Wayne Easter PC (born June 22, 1949) is a former Canadian politician who represented the riding of Malpeque, Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 2021.

Wayne Easter
Member of Parliament
for Malpeque
In office
October 25, 1993 – September 20, 2021
Preceded byCatherine Callbeck
Succeeded byHeath MacDonald
40th Solicitor General of Canada
In office
October 22, 2002 – December 11, 2003
Preceded byLawrence MacAulay
Succeeded byAnne MacEllen
Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance
In office
February 4, 2016 – August 15, 2021
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byJames Rajotte
Succeeded byPeter Fonseca
Personal details
Born (1949-06-22) June 22, 1949 (age 75)
North Wiltshire, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Political partyLiberal
SpouseHelen Easter
ResidenceNorth Wiltshire, Prince Edward Island[1]
Alma materNova Scotia Agricultural
College

Before politics

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Born in North Wiltshire, Prince Edward Island, the son of A. Leith Easter and Hope MacLeod, he was educated at the Charlottetown Rural High School and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. Easter received an honorary doctorate of law from University of Prince Edward Island in 1988 for his work and contribution to agriculture and social activism on a national and international level. He was awarded the Governor General's Canada 125 Medal in 1992 for community service.[2] In 1970, he married Helen Arleighn Laird.[3] Easter operated a dairy, beef and grain farm near North Wiltshire. He is a former president of the National Farmers Union.

Wayne and his wife Helen live in North Wiltshire and have two grown children.[2]

Federal politics

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Easter served as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the House of Commons of Canada, representing the electoral district of Malpeque in the province of Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 2021.

Easter entered federal politics in 1993 when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Malpeque, P.E.I. He was re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2019.

He served in Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Cabinet as Solicitor General of Canada from 2002–2003. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans from 1997–1999, and to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, with a special emphasis on rural development from 2004–2006.

From 2006 to 2014, Easter has served several critic roles. He was the critic for Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Canadian Wheat Board from 2006–2011, International Trade from 2011–2013, and Liberal Party critic for Public Safety from 2013–2015.[4]

Easter held the position of Co-Chair for the Canada- U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Association, and also held the position of Chair for the Government of Canada Legislators Finance Committee.

Electoral record

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2019 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Easter 9,533 41.38 −20.70 $52,375.96
Green Anna Keenan 6,103 26.49 +17.30 $24,970.77
Conservative Stephen Stewart 5,908 25.64 +8.08 $47,940.85
New Democratic Craig Nash 1,495 6.49 −4.68 $2,413.92
Total valid votes/expense limit 23,039 98.77   $87,624.55
Total rejected ballots 288 1.23 +0.78
Turnout 23,327 76.29 −2.56
Eligible voters 30,576
Liberal hold Swing −19.00
Source: Elections Canada[5]
2015 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Easter 13,950 62.08 +19.68 $84,420.76
Conservative Stephen Stewart 3,947 17.56 –21.54 $40,127.00
New Democratic Leah-Jane Hayward 2,509 11.17 –3.46 $6,264.15
Green Lynne Lund 2,066 9.19 +5.32 $12,265.59
Total valid votes/expense limit 22,472 99.55   $170,512.40
Total rejected ballots 102 0.45 +0.01
Turnout 22,574 79.05 +1.58
Eligible voters 28,556
Liberal hold Swing +20.61
Source: Elections Canada[6][7]
2011 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Easter 8,605 42.40 -1.79 $47,363.15
Conservative Tim Ogilvie 7,934 39.10 -0.18 $62.426.68
New Democratic Rita Jackson 2,970 14.63 +4.96 $5,426.11
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 785 3.87 -2.99 $1,367.33
Total valid votes/expense limit 20,294 100.0     $69,634.73
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 90 0.44 -0.16
Turnout 20,384 77.47 +6.06
Eligible voters 26,311
Liberal hold Swing -0.80
Sources:[8][9]
2008 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Easter 8,312 44.19 -6.29 $51,835.54
Conservative Mary Crane 7,388 39.28 +4.65 $56,705.00
New Democratic J'Nan Brown 1,819 9.67 -0.57 $5,225.01
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 1,291 6.86 +2.21 $3,626.22
Total valid votes/expense limit 18,810 100.0     $67,177
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 113 0.60 +0.01
Turnout 18,923 71.41 -3.69
Eligible voters 26,498
Liberal hold Swing -5.47
2006 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Easter 9,779 50.48 -1.42 $51,121.23
Conservative George Noble 6,708 34.63 +2.13 $52,989.45
New Democratic George Marshall 1,983 10.24 +0.15 $3,388.31
Green Sharon Labchuk 901 4.65 -0.85 $2,925.11
Total valid votes/expense limit 19,371 100.0     $62,210
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 114 0.59 -0.17
Turnout 19,485 75.10 +2.09
Eligible voters 25,945
Liberal hold Swing -1.78
2004 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Easter 9,782 51.90 +3.28 $49,256.92
Conservative Mary Crane 6,126 32.50 -13.28 $52,127.38
New Democratic Ken Bingham 1,902 10.09 +5.86 $3,055.96
Green Sharon Labchuk 1,037 5.50 +4.15 $2,989.44
Total valid votes/expense limit 18,847 100.0     $60,645
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 144 0.76
Turnout 18,991 73.01
Eligible voters 26,010
Liberal hold Swing +8.28
Change for the Conservatives is from the combined totals of the Progressive Conservatives and the Canadian Alliance.
2000 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wayne Easter 8,972 48.62 +3.53
Progressive Conservative Jim Gorman 7,186 38.94 -2.05
Alliance Chris Wall 1,263 6.84 +3.53
New Democratic Ken Bingham 781 4.23 -6.39
Green Jeremy Stiles 250 1.35
Total valid votes 18,452 100.00
Changes for the Canadian Alliance from 1997 are based on the results of its predecessor, the Reform Party.
1997 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wayne Easter 7,912 45.09 -16.03
Progressive Conservative Jimmie Gorman 7,194 40.99 +9.80
New Democratic Andrew Wells 1,863 10.62 +6.21
Reform Stephen Livingstone 580 3.31
Total valid votes 17,549 100.00

References

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  1. ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Meet Wayne". wayne-easter.liberal.ca. Liberal Party of Canada. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  3. ^ Lumley, Elizabeth (2005). Canadian Who's Who 2005. University of Toronto Press. p. 389. ISBN 978-0-8020-8907-6. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
  4. ^ "Roles - Hon. Wayne Easter - Current and Past - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  5. ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  6. ^ "October 19, 2015 Election Results — Malpeque (Validated results)". Elections Canada. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  7. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Elections Canada – Official voting results, Forty-first general election, 2011
  9. ^ Elections Canada – Candidate's electoral campaign return, 41st general election
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Parliament of Canada
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Malpeque

1993–2021
Succeeded by
26th Ministry – Cabinet of Jean Chrétien
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Lawrence MacAulay Solicitor General of Canada
2002–2003
Anne McLellan