Loyola Hearn

The Honourable
Loyola Hearn
PC
28th Canadian Ambassador to Ireland
In office
November 19, 2010 – August 2014
Monarch Elizabeth II
Preceded by Pat Binns
Succeeded by Kevin Vickers
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for St. John's South—Mount Pearl
In office
June 28, 2004 – October 14, 2008
Preceded by first member
Succeeded by Siobhán Coady
Member of Parliament
for St. John's West
In office
May 15, 2000 – June 28, 2004
Preceded by Charlie Power
Succeeded by Riding Dissolved
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
In office
1982–1993
Personal details
Born (1943-03-25) March 25, 1943
Renews, Newfoundland
Political party Conservative Party of Canada
Spouse(s) Maureen Hearn
Residence Renews, Newfoundland and Labrador
Alma mater Memorial University of Newfoundland, University of New Brunswick
Profession Teacher/Principal
Portfolio Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Religion Roman Catholic

Loyola Hearn, PC (born March 25, 1943) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician. Hearn is the former Canadian Ambassador to Ireland. He served as a Member of the Canadian House of Commons from 2000 to 2008, and as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans from February 6, 2006 to October 30, 2008.

Biography

Early life

Hearn was born in the fishing village of Renews, Newfoundland, where he received his early education. After graduating from high school, he began his studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of New Brunswick.

Career

After graduating from the university, he started a teaching career in Renews. Hearn then served in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1982 to 1993, and served as Minister of Education from 1985 to 1989. Hearn was a candidate in the 1989 Progressive Conservative Leadership Convention to replace outgoing Premier Brian Peckford, the eventual winner was Tom Rideout.

Hearn went on to enter federal politics and was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of St. John's West from 2000 to 2003 and St. John's South—Mount Pearl from 2003 to 2008. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 2000 to 2004, and was active in representing the party during its merger discussions with the Canadian Alliance. Those discussions culminated in the merger of the two parties in December 2003, to the Conservative Party of Canada. Hearn served as the first House Leader of the newly created party until it had its first leadership convention.

He has served (either before or after the merger) as the Progressive Conservative Party House Leader, Conservative Party House Leader, Opposition House Leader, Canadian Heritage Critic, Public Works and Government Services Critic, and Critic of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

Following his victory in the 2006 federal election he was named Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on February 6, 2006. As Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Hearn has been active in defending the controversial east coast seal hunt. In this role, he claimed that several observers from the Humane Society of the United States had been arrested for illegal activity during their campaign against the seal hunt, but was later forced to apologize under threat of a libel suit as no arrests had in fact taken place.[1]

Hearn has also had to deal with the crises in several rural Newfoundland communities involving the sale of fish plants by Fishery Products International to Ocean Choice, often being in conflict with the provincial government, business and unions.[2]

A few days prior to the dissolution of Parliament in September 2008, Hearn announced that he would not stand for re-election in the 2008 election.[3]

Ambassador to Ireland

On November 19, 2010, Lawrence Cannon, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced the appointment of Hearn as Canada's Ambassador to Ireland, succeeding Pat Binns.[4] Hearn's term as ambassador ended on January 19, 2015 and was replaced by Kevin Vickers.[5]

Personal life

Hearn has a son, David (January 1979), and a daughter, Laurita (February 1976), with his wife, Maureen Hearn.[6][7][8]

Electoral record

St. John's West – Canadian federal election, 1993
Party Candidate Votes % ±
LiberalJean Payne 24,021
Progressive ConservativeLoyola Hearn 16,380
New DemocraticSharon Walsh 1,740
ReformDana Tucker 1,041
Natural LawGuy Harvey 459
St. John's West By-election – May 15, 2000
Resignation of Charles J. Power
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Progressive ConservativeLoyola Hearn 11,392
New DemocraticGreg Malone 11,036
LiberalAnthony G. Sparrow 8,032
AllianceFrank Hall 1,315
IndependentE. Sailor White 332
St. John's West – Canadian federal election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Progressive ConservativeLoyola Hearn 22,959
LiberalChuck Furey 14,137
New DemocraticDave Curtis 4,744
AllianceEldon Drost 840
Natural LawMichael Rendell 141
St. John's South—Mount Pearl – Canadian federal election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±
ConservativeLoyola Hearn 13,330 39.57 -16.2
LiberalSiobhán Coady 11,879 35.26 +5.0
New DemocraticPeg Norman 7989 23.71 +10.3
GreenSteve Willcott 493 1.46 Ø
Total valid votes 33,69152.6%
St. John's South—Mount Pearl – Canadian federal election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±
ConservativeLoyola Hearn 16,644 44.68 +5.11
LiberalSiobhán Coady 12,295 33.00 -2.26
New DemocraticPeg Norman 8079 21.69 -2.02
GreenBarry Crozier 235 0.63 -0.83
Total valid votes 37,253100.0%
Total rejected ballots 1240.33%
Turnout 37,371 58.3% +5.7%

References

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