Monte Solberg
Encyclopedia
Monte Kenton Solberg, PC
(born September 17, 1958) is a former Canadian
Member of Parliament, representing the riding of Medicine Hat in the Canadian House of Commons
as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada
. He was the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
. He has also served as Critic for Foreign Affairs
, National Revenue
, and Human Resources Development
.
ancestry. He was elected as a Reform Party
Member of Parliament
(MP) in 1993 and 1997, and as a Canadian Alliance
MP in 2000. In 2001, Solberg was one of 13 MPs who were suspended from the Canadian Alliance caucus for criticizing the leadership of Stockwell Day
. He sat as an Independent Alliance MP for the summer, joining the Democratic Representative Caucus
in September before returning to the Alliance in April 2002. He was also one of four Alliance MPs who agreed to sit with the Progressive Conservative
caucus (to preserve their official party status
) after the December 9, 2003 creation of the merged Conservative Party, as the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parliamentary caucuses were not officially merged until a few weeks later. He was re-elected as a Conservative MP in the 2004 election
.
Solberg kept a high-profile blog
, and in 2005, is thought to have made history when, using his BlackBerry
, he blogged from the floor of the House of Commons immediately upon the passage of Bill C-38
, which provided legal recognition of same-sex marriage
. Solberg was opposed to the bill. In 2006, Solberg again won his Medicine Hat riding, with 79.7% of the vote. He suspended updating his blog after being appointed Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
.
In the January 4, 2007 cabinet shuffle, Solberg was appointed the new minister of Human Resources and Social Development, replacing Diane Finley
.
Solberg announced on September 4, 2008 that he was retiring from politics and would not be a candidate in the 40th Canadian federal election
.
Solberg is now a columnist with the Calgary Sun
and a consultant for Fleishman Hillard Canada, a public relation and marketing strategy organisation.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born September 17, 1958) is a former Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Member of Parliament, representing the riding of Medicine Hat in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. He was the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (Canada)
The Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the federal department that oversees programs such as Employment Insurance and Canada Student Loans...
. He has also served as Critic for Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations section of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada....
, National Revenue
Minister of National Revenue (Canada)
The Minister of National Revenue is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency and the administration of taxation law and collection....
, and Human Resources Development
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (Canada)
The Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the federal department that oversees programs such as Employment Insurance and Canada Student Loans...
.
Life and career
Solberg was born in Calgary, Alberta. A former broadcaster and businessman, Solberg is of NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
ancestry. He was elected as a Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) in 1993 and 1997, and as a Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
MP in 2000. In 2001, Solberg was one of 13 MPs who were suspended from the Canadian Alliance caucus for criticizing the leadership of Stockwell Day
Stockwell Day
Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
. He sat as an Independent Alliance MP for the summer, joining the Democratic Representative Caucus
Democratic Representative Caucus
The Democratic Representative Caucus was a group of Canadian Members of Parliament who left the Canadian Alliance in 2001 in protest against the leadership of Stockwell Day...
in September before returning to the Alliance in April 2002. He was also one of four Alliance MPs who agreed to sit with the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
caucus (to preserve their official party status
Official party status
Official party status refers to the Canadian practice of recognizing political parties in the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures. The type of recognition and threshold needed to obtain it varies...
) after the December 9, 2003 creation of the merged Conservative Party, as the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parliamentary caucuses were not officially merged until a few weeks later. He was re-elected as a Conservative MP in the 2004 election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
.
Solberg kept a high-profile blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, and in 2005, is thought to have made history when, using his BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
, he blogged from the floor of the House of Commons immediately upon the passage of Bill C-38
Civil Marriage Act
The Civil Marriage Act was legislation legalizing same-sex marriage across Canada...
, which provided legal recognition of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. Solberg was opposed to the bill. In 2006, Solberg again won his Medicine Hat riding, with 79.7% of the vote. He suspended updating his blog after being appointed Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government department responsible for immigration, refugee and citizenship issues, Citizenship and Immigration Canada...
.
In the January 4, 2007 cabinet shuffle, Solberg was appointed the new minister of Human Resources and Social Development, replacing Diane Finley
Diane Finley
Diane Finley, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She serves as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Of the 12 MPs in the Priorities and Planning Committee of cabinet , known as the inner cabinet, she is the only woman...
.
Solberg announced on September 4, 2008 that he was retiring from politics and would not be a candidate in the 40th Canadian federal election
40th Canadian federal election
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
.
Solberg is now a columnist with the Calgary Sun
Calgary Sun
The Calgary Sun is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.First published in 1980, the tabloid-format daily replaced the long-running broadsheet newspaper, The Albertan soon after it was acquired by the publishers of the Toronto...
and a consultant for Fleishman Hillard Canada, a public relation and marketing strategy organisation.