Tom Christensen (born 1966) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, representing the electoral district of

Okanagan-Vernon Vernon-Lumby (previously Okanagan-Vernon from 1991 to 2009 and Vernon-Monashee from 2009 to 2024) is a provinces and territories of Canada, provincial electoral district (Canada), electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbi ...

from 2001 to 2009. A caucus member of the

British Columbia Liberal Party BC United (BCU), known from 1903 until 2023 as the British Columbia Liberal Party or BC Liberals, is a provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party has been described as conservative, neoliberal, and occupying a centre-right ...

, he served in several cabinet posts under

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

Gordon Campbell Gordon Campbell may refer to: * Gordon Campbell (cricketer) (1885–1961), Australian cricketer * Gordon Campbell (Royal Navy officer) (1886–1953), British admiral, recipient of the Victoria Cross and British politician * Gordon Peter Campbell ...

Biography

Born in

Vernon, British Columbia Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the British Columbia Interior, Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly, MLA of British ...

, he attended the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...

, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in geography and environmental studies in 1990, and a law degree in 1994. He was called to the British Columbia bar in 1995 and practised at Davidson & Company, becoming partner in 1999. He ran as a candidate for the

in the 2001 provincial election, and was elected

Member of the Legislative Assembly A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected to sit in a legislative assembly. The term most commonly refers to members of the legislature of a federated state or an autonomous region, but is also used for several nation ...

for

. He was appointed to the cabinet in January 2004 to serve as Minister of Education. After being returned in the

2005 election The following elections occurred in the year 2005. * 2005 United Nations Security Council election Africa * 2005 Burkinabé presidential election * 2005 Burundian Senate election * 2005 Burundian communal elections * 2005 Burundian constitutio ...

with a margin of 2,571 votes, he was named Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. He was subsequently re-assigned as Minister of Children and Family Development in August 2006 as part of a cabinet shuffle. He did not seek re-election in

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

References

External links

Ministry of Children and Family Development web site
1966 births BC United MLAs Canadian people of Danish descent Ministers of education of British Columbia Lawyers in British Columbia Living people Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia People from Vernon, British Columbia University of Victoria alumni 20th-century Canadian lawyers 21st-century Canadian lawyers 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia {{BCUnited-BritishColumbia-MLA-stub