Rosemary Vodrey is a Canadian former politician in

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

, Canada. She was a Progressive Conservative 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 gener ...

from 1990 to 1999, and was a senior

cabinet minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, � ...

of the 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 ...

Early life and career

Vodrey was born Rosemary Webster, the daughter of senior

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Jack Webster. She studied

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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 ...

before moving to

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 749,6 ...

with her partner. Vodrey later became a school psychologist, and lectured in

Home Economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...

at the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.1988 provincial election in the central

division of

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. She finished third, behind

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candidate

Reg Alcock Reginald B. Alcock, (April 16, 1948 – October 14, 2011) was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South in the House of Commons of Canada from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister ...

and incumbent

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Muriel Smith Muriel Smith may refer to: * Muriel Smith (politician) * Muriel Smith (singer) Muriel Burrell Smith (February 23, 1923 – September 13, 1985) was an American singer. In the 1940s and 1950s, she was a star of musical theater and opera, and w ...

Member of the Legislative Assembly

Vodrey ran for the legislature a second time in the 1990 provincial election, and defeated incumbent Liberal Laurie Evans in the

Fort Garry Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company's ...

division in south-central Winnipeg. The Progressive Conservatives won a

majority government A majority government is a government by one or more governing parties that hold an absolute majority of seats in a legislature. This is as opposed to a minority government, where the largest party in a legislature only has a plurality of seats. ...

, and Vodrey entered the legislature as a government

backbencher In Westminster and other parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a member of parliament (MP) or a legislator who occupies no governmental office and is not a frontbench spokesperson in the Opposition, being instead simply a member of the " ...

. She faced a credible challenge from Liberal Jim Woodman in the 1995 provincial election, but was re-elected as the Filmon government won a second majority across the province.

Cabinet minister

Minister of Education and Training

Vodrey was appointed to Gary Filmon's cabinet on January 14, 1992, replacing

Len Derkach Leonard "Len" Derkach (born January 21, 1945) is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon, and was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 1986 to 2011. The son of Nicholas Derkach a ...

as Minister of Education and Training. Some criticized Filmon's choice, arguing that Vodrey's decision to send her own children to private school made her an inappropriate choice to oversee the public system. ;Court decisions There were two important court decisions relating to education during Vodrey's tenure as Education Minister. In August 1992, a provincial judge determined that a section of the Manitoba Public Schools Act requiring mandatory

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

prayer in the classroom was unconstitutional. Manitoba was the last Canadian province to require prayer in public schools, and Vodrey did not challenge the decision. In March 1993, 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 ...

issued a unanimous decision requiring Manitoba to give exclusive control over French-language education to the province's francophone community. Vodrey welcomed this decision, saying that her government was already proceeding with legislation and promising that a new francophone school division would be in place by September. Manitoba's francophones generally supported the framework plan that was introduced two months later. ;Budget cuts The Filmon government introduced austerity measures on education in 1993, including a $16 million cut to public education funding and a 2% cap on school tax increases. Many parents opposed the cuts, while trustees criticized the cap as an encroachment on the autonomy of their boards. Vodrey later rejected a request from the

Manitoba Association of School Trustees The Manitoba School Boards Association (formerly known as the Manitoba Association of School Trustees) is a voluntary organization of public school boards in Manitoba, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and th ...

(MAST) to introduce wage freezes that would absorb some of the resulting financial burden, though she did agree to a separate proposal that allowed boards not to pay their staff for as many as eight professional development days. Manitoba's universities were also affected by the austerity drive, with officials at the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.New Careers New Careers is a former education and training program in Manitoba, Canada. It was established in 1971 by the provincial government of Edward Schreyer. The program claimed a 92-93% job success rate during the 1990s, the highest in the country. Fo ...

program, and a 75% surcharge on tuition fees for international students. She argued that the cuts were necessary as part of her government's response to a debt crisis. Some in the media speculated that

Finance Minister A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

Clayton Manness Clayton Sidney Manness (born January 23, 1947) is a Manitoba politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1995. In 1983, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of M ...

, rather than Vodrey, was the primary instigator of this policy. ;Other initiatives Vodrey unveiled a task force report on Manitoba education in April 1993, highlighted by recommendations that the province assume all costs for special-needs children and that parents be given a greater role in education.

John Plohman John Stuart Hans Plohman (born May 11, 1948) is a former politician from Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1995, and a cabinet minister in the NDP government of Premier Howard Pawley from 198 ...

, education critic for the opposition New Democratic Party, welcomed the report but expressed concern that many of its recommendations would never be implemented by the Filmon government. In July 1993, Vodrey established a provincial commission to review Manitoba's school division boundaries. The five-person commission was headed by former Winnipeg Mayor

Bill Norrie William Norrie (January 21, 1929 – July 6, 2012) was the 39th Mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and was a onetime Chancellor of the University of Manitoba. Norrie was also involved in various charities, and once chaired the United Way of Winnipeg's ...

, and was given 16 months to conduct its research. Some critics expressed concern that the commission's work would lead to fewer and larger divisions. Vodrey favoured greater cooperation with the federal government to establish national goals and standards for education. ;Assessments In a June 1993 editorial, ''

Winnipeg Free Press The ''Winnipeg Free Press'' (or WFP; founded as the ''Manitoba Free Press'') is a daily (excluding Sunday) broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It provides coverage of local, provincial, national, and international news, as well as ...

'' columnist

Jim Carr James Gordon Carr (October 11, 1951 – December 12, 2022) was a Canadian politician, cabinet minister, journalist, and professional oboist. A member of the Liberal Party, he served as the member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre from 20 ...

described Vodrey as "perhaps the biggest disappointment" in the Filmon cabinet. He characterized her treatment of school boards as "cavalier", and wrote that she had demonstrated little interest in improving the public school system. He later described her as "little more than a messenger of bad news" to school divisions and universities, while also writing that her skills might be better suited to a "less sensitive portfolio". In 1995, the ''Winnipeg Free Press'' reported that the Filmon government had quietly shifted funds away from public and post-secondary education and into private training programs and private schools between 1988 and 1993.

Minister of Justice

Vodrey was promoted to Minister of Justice and Attorney General on September 10, 1993, with additional ministerial responsibility for Constitutional Affairs and the Status of Women. She was retained in these positions after the 1995 provincial election. ;Criminal justice Vodrey's first major decision as Justice Minister was to call an emergency summit of police, educators and community groups, following the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy in

. The summit took place in December, and featured diverse opinions on the effectiveness of Canada'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 ...

. Two months after the summit, Vodrey brought forward a crime reform package that included wilderness boot camps for

young offender A young offender is a young person who has been convicted or cautioned for a criminal offense. Criminal justice systems often deal with young offenders differently from adult offenders, but different countries apply the term "young offender" ...

s, increased police surveillance of gangs, violence prevention workshops, a school violence coordinator, and a youth gang and violence phone line that would both receive confidential information and provide counseling services. Vodrey's proposal for boot camps was very controversial.

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 ...

Justice critic

Gord Mackintosh Gordon Henry Alexander Mackintosh (born July 7, 1955) is a former Canadian politician who represented the riding of St. Johns in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1993 to 2016. He served as a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Part ...

described it as "a simplistic, sensational way of pandering to vengeance", while some

social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

s argued the camps would actually reinforce criminal behaviour. Aboriginal leaders also expressed concern that these camps could have the same negative effect on native children as did the residential school system, and criticized Vodrey for not seeking input from indigenous groups. Others argued that Vodrey's proposal had merit, and deserved to be given a trial run. In response to criticism, Vodrey promised that the camps would be humane and non-abusive, unlike the harsh, military-style youth camps that had been introduced previously in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Vodrey formally opened two camps in September 1994, though opposition critics suggested that her department had simply made minor adjustments to existing youth correction services. Vodrey also introduced legislation to make parents financially liable for the property offenses of their children. Critics questioned the effectiveness of this measure, noting that many of the affected families would already be low-income. The measure was passed by Vodrey's successor,

Vic Toews Victor Toews (; born September 10, 1952) is a Paraguayan-Canadian politician and jurist. Toews is a judge of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba. He represented Provencher in the House of Commons of Canada from 2000 until his resignation on Ju ...

, in 1997. Vodrey's plan to take driver's licenses from young offenders was less controversial, and won the support of the NDP opposition. She later brought forward legislation compelling parents who refuse to pay child support to lose their licenses, joint holdings, and pension credits. The legislation was passed in 1995. Later in the year, Manitoba's acting

ombudsman An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...

reported that most of its reforms had not yet been implemented, and that no significant change had taken place in the child support system. In early 1996, Vodrey introduced significant fine increases for offenses such as speeding and under-age drinking. In February 1995, Vodrey introduced a policy that allowed law enforcement agencies to publicize the names of high-risk sex offenders being released from prisons into Manitoba communities. This was believed to be the first such policy in Canada, and some expressed concern that it could provoke

vigilantism Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...

. Vodrey also announced changes to the province's prisons in early 1995, including a ban on television during the day, fewer telephone calls, reduced visit time, and a stricter work regimen. In December 1995, Vodrey launched a provincial task force to make

civil courts - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...

more responsible, accessible and efficient. Critics noted that the

Manitoba Bar Association The Manitoba Bar Association (MBA) is an organization of members of the legal profession in Manitoba, Canada. It is a non-profit professional association, and is a branch of the Canadian Bar Association. As of 2021, the MBA represents approximatel ...

had already set up a similar task force, which included a member appointed by Vodrey's department. ;Relations with the federal government As provincial Justice Minister, Vodrey often encouraged the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

to toughen provisions of the

. In 1994, she proposed that the government publicize the names of young offenders when doing so would increase public safety, lower the age of criminal responsibility below 12 for repeat and "heinous" offenders, and make parents financially liable for the property offenses of their children. The government of

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

supported Vodrey's approach, while

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 ...

and

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

favoured more cautious reforms. In early 1995, federal

Justice Minister A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

Allan Rock Allan Michael Rock (born August 30, 1947) is a Canadian lawyer, former politician, diplomat and university administrator. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations (2004–2006) and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien ...

announced that he would accept Vodrey's proposal to name offenders, but would not lower the age of criminal responsibility or make parents liable. Vodrey suggested several changes to Canada's anti-stalking laws in early 1995, including a reverse-onus bail clause for alleged stalkers, a provision that stalkers who kill their victims be deemed automatically guilty of

first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

, and a requirement that persons convicted of stalking submit their weapons and licenses to authorities. Rock's reform package, announced in late 1995, included Vodrey's recommendation for mandatory first-degree murder charges. Vodrey later supported Rock's effort to increase penalties for violent and sexual offenders. Vodrey opposed the creation of the

Canadian gun registry , logo = , logo_width = , logo_caption = , preceding1 = , parent_agency = Canadian Firearms Program , formed = 1993 , jurisdiction = Registration of prohibited and restricted firearms , headquarte ...

, and refused to administer the program in Manitoba. ;Judiciary In December 1993, opposition parties and aboriginal groups called for an independent inquiry into complaints about controversial provincial judge Bruce McDonald. McDonald had been suspended from the bench in May 1993 after the ''Winnipeg Free Press'' ran a series of investigative articles into his handling of family law cases, drawing particular attention to prejudiced statements he had made about women and

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. He later resigned from the bench just as a judicial review into his conduct was scheduled to begin. Vodrey argued that McDonald's resignation obviated the need for a public review, and said that further concerns could be raised during a planned overhaul of the judicial council the following year. In December 1994, Vodrey announced that future judicial reviews could be permitted to continue even if the judges in question decide to resign. The Filmon government imposed ten unpaid Fridays per year on provincial judges as a cost-cutting measure in the early 1990s. Several judges criticized this decision, arguing that it created an unacceptable backlog in the system. In July 1994, the Manitoba Provincial Judges Association filed legal papers alleging that the government had threatened to withhold a pay raise if the judges proceeded with a planned lawsuit over the matter. Vodrey declined to comment, but opposition parties accused the government of treating judges like civil servants. Vodrey appointed Judith Webster as Chief Justice of the

Provincial Court of Manitoba The Provincial Court of Manitoba (french: Cour provinciale du Manitoba) is the lower trial court of the Province of Manitoba. It has mainly a criminal jurisdiction, as well as limited concurrent jurisdiction with the Court of King's Bench in ma ...

in December 1993. Webster was the first woman to hold this position. ;Other In February 1994, the federal and provincial governments joined with indigenous groups to establish a new funding formula for police services in aboriginal communities. In supporting the pact, Vodrey said that it would allow aboriginal input into the allocation of funds. Critics noted that it did not provide for the immediate restoration of native-run police agencies, most notably the

Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council The Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council (DOTC) is a Tribal Council of First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada. Its mission statement indicates that the council's purpose is to "facilitate in the transfer of local control and responsibility of progr ...

(DOTC) force that had been dismantled the previous year. Later in the year, Vodrey signed an interim agreement to provide for the DOTC force's return. Vodrey announced a provincial gun amnesty program in May 1994, in which Manitobans were encouraged to turn in illegal firearms without fear of arrest. The project yielded 500 weapons, including explosives and three

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...

s. Later in the same year, Vodrey granted the

Brandon Brandon may refer to: Names and people *Brandon (given name), a male given name *Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins Places Australia *Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales *Brandon, Q ...

police force permission to carry semi-automatic handguns. On October 23, 1995, Vodrey gave Winnipeg Mayor Susan Thompson $2 million to hire forty new police officers for the city. Some skeptics noted that this event took place two days before the 1995 municipal election, in which Thompson was facing a difficult challenge from two rival candidates. Vodrey denied there was any attempt to influence the outcome of the vote. Vodrey commissioned a civil justice review task force in early 1996, to review the province's handling of divorce and child-custody cases and to prevent damage being done to spouses, children and families. ;Headingley Jail Riot A serious riot broke out at Manitoba's

Headingley Correctional Institution The Headingley Correctional Centre (formerly Headingley Correctional Institution and Headingley Gaol) is a provincial prison in the Rural Municipality of Headingley, Manitoba. Administered by Manitoba Corrections, it has minimum, medium, and ma ...

on April 25, 1996. Eight guards and about forty prisoners were injured, some seriously, as a group of inmates ransacked parts of the jail for the better part of a day. By the end of the riot, the prison had no heat or electricity and the actual building was largely destroyed. Several guards later complained that staff cutbacks and unsafe working conditions were ongoing concerns in the period leading up to the violence. Vodrey announced an independent review into the riot, but rejected requests for a full-scale public inquiry. Prison guards across the province subsequently went on a three-day strike, seeking both an inquiry and the resignation of several officials responsible for overseeing the prison, including Vodrey. The opposition New Democratic Party also criticized Vodrey's response to the crisis, arguing that she was not forthcoming about the number of prisoners released from other prisons to alleviate overcrowding when inmates were transferred from Headingley. These criticisms were reduced somewhat after Vodrey appointed respected former judge

Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...

to conduct the inquiry. Hughes submitted a report in December 1996 that described Headingley as having been a social powder keg before the riot, with serious problems in both safety and labour relations. He also described Vodrey as "surprisingly" ignorant of these problems in her capacity as minister. Vodrey accepted responsibility, and expressed regret that she did not know of the prevailing circumstances at the prison. ;Assessments Vodrey became known for making high-profile policy announcements during her time in the Justice portfolio, and there was some speculation she would eventually be a candidate to succeed Gary Filmon as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. This speculation ended after the Headingly riot, which did serious damage to her political standing. Some ''Winnipeg Free Press'' journalists noted that street gangs and juvenile crime actually increased during the period of Filmon and Vodrey's hardline approach.

Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship

Vodrey was reassigned as Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship on January 6, 1997. She retained ministerial responsibility for the Status of Women, and was also given responsibility for

Multiculturalism The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for "Pluralism (political theory), ethnic pluralism", with the tw ...

and the Liquor Control Act. In June 1997, Vodrey introduced legislation to change Manitoba's

access to information 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 ...

rules for the provincial and municipal governments and crown corporations. She also brought forward a companion bill for the protection of personal health records, which was intended to allow Manitoba's public health system to be transferred online. Some doctors expressed concern about the latter measure, arguing that patient privacy could not be ensured. The access to information bill was expected to be less controversial, but was nonetheless met with opposition from journalists and others who argued that it would reduce public access to government files, and to electronic files in particular. Vodrey revised the bill in response to this criticism. Vodrey announced several cultural grants in the summer of 1997, including $1.5 million to the Franco-Manitoban Heritage Centre and $400,000 to the Portage Community Centre Inc. In June 1998, she appointed a Ministerial Millennium Advisory Committee to advise on the best ways of celebrating the

millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

. Vodrey changed the governance structure of Manitoba Film and Sound in late 1998, establishing a nine-member board appointed by the provincial government. One of her final acts in office was to oversee a financial bailout of the

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Its primary concert venue is the Centennial Concert Hall, and the orchestra also performs throughout the province of Manitoba. The WSO presents an average ...

. Vodrey also oversaw Manitoba's immigration policy during her time as Minister of Culture. In 1998, the province received a $7 million funding increase for immigration from the federal government, and was given a direct role in recruitment strategies. In early 1998, Vodrey and three other politicians were awarded robes of honour from Winnipeg's

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

community.

Minister responsible for the Status of Women

In 1995, Vodrey introduced a $50,000 scholarship program for women entering high-technology fields at Manitoba

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

s. Female enrollment in these programs was very low at the time. In the same year, she was an official observer at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Fourth World Conference on Women The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace was the name given for a conference convened by the United Nations during 4–15 September 1995 in Beijing, China. At this conference, governments from around the ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

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. She announced an anti-stalking initiative in 1996, allowing Manitobans to remove their names from provincial land title documents as a means of keeping their addresses confidential. In 1996, journalist Lindor Reynolds wrote that Vodrey had a mixed record of effectiveness on women's issues. Reynolds noted that Manitoba's domestic abuse committee, started by former Justice Minister Jim McCrae, was shut down after Vodrey became Justice Minister in 1993. However, she commended Vodrey for releasing a 50-page guide entitled "Stop The Violence" that was used by women's shelters, crisis workers, doctor's offices and counselors.

Minister responsible for the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission

Vodrey introduced a review of the province's four existing private wine stores in May 1997. The following year, she announced that the Filmon government would begin licensing private sales throughout the province.

Jim Maloway Peter James Maloway (born November 10, 1952) is a Canadians, Canadian politician, who has served as a member of both the House of Commons of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. He originally served in the Legislative Assembly of Man ...

of the New Democratic Party described this as "privatization by stealth", and expressed concern that the province would eventually privatize the Liquor Control Commission.

Federal politics

Vodrey was co-chair of

Kim Campbell Avril Phaedra Douglas "Kim" Campbell (born March 10, 1947) is a Canadian politician, diplomat, lawyer, and writer who served as the 19th prime minister of Canada from June 25 to November 4, 1993. Campbell is the first and so far only female p ...

's Manitoba campaign in 1993, during her ultimately successful bid to succeed

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...

as leader of the

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC; french: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) was a centre-right federal political party in Canada that existed from 1942 to 2003. From Canadian Confederation in 1867 until 1942, the ...

Out of politics

Vodrey announced in March 1999 that she would not be a candidate in the next provincial election. She formally resigned from cabinet with the rest of the Filmon ministry on October 5, 1999, following the appointment of an NDP government that formalized the result of the election. She supported Stuart Murray's successful bid to succeed Gary Filmon as Progressive Conservative leader in 2000, and later endorsed

Hugh McFadyen Hugh Daniel McFadyen (born 31 May 1967) is a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, Canada. From 2006 to 2012, he was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, and Leader of the Opposition in the Manitoba legislature. Followin ...

's successful campaign to succeed Murray in 2006. She supported

Sam Katz Samuel Michael Katz (born August 20, 1951) is a Canadian businessman and former politician who was the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 2004 to 2014. He is the owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes and a member of the Order of Manitoba. He wa ...

's campaign for re-election as

Mayor of Winnipeg The mayor of Winnipeg is a member of Winnipeg City Council, but does not represent a ward. The position of mayor was created in 1873 following the incorporation of Winnipeg. Since 1998, the term of office has been for four years. The 44th and cu ...

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

. Vodrey was appointed to a two-year term on the Board of Directors of the

Royal Winnipeg Ballet The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is Canada's oldest ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America. History It was founded in 1939 as the "Winnipeg Ballet Club" by Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally (who also fou ...

in 2002, and was re-appointed in 2004, 2006 and 2008. She has also served on the board of the

Misericordia Health Centre Misericordia Health Centre was founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada by the Misericordia Sisters in 1898. Today, ownership of the hospital is the responsibility of the Misericordia Corporation within the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. The funding for ...

(MHC) Foundation. In 2003, Vodrey took part in a seminar entitled "Election Readiness for Women". She was appointed as the Manitoba-

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

representative on the

Canada Council for the Arts The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal in ...

in April 2009."Vodrey leaves RWB for Canada Council", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 6 May 2009, D2.

Electoral record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vodrey, Rosemary Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs Women MLAs in Manitoba Members of the Executive Council of Manitoba Women government ministers of Canada