Rey Pagtakhan
Encyclopedia
Rey D. Pagtakhan, PC
(born January 7, 1935) is a Canadian
physician, professor and politician. He was a cabinet minister
in the governments of Jean Chrétien
and Paul Martin
, and served as a member of parliament
from 1988 until his defeat in the 2004 election.
, in the Philippines
, Pagtakhan trained as a doctor and received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines
. He completed his residency and fellowship at the Washington University Medical Center
/St. Louis Children's Hospital
and his Master of Science from the University of Manitoba
. The degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) was conferred on Pagtakhan by the University of the Philippines. In 2010, the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) conferred by the University of Perpetual Help Rizal Jonelta Foundation-School of Medicine
between 1971 and 1988.
In addition to the above responsibilities, Pagtakhan also served as Director of the Manitoba Cystic Fibrosis Centre, President of the Manitoba Pediatric Society, member of the Winnipeg Police Commission, the first Chair of the Board of Presidents of the Canadian Ethnocultural Council, and as National President of the United Council of Filipino Canadian Associations in Canada.
In 1986, he was elected as a Winnipeg school trustee in the St. Vital district and served in that capacity until 1988.
in the 1988 federal election
in the riding of Winnipeg North
, defeating incumbent New Democrat
David Orlikow
who had held the riding since 1962. He became the first Filipino-born Canadian to be elected to the House of Commons. He was easily re-elected in the 1993 election
, defeating New Democratic challenger Judy Wasylycia-Leis
. In the elections of 1997
and 2000
, he was elected for the redistributed riding of Winnipeg North-St. Paul
.
Pagtakhan served as parliamentary secretary
to Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
from February 23, 1996 to July 15, 1998. He was appointed to cabinet on January 9, 2001, and served as Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
until January 15, 2002. His appointment to cabinet marked the first time in over 75 years that an M.P. from north Winnipeg became a member of the federal cabinet. As Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), Pagtakhan took on a number of tasks including representing Canada as Head of its delegation to the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.
On January 15, 2002, he was promoted to Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister responsible for Manitoba. In this capacity, he served on the Cabinet Committees on Economic Union, Social Union and Government Communications.
During his tenure as Minister responsible for Manitoba (also known as the Senior Minister for Manitoba), Pagtakhan was part of the government that funded major projects in Manitoba such as the expansion of the Red River Floodway
and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
. Pagtakhan also served as Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development)
from May 26, 2002 to December 12, 2003.
On December 12, 2003, new Prime Minister
Paul Martin
appointed him as Minister of Western Economic Diversification
. In this capacity he served on the Cabinet Committees on Domestic Affairs and Aboriginal Affairs. During his tenure in this position, Pagtakhan, amongst other things, announced funding for the Winnipeg based International Centre for Infectious Diseases.
Further redistribution pushed Pagtakhan back into the riding of Winnipeg North
for the election of 2004
. He lost to Judy Wasylycia-Leis
, who had been elected for Winnipeg North Centre
in 1997 and 2000.
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 January 7, 1935) is a 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...
physician, professor and politician. He was a cabinet minister
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
in the governments of Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
and Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, and served as a 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,...
from 1988 until his defeat in the 2004 election.
Education
Born in Bacoor, CaviteBacoor, Cavite
The Municipality of Bacoor is a first class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. It is a lone district congressional district of Cavite...
, in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Pagtakhan trained as a doctor and received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
. He completed his residency and fellowship at the Washington University Medical Center
Washington University School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine , located in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the graduate schools of Washington University in St. Louis. One of the top medical schools in the United States, it is currently ranked 4th for research according to U.S. News and World Report and has been listed...
/St. Louis Children's Hospital
St. Louis Children's Hospital
St. Louis Children's Hospital is an academic pediatric hospital providing tertiary level care in St. Louis, Missouri. SLCH is the pediatric teaching hospital for Washington University School of Medicine. It is the seventh oldest children's hospital in the United States and the first children's...
and his Master of Science from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. The degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) was conferred on Pagtakhan by the University of the Philippines. In 2010, the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) conferred by the University of Perpetual Help Rizal Jonelta Foundation-School of Medicine
Medical career and community involvement
Prior to his political career, Pagtakhan was a Full Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine. He joined the medical faculty at the University of Manitoba in 1971 as a lecturer and became a professor in 1985. He also worked as a pediatric respirologist at the Winnipeg Children's HospitalThe Children's Hospital of Winnipeg
The Children's Hospital of Winnipeg is a children's hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is located on the campus of the Health Sciences Centre near downtown Winnipeg and is the only hospital between Toronto and Calgary that is expressly devoted to the health care of children.The hospital was...
between 1971 and 1988.
In addition to the above responsibilities, Pagtakhan also served as Director of the Manitoba Cystic Fibrosis Centre, President of the Manitoba Pediatric Society, member of the Winnipeg Police Commission, the first Chair of the Board of Presidents of the Canadian Ethnocultural Council, and as National President of the United Council of Filipino Canadian Associations in Canada.
In 1986, he was elected as a Winnipeg school trustee in the St. Vital district and served in that capacity until 1988.
Political career
Pagtakhan was first elected to the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian 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...
in the 1988 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
in the riding of Winnipeg North
Winnipeg North
For information on the historical provincial constituency, see Winnipeg North .Winnipeg North is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917...
, defeating incumbent New Democrat
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
David Orlikow
David Orlikow
David Orlikow was a Canadian politician, and a long-serving member of the Canadian House of Commons. He represented the riding of Winnipeg North from 1962 to 1988 as a member of the New Democratic Party.-Family:...
who had held the riding since 1962. He became the first Filipino-born Canadian to be elected to the House of Commons. He was easily re-elected in the 1993 election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, defeating New Democratic challenger Judy Wasylycia-Leis
Judy Wasylycia-Leis
Klazina Judith "Judy" Wasylycia-Leis is a Canadian politician. She was a Manitoba cabinet minister in the government of Howard Pawley from 1986 to 1988, and was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from September 22, 1997 to April 30, 2010...
. In the elections of 1997
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
and 2000
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, he was elected for the redistributed riding of Winnipeg North-St. Paul
Winnipeg North—St. Paul
Winnipeg North—St. Paul was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004....
.
Pagtakhan served as parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
from February 23, 1996 to July 15, 1998. He was appointed to cabinet on January 9, 2001, and served as Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
Secretary of State was a Sub-Cabinet Post in the Cabinet of Canada. The post was created in 1993 and abolished in 2003.A list of junior ministers:* Raymond Chan 1993-2001* Rey Pagtakhan 2001-2002* David Kilgour 2002-2003...
until January 15, 2002. His appointment to cabinet marked the first time in over 75 years that an M.P. from north Winnipeg became a member of the federal cabinet. As Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific), Pagtakhan took on a number of tasks including representing Canada as Head of its delegation to the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.
On January 15, 2002, he was promoted to Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister responsible for Manitoba. In this capacity, he served on the Cabinet Committees on Economic Union, Social Union and Government Communications.
During his tenure as Minister responsible for Manitoba (also known as the Senior Minister for Manitoba), Pagtakhan was part of the government that funded major projects in Manitoba such as the expansion of the Red River Floodway
Red River Floodway
The Red River Floodway is an artificial flood control waterway in Western Canada, first used in 1969. It is a long channel which, during flood periods, takes part of the Red River's flow around the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba to the east and discharges it back into the Red River below the dam at...
and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is a national museum currently under construction in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the historic Forks where the Assiniboine and Red Rivers meet...
. Pagtakhan also served as Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development)
Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development)
The Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development is a former federal government position in Canada. It was not a full cabinet portfolio, but was instead affiliated with Industry Canada, overseen by the Minister of Industry...
from May 26, 2002 to December 12, 2003.
On December 12, 2003, new Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
appointed him as Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Minister of Western Economic Diversification (Canada)
The Minister of Western Economic Diversification is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who also serves as the chief executive of Western Economic Diversification Canada...
. In this capacity he served on the Cabinet Committees on Domestic Affairs and Aboriginal Affairs. During his tenure in this position, Pagtakhan, amongst other things, announced funding for the Winnipeg based International Centre for Infectious Diseases.
Further redistribution pushed Pagtakhan back into the riding of Winnipeg North
Winnipeg North
For information on the historical provincial constituency, see Winnipeg North .Winnipeg North is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917...
for the election of 2004
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...
. He lost to Judy Wasylycia-Leis
Judy Wasylycia-Leis
Klazina Judith "Judy" Wasylycia-Leis is a Canadian politician. She was a Manitoba cabinet minister in the government of Howard Pawley from 1986 to 1988, and was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from September 22, 1997 to April 30, 2010...
, who had been elected for Winnipeg North Centre
Winnipeg North Centre
Winnipeg North Centre was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented by a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 2004...
in 1997 and 2000.