Kevin O'Brien (Nunavut Politician)
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Kevin J. O'Brien (born October 26, 1955) is a
Canadian Canadians () 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 their being ''C ...
politician. Born in
Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, O'Brien is a union negotiator, former civil servant and a former municipal and territorial level politician who has served as a Member of both the Northwest Territories Legislature and the Nunavut Legislature. He served as
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the Provinces and territories of Canada, territorial legislature in Nunavut, Canada. Since 1999 the position has been elected by Members of the Legi ...
from 2000 to 2004.


Biography

O'Brien was first elected to the Northwest Territories Legislature in the
1995 Northwest Territories general election 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
. He defeated incumbent MLA Silas Arngna'naaq to win the Kivallivik electoral district. He served a single term in the Legislature before
Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...
and
Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...
were split and his electoral district was abolished. O'Brien ran for a seat in the first Nunavut general election held in 1999. He won the
Arviat Arviat (, Inuktitut syllabics, syllabics: ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ; formerly called Eskimo Point until 1 June 1989) is a predominantly Inuit Hamlet (place)#Canada, hamlet located on the western shore of Hudson Bay in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada ...
electoral district and became its first member. O'Brien was elected Speaker of the House in 2000 and held it until his defeat in the
2004 Nunavut general election The 2004 Nunavut general election was held on February 16, 2004, to elect the 19 members of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. Premier Paul Okalik asked for the five-year-old territory's first parliament to be dissolved on January 16. Th ...
. He was defeated by
David Alagalak David Alagalak (born 11 April 1944 on Southampton Island, Nunavut) is a Canadian politician, who was the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the electoral district of Arviat in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut from 2004 to 2008. Pri ...
in a hotly contested race finishing a distant fourth. During the 2004 election, O'Brien was fined for possession of alcohol in
Arviat Arviat (, Inuktitut syllabics, syllabics: ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ; formerly called Eskimo Point until 1 June 1989) is a predominantly Inuit Hamlet (place)#Canada, hamlet located on the western shore of Hudson Bay in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada ...
,
Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...
, a dry community. The fine was publicized after the election. In 2011, O'Brien sought the
Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...
nomination for North Vancouver, but lost to Taleeb Noormohamed."Liberals Choose North Vancouver Nominee"
. ''North Shore News'', March 9, 2011.


References


External links


Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly Hansard Guest Introductions April 21, 2001
1956 births 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut Living people People from Arviat People from Glace Bay Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut Dalhousie University alumni University of North Texas alumni {{Nunavut-politician-stub