Myrna Driedger (' ') (born 1952) is a politician in
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Winn ...
, Canada. She is a member of the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (french: Assemblée législative du Manitoba) is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at provincial gen ...
.
Early life
She was born in
Benito, Manitoba
Benito is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of Swan Valley West, Manitoba, Canada.
Prior to 1 January 2015, Benito was designated as a village. The community is situated in the Swan River Valley, southwest of Swan River, ...
, and was educated at Benito Collegiate, at the
Winnipeg General Hospital
Winnipeg General Hospital is a hospital that was founded in 1872 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was built on the estate of Andrew McDermot. The driving force behind the hospital was McDermott's son-in-law Andrew Bannatyne
Andrew Graham Ballenden Banna ...
School of Nursing and at
Red River Community College. Before entering provincial politics, Driedger worked as a nurse for 23 years. She served as CEO of
Child Find Manitoba, and was Co-Chair of the province's
Abuse Prevention Services Adult Advisory Committee. She has also participated in other groups which provide services to poor and vulnerable children. At one stage, she was Manitoba President of the Canadian Association of Neurological and Neurosurgical Nurses. She is married to Helmut Driedger.
Politics
Driedger was elected to the provincial legislature in a 1998 by-election, in the upscale west
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
riding of
Charleswood. A
Progressive Conservative, Driedger defeated
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 ...
candidate Alan McKenzie by 2767 votes to 1524. She was subsequently named legislative assistant to the
Minister of Family Services and the
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
.
The Progressive Conservative government of
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th premier of Manitoba from 1988 to 1999.
Political care ...
was defeated in the
1999 provincial election, although Driedger was re-elected in Charleswood by an increased margin. She was again re-elected in the
2003 election, defeating her leading opponent by over one thousand votes.
Although the governing
New Democratic Party made significant inroads in south-end Winnipeg in 2003, they were unable to do better than a third-place finish in Driedger's riding, due in part to the popularity of
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party (french: Parti libéral du Manitoba) is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th century, following the province's creation in 1870.
Origins and early development (to 1883)
Origina ...
candidate
Rick Ross.
Driedger has participated in a panel seeking input on possible reforms to the province's
Young Offenders Act
The ''Young Offenders Act'' (YOA; french: Loi sur les jeunes contrevenants) (the ''Act'') was an act of the Parliament of Canada, granted Royal Assent in 1982 and proclaimed in force on April 2, 1984, that regulated the criminal prosecution of C ...
, and has also participated in programs for aboriginal children. In 2001, she visited
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
Switzerland on a fact-finding mission concerning the health-care policies of these countries. In 2003, she advocated the establishment of a ''Manitoba Heart Institute'' to reduce waiting list times. She supports
Medicare, but has also called for the introduction of further private health services to the province.
She campaigned for
Conservative Party of Canada candidate
Steven Fletcher in the
federal election of 2004.
She was re-elected in the
2007,
2011,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
and
2019 provincial elections.
References
External links
* http://www.myrnadriedger.com/
Candidacy announcementfor the
2016 Manitoba general election
The 2016 Manitoba general election was held on April 19, 2016 to elect members to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada. The New Democratic Party of Manitoba, led by Greg Selinger, were defeated by the Progressive Conservative Party of Mani ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Driedger, Myrna
1952 births
21st-century Canadian politicians
21st-century Canadian women politicians
Canadian nurses
Women nurses
Canadian people of German descent
Living people
People from Parkland Region, Manitoba
Politicians from Winnipeg
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs
Red River College alumni
Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Women legislative speakers
Women MLAs in Manitoba