alumni
Queen's University at Kingston alumni
McGill University alumni
Université de Montréal alumni
University of Victoria faculty
Canadian environmental lawyers
21st-century Canadian politicians
British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs