Kerry Diotte

Kerry Diotte
MP

Kerry Diotte announcing his mayoral bid on May 16, 2013
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Edmonton Griesbach
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded by Riding Established
Edmonton City Councillor
In office
October 26, 2010 – October 29, 2013
Preceded by Ward Established
Succeeded by Mike Nickel
Constituency Ward 11
Personal details
Born (1956-02-26) February 26, 1956
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Political party Conservative
Residence Edmonton, Alberta
Alma mater Carleton University
Occupation Journalist

Kerry Thomas Diotte, MP was born February 26, 1956. He was elected to represent the riding of Edmonton Griesbach in the House of Commons of Canada in the Canadian federal election, 2015. He is a former member of the Edmonton City Council.

Biography

He was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada and educated at Carleton University in Ottawa.

On November 18, 2004, seven members of the Edmonton Police Service targeted Diotte along with then-police commission chairman Martin Ignasiak in a controversial undercover drunk-driving operation at an Edmonton bar, the Overtime Broiler & Taproom. Police were staked out in anticipation of catching the two men driving home drunk, but both took cabs home.

Subsequent legal proceedings produced evidence, including police radio conversations from that night, showing officers set up the operation because they were upset by Diotte's newspaper columns about policing, including criticism of photo radar operations.

After an internal police investigation exonerated the officers involved in the unwarranted would-be sting, then-police chief Fred Rayner was fired from his position by the Edmonton Police Commission.

In September 2008, Alberta's Law Enforcement Review Board ruled a senior police officer abused his power by targeting Diotte because the law enforcement official was frustrated by the columnist's viewpoints on police matters.

The panel decided there was "no credible evidence" to suggest Diotte would drive drunk when leaving the November 18, 2004 function and noted the journalist has no criminal record.[1]

In the decision, the panel chair wrote: "Mr. Diotte had the right, without fear of police reprisal, to freedom of speech, which includes the freedom to write critical articles about policing in his community."[2]

Diotte had been employed at the Edmonton Sun from 1985 until October 2009 where he had previously been Legislature bureau chief, a copy editor, reporter and assignment editor.

Prior to that, he worked for the Calgary Sun and newsmagazines, including Alberta Report and Maclean's. As well, he has worked for a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation affiliate where he was an on-camera television reporter.

For many years, Diotte was president of the Edmonton chapter of the Canadian Association of Journalists and a national director of the organization. He resigned those positions to campaign for a city council seat in the Edmonton municipal election, 2010, winning Ward 11 with 44.3% of the vote.[3]

On May 16, 2013, Diotte announced his candidacy for Mayor of Edmonton.[4] He lost with 15% of the vote.[5]

On February 26, 2014, Diotte announced his intention to seek the Conservative Party of Canada nomination in the new federal riding of Edmonton Griesbach.[6] Diotte won the nomination election on December 6, 2014.[7] In the 2015 election, Diotte won the seat, defeating his closest opponent by almost 3,000 votes.[8][9][10]

On February 23, 2016, Diotte apologized for participating in a "juvenile" game of Bingo during Question Period.[11]

Electoral history

Edmonton mayoral election, 2013[12]
Candidate Votes %
Don Iveson 132,162 62.2
Karen Leibovici 41,182 19.4
Kerry Diotte 32,917 15.5
Joshua Semotiuk 2,596 1.2
Gordon Ward 2,248 1.1
Kristine Acielo 1,292 0.6
Canadian federal election, 2015: Edmonton Griesbach
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
ConservativeKerry Diotte 19,157 39.96 –12.55 –
New DemocraticJanis Irwin 16,309 34.02 –3.45 –
LiberalBrian Gold 10,397 21.69 +15.11 –
GreenHeather Workman 1,129 2.35 –1.08 –
LibertarianMaryna Goncharenko 415 0.87 – –
MarijuanaLinda Northcott 279 0.58 – –
RhinocerosBun Bun Thompson 144 0.30 – –
Marxist–LeninistMary Joyce 112 0.23 – –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 47,942100.00 $213,523.35
Total rejected ballots 2890.60–
Turnout 48,23160.03–
Eligible voters 79,980
Conservative hold Swing –4.55
Source: Elections Canada[13][14]

Notes

  1. ↑ Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board decision 002-008
  2. ↑ Kleiss, Karen (September 6, 2008). "Officer faces suspension for Overtime sting; Journalist targeted by senior EPS member for 'reasons other than law enforcement'". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  3. ↑ "Sault native wins seat on Edmonton city council". The Sault Star. October 21, 2010. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  4. ↑ "Councillor Kerry Diotte running for mayor". Global News. May 16, 2013. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  5. ↑ "Don Iveson elected Edmonton's next mayor". CBC News. October 21, 2013. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  6. ↑ "Kerry Diotte takes a run at federal politics". CBC News. February 26, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  7. ↑ "Diotte wins federal Conservative nomination". Edmonton Journal. December 10, 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  8. ↑ "Edmonton Griesbach goes to Conservative Kerry Diotte, dashing NDP's hope in Janis Irwin". Edmonton Journal. October 19, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  9. ↑ "Conservative Kerry Diotte wins in Edmonton Griesbach". Global News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  10. ↑ "Conservatives elected in five of eight Edmonton ridings". CBC News. October 19, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  11. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kerry-diotte-sorry-for-juvenile-tweet-about-liberal-buzz-word-bingo-1.3460245
  12. ↑ City of Edmonton (October 24, 2013). "2013 Official Elections Results" (PDF). Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  13. ↑ "October 19, 2015 Election Results — Edmonton Griesbach (Validated results)". Elections Canada. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  14. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates

External sources

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