James Moore (Canadian politician)
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James Moore (born June 10, 1976) 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 ...
politician who formerly served as the
Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government. The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
in the
cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...
of
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Stephen Harper. Moore was the
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
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 o ...
from 2000 to 2015, representing
Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
(2000-2004) and then
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2015. Demographics Consisting of the following parts of the Greater Vanco ...
(2004-2015). He also served as Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and as the Secretary of State for Official Languages, Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics before becoming Industry Minister. Prior to entering cabinet, he was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and to the Minister for the Pacific Gateway & 2010 Olympics. Moore did not run in the 2015 federal election, and in November 2015, it was announced that he would be the 6th Chancellor of the
University of Northern British Columbia The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is a small, research-intensive public university in British Columbia, Canada. The main campus is located in Prince George, with additional campuses located in Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and ...
, starting May 2016.


Background

Moore was born in
New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capi ...
,
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, ...
on June 10, 1976 and was raised in the city of
Coquitlam Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the sixth-largest city in the province, with a population of 148,625 in 2021, and one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. ...
. Following his graduation from Centennial Sr. Secondary, he pursued studies in economics and business administration at
Douglas College Douglas College is the largest public degree-granting college institution in British Columbia, Canada. Close to 17,000 credit students, 8,500 continuing education students and 4,210 international students are enrolled here. Douglas College of ...
. In 1996, he started working as a broadcaster at CKST AM1040 in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. In 1997, he moved to Ottawa to work as the Communications Advisor for the Official Opposition, which at that time was the
Reform Party of Canada The Reform Party of Canada (french: Parti réformiste du Canada) was a right-wing populist and conservative federal political party in Canada that existed under that name from 1987 to 2000. Reform was founded as a Western Canada-based protest ...
. In 1998, Moore returned to broadcasting in Vancouver before moving to Prince George to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
at the
University of Northern British Columbia The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is a small, research-intensive public university in British Columbia, Canada. The main campus is located in Prince George, with additional campuses located in Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and ...
. While in Prince George he continued in broadcasting by guest hosting at 550 CKPG and launching his own talk show entitled "’Behind the Headlines’ with James Moore." In 2011, Moore earned his Master of Arts degree in Political Studies from the
University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
.


Political career


Opposition member

In the 2000 federal election Moore was the
Canadian Alliance The Canadian Alliance (french: Alliance canadienne), formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (french: Alliance réformiste-conservatrice canadienne), was a centre-right to right-wing federal political party in Canada that existed ...
candidate in the federal riding of
Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
. At the age of 24 Moore defeated
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...
incumbent Lou Sekora by a 20 percentage point margin. With his election win Moore became the youngest member of Parliament ever elected in the province of British Columbia. As a member of the Official Opposition Moore served as Deputy Foreign Affairs Critic and Deputy National Revenue Critic, and was later promoted to serve as the Senior Transport Critic and Vice-Chair of the Commons Transport Committee. In 2003, the Canadian Alliance merged with 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 ...
to form the Conservative Party of Canada. In the 2004 federal election Moore was re-elected in the new riding of
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2015. Demographics Consisting of the following parts of the Greater Vanco ...
, winning 41% of the popular the vote. Following his re-election he served as the Official Opposition Transportation Critic, as well as Amateur Sport Critic. In 2004, Moore was one of the few members of his caucus to vote in favour of
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
. After taking a long time to study the issue he stated "In short, I believe in equality under the law for all Canadians for civil marriages, which in a perfect world would be termed civil unions".


Government member

In the 2006 federal election the Conservative Party won a minority government and Moore was re-elected in his riding over former
Coquitlam Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the sixth-largest city in the province, with a population of 148,625 in 2021, and one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. ...
mayor, Jon Kingsbury. On February 7, 2006, Moore was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
Public Works and Government Services Canada Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC; french: Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada)''Public Services and Procurement Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Public Works ...
and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics. Moore was responsible for answering questions regarding Public Works and Government Services during
Question Period Question Period (french: période des questions), known officially as Oral Questions (french: questions orales) occurs each sitting day in the House of Commons of Canada, in which members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers (i ...
due to the minister,
Michael Fortier Michael M. Fortier, (born January 10, 1962) is a Canadian financier, lawyer and former politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Minister of Public Works and Government Services from 2006 to 2008, and Minister of Internati ...
, being a senator as opposed to a member of Parliament. On June 25, 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Moore as the Secretary of State for the
2010 Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
, the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Official Languages. With his appointment he became the youngest Cabinet Minister in British Columbia's history and the fourth youngest Cabinet Minister in Canadian history. Less than three months later Harper called an election for October 14, 2008. Moore was easily re-elected in the 2008 federal election and the Conservative Party won their second minority government.


Minister of Canadian Heritage

On October 30, 2008, Moore was appointed Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. Moore's appointment came after Harper had sparked controversy during the recent election campaign when he made comments that "ordinary people" didn't care about arts funding. The comments were negatively received, particularly in Quebec, and it is thought to have contributed to the Conservatives not winning a majority government. In the 2011 federal election Moore was once again re-elected in his riding and the Conservative Party won their first majority government. It was speculated that Moore could be promoted to a higher profile ministry when Harper shuffled his cabinet, however he remained Minister of Heritage when the new cabinet was sworn in. The resignation and defeat of several ministers did lead to his appointment as the senior regional Minister from British Columbia, he became the youngest person to ever hold the post. Moore was seen as one of the most influential members within his caucus, and with Prime Minister Harper. Though Harper did not appoint a Deputy Prime Minister,
Jason Kenney Jason Thomas Kenney (born May 30, 1968) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 18th premier of Alberta from 2019 until 2022 and the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) from 2017 until 2022. He also served as the member of ...
was seen by many as the de facto Deputy Prime Minister. Maclean's columnist Paul Wells wrote in 2011 that Moore, whose views contrast with the more
socially conservative Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institution ...
Kenney, was a near-equal to Kenney within cabinet. Moore's portfolio was an important one to Quebeckers and, with only four Conservative members of Parliament in the province, Moore became a central figure in the province for the party, despite hailing from British Columbia.


CBC

As Minister of Canadian Heritage Moore was nominally responsible for the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
(CBC), a Crown corporation. On November 19, 2008, Moore warned CBC executives to rein in their spending practises after it was revealed that CBC's executive vice-president for French services, racked up more than $80,000 in 2006 on expenses such as theatre tickets, hotels, and catering. The information was revealed the same week that other Canadian broadcasters were announcing hiring freezes and layoffs. The President of CBC announced on November 21, 2008 that the corporation would be cutting spending and reviewing its major projects. Moore has been a defender of the CBC and has spoken about its importance as a key cultural institution. This despite calls from some within the Conservative Party to stop funding or sell the CBC. Downsizing and decentralizing of the broadcaster is a goal for Moore and the Conservative government. In December 2011, he stated that under his leadership staffing at the CBC had decreased by about 25%.


Interim Minister of Aboriginal Affairs

On February 15, 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Moore as acting Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development after the sudden resignation of
John Duncan John Duncan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Duncan (painter) (1866–1945), Scottish painter * John Duncan (artist) (born 1953), American artist and musician * Big John Duncan (born 1958), Scottish punk musician * John Duncan (harpist) ...
. Duncan resigned after improperly advocating to a tax court on behalf of a constituent in June 2011. Moore remained interim minister until Bernard Valcourt was appointed on February 22, 2013.


Minister of Industry

On July 15, 2013, Moore was appointed
Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government. The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
. As Minister of Industry, Moore Chaired the Cabinet Committee on Economic prosperity, which was responsible for considering all economic proposals.


Internal Free Trade

in 2014 Moore made a major effort to open Canada's internal markets to greater free trade. Tabling a report entitled "One Canada, One National Economy," he outlined options for improving Canada's existing Agreement on Internal Trade or starting anew with default open market access across Canada for domestic goods and service


Digital Policy

While serving as Minister, Moore successfully passed Bill S-4, also known as the "Digital Privacy Act," a sweeping set of changes to modernize Canada's online privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). He also implemented a series of spectrum auctions (700 MHz, 2500 MHz and AWS-3) to put as much spectrum into the market for use by wireless providers to create competition. He also established the "Connecting Canadians" program to bring internet connectivity to rural and remote communities, as well as the modernized "Computers for Schools" program for those without access to computers. He also implemented a new cell tower sharing policy to encourage competition and mandatory community consultations on cell tower placement and construction.


Space Policy

As Minister, Moore developed and implemented a new space policy framework for Canada, including funding and full participation in the James Webb Space Telescope, the international 30 Metre Telescope, renewed membership in the European Space Agency, and a commitment to the International Space Station through 2024 with funding for 2 Canadian astronauts to complete missions to space. On December 15, 2013 while commenting on a report that B.C. had the worst rate of child poverty in Canada, Moore said, "Is it my job to feed my neighbour's child? I don't think so" to Vancouver radio station
News1130 CKWX (1130 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Rogers Sports & Media, it broadcasts an news/ talk radio format branded as ''CityNews 1130''. CKWX's studios and offices are located at 2440 Ash S ...
reporter Sara Norman. His comments were criticized as "dismissive" and Scrooge-like, especially given the Christmas season. Initially the minister denied making any such statement in a series of tweets. On December 16, Moore issued a written apology on his website.


Out of politics

On June 19, 2015, Moore announced he was not running as a candidate in the 2015 federal election. In November 2015, it was announced that Moore had been chosen to be the next chancellor of the
University of Northern British Columbia The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is a small, research-intensive public university in British Columbia, Canada. The main campus is located in Prince George, with additional campuses located in Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and ...
, his alma mater, starting a three-year term in May 2016. He also works at the global law firm Dentons as a senior business advisor, and a policy advisor at the global firm Edelman. In September 2016, it was announced that Moore joined the national board of the
Canadian Cancer Society The Canadian Cancer Society (french: Société canadienne du cancer) is Canada's largest national cancer charity and the largest national charitable funder of cancer research in Canada. History The idea to form the Canadian Cancer Society origin ...
as vice chair.


Election results


References


External links


James Moore
official site *
James Moore
at PoliTwitter


Table of offices held

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, James 1976 births Canadian Alliance MPs Conservative Party of Canada MPs Living people Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada People from Coquitlam People from New Westminster People from Port Moody University of Northern British Columbia alumni University of Saskatchewan alumni Members of the 28th Canadian Ministry