Lawrence O'Brien | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Labrador | |
| In office March 26, 1996 – December 16, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Rompkey |
| Succeeded by | Todd Russell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 31, 1951 L'Anse-au-Loup, Newfoundland |
| Died | December 16, 2004 (aged 53) St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Profession | Teacher |
Lawrence David O'Brien (March 31, 1951 – December 16, 2004) was a Canadian politician. O’Brien represented Labrador in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal from 1996 until his death in 2004.
Born in L'Anse-au-Loup, Newfoundland and Labrador, O’Brien was an adult education instructor, a public servant, a teacher, and from 1985 to 1996, and a town councillor in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans from 1999 to 2001. He was a strong supporter of a 2003 constitutional amendment which officially changed the name of the province of Newfoundland to "Newfoundland and Labrador".
O'Brien was a candidate for the provincial Liberal nomination in the district of Cartwright-L'anse au Clair in 1996. After his loss in that race, he entered, and won, the federal Liberal nomination for the by-election in the riding of Labrador, vacated by the appointment of Bill Rompkey to the Senate. O'Brien was elected in the federal by-election on March 25, 1996,[1][2] and re-elected in the general elections of 1997,[3] 2000,[4] and 2004.[5]
He was diagnosed with cancer in 1998[6] and died on December 16, 2004, in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.[7] On January 31, 2005, the members of the House of Commons paid respects to him and his career.