Steven Fletcher (politician)

Steven Fletcher
Minister of State (Transport)
In office
May 18, 2011 – July 14, 2013
Prime MinisterStephen Harper
Preceded byRob Merrifield
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Minister of State (Democratic Reform)
In office
October 30, 2008 – May 18, 2011
Prime MinisterStephen Harper
Preceded byPeter Van Loan
Succeeded byTim Uppal
Leader of the Manitoba Party
Assumed office
September 11, 2018[1] – 2019
Preceded byGary Marshall[2]
Succeeded byDavid Sutherland[3]
Parliamentary constituencies
Member of the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
for Assiniboia
In office
April 19, 2016 – September 10, 2019
Preceded byJim Rondeau
Succeeded byScott Johnston
Member of Parliament
for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia
(Charleswood—St. James; 2004–2006)
In office
June 28, 2004 – October 19, 2015
Preceded byJohn Harvard
Succeeded byDoug Eyolfson
Personal details
Born
Steven John Fletcher

(1972-06-17) June 17, 1972 (age 52)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Political partyManitoba Party (2018–2019)
Other political
affiliations
Provincial:
Independent (2017–2018)
Progressive Conservative (2001–2017)
Federal:
People's (2019–2019)
Conservative (2003–2018)
Canadian Alliance (2001–2003)
Residence(s)Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Profession
  • Engineer
  • manager

Steven John Fletcher PC (born June 17, 1972) is a former Canadian politician. He served in senior roles in the Conservative Party of Canada in opposition and in government, including 5 years as a Federal Cabinet Minister. After four terms as a Member of Parliament, he served a term as a member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly for one term.

Fletcher served in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2015, representing the riding of Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia as a member of the Conservative Party. In 2004, the then leader of the opposition Stephen Harper appointed Fletcher to the shadow cabinet as health critic. After forming government, Fletcher was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Health in 2006. He was appointed to cabinet in 2008. He served on numerous cabinet committees. He was the Minister for Democratic Reform and then after the 2011 election, was appointed to Minister of State (Transport). He was the first quadriplegic and wheelchair user to serve in the House of Commons, as well as in Cabinet. Fletcher was appointed as Minister of State (Democratic Reform) on October 30, 2008. After the Conservative Party victory on May 2, 2011, Fletcher was appointed as Minister of State (Transport).

Fletcher received the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal on December 17, 2002, for his contributions to society and advocacy work.[4] He received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.[5]

Fletcher was the leader of the Manitoba Party and an MLA in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.

In an effort to increase the number of women in cabinet,[6] Fletcher was left out of cabinet in the July 15, 2013 Cabinet shuffle by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Although not officially in Cabinet, he continued to sit on the treasury board cabinet committee.[7] Fletcher was defeated in the federal election of 2015, but was elected six months later to the riding of Assiniboia in Manitoba's 2016 provincial election.

Fletcher resigned his membership in the Federal Conservative party in October 2018, and his party membership in the Provincial Progressive Conservative Party in June of the same year, exactly one year after leaving the Provincial Caucus.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference GlobeandMail was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Lambert, Steve (14 December 2018). "Two Manitoba Party activists want judge to oust Steven Fletcher as leader". CTV News Winnipeg. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Political Parties". Internet Archive - Elections Manitoba. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  4. ^ What Do You Do If You Don't Die? The Steven Fletcher Story, By Linda MacIntosh Heartland Publishing Winnipeg 2008
  5. ^ Master of My Fate, By Linda MacIntosh with Steven Fletcher Heartland Publishing Winnipeg 2015
  6. ^ Winnipeg Free Press July 16, 2013 Dan Lett CBC online article by Rosemary Bartom July 18, 2013
  7. ^ PMO website under Ministries and Cabinet committees