Wally Stiles
Encyclopedia
R. Wallis "Wally" Stiles, (born October 18, 1950 in Sussex, New Brunswick
, Canada
) is a New Brunswick
politician
. He represented the electoral district of Petitcodiac
in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
from 1999–2010. On September 17, 2005, he married fellow MLA Joan MacAlpine making them the first husband and wife to serve together in the New Brunswick legislature.
with a Bachelor of Business Administration
degree, he worked for various companies as a controller and also managed his own private woodlot where he produced maple sugar
.
for some years and was elected to Petitcodiac
municipal council
in 1995 and 1998. In 1998, he received the most votes of any of the candidates of councillor which entitled him to the position of deputy mayor
.
and served as chairman of the select committee on private passenger automobile insurance in 2002-2003. This committee was charged with investigating the surging insurance rates in the province and making recommendations to curb and reduce them; something that would become a major issue in the 2003 election
.
Stiles was re-elected in 2003 and would serve as vice-chairman of the select committee to study public auto insurance which was chaired by New Brunswick New Democratic Party
leader Elizabeth Weir
. In late February 2006 he became the whip and caucus chair
for his party. This was following a cabinet shuffle
on February 14, 2006 in which incumbent caucus chair Jody Carr
was named to cabinet
and the crossing of the floor of Michael Malley
on February 17, 2006, who had been serving as Progressive Conservative whip.
On April 17, 2007, he announced that he would cross the floor to join the Liberal party, along with his wife and fellow MLA Joan MacAlpine. On October 31, 2007, he was named to the Liberal cabinet
.
In the 2010 general election, Stiles was defeated by Progressive Conservative Sherry Wilson
.
Sussex, New Brunswick
Sussex is a Canadian town in Kings County, New Brunswick.Sussex straddles the Kennebecasis River, 70 km northeast of Saint John, and is a major dairy products producer in the province...
, Canada
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...
) is a New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He represented the electoral district of Petitcodiac
Petitcodiac (electoral district)
Petitcodiac is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada.-MLAs:*Hollis Steeves, Liberal *Dennis Cochrane, Prog. Cons. *Hollis Steeves, Liberal...
in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...
from 1999–2010. On September 17, 2005, he married fellow MLA Joan MacAlpine making them the first husband and wife to serve together in the New Brunswick legislature.
Early life
A 1973 graduate of the University of New BrunswickUniversity of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
with a Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
degree, he worked for various companies as a controller and also managed his own private woodlot where he produced maple sugar
Maple sugar
Maple sugar is a traditional sweetener in the northeastern United States and Canada, prepared from the sap of the sugar maple tree.-Preparation:...
.
Local politics
He was involved with his local riding associationRiding association
In Canadian politics a riding association , officially called an electoral district association is the basic unit of a political party, that is it is the party's organization at the level of the electoral district, or "riding"...
for some years and was elected to Petitcodiac
Petitcodiac, New Brunswick
Petitcodiac is a Canadian village in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.It is named after the Petitcodiac River, which begins in the village at the junction of the North and Anagance rivers...
municipal council
Municipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
in 1995 and 1998. In 1998, he received the most votes of any of the candidates of councillor which entitled him to the position of deputy mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
.
Provincial political career
He was elected to the legislature in the 1999 provincial electionNew Brunswick general election, 1999
The 34th New Brunswick general election was held on June 7, 1999, to elect 55 members to the 54th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It marked the debut of both Camille Thériault and Bernard Lord as leaders of the Liberals and...
and served as chairman of the select committee on private passenger automobile insurance in 2002-2003. This committee was charged with investigating the surging insurance rates in the province and making recommendations to curb and reduce them; something that would become a major issue in the 2003 election
New Brunswick general election, 2003
The 35th New Brunswick general election was held on June 9, 2003, to elect 55 members to the 55th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
.
Stiles was re-elected in 2003 and would serve as vice-chairman of the select committee to study public auto insurance which was chaired by New Brunswick New Democratic Party
New Brunswick New Democratic Party
The New Brunswick New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada linked with the federal New Democratic Party .-Origins and early history:...
leader Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Weir
Elizabeth Jane Weir is a lawyer and politician in New Brunswick, Canada. She was elected leader of the New Democratic Party of New Brunswick in 1988 and became an opposition voice to the Liberal government, which held all 58 seats in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.Born in Belfast,...
. In late February 2006 he became the whip and caucus chair
Caucus chair
A caucus chair is a person who chairs the meetings of a caucus. Often, the caucus chair is assigned other duties as well.-Commonwealth Nations:...
for his party. This was following a cabinet shuffle
Cabinet shuffle
In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle or reshuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet....
on February 14, 2006 in which incumbent caucus chair Jody Carr
Jody Carr
Jody Rochelle Carr is a Canadian politician. He is the current member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick for the riding of Oromocto and served in the cabinet for part of 2006....
was named to cabinet
Executive Council of New Brunswick
The Executive Council of New Brunswick is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
and the crossing of the floor of Michael Malley
Michael Malley
Michael "Tanker" Malley is a former politician in the Canadian Province of New Brunswick. He represented the riding of Miramichi-Bay du Vin in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006 and served as Speaker of the Assembly for part of 2006.Malley, a former Miramichi city...
on February 17, 2006, who had been serving as Progressive Conservative whip.
On April 17, 2007, he announced that he would cross the floor to join the Liberal party, along with his wife and fellow MLA Joan MacAlpine. On October 31, 2007, he was named to the Liberal cabinet
Executive Council of New Brunswick
The Executive Council of New Brunswick is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
.
In the 2010 general election, Stiles was defeated by Progressive Conservative Sherry Wilson
Sherry Wilson
Sherry Wilson is a Canadian provincial politician, who is currently serving as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. She sits with the Progressive Conservative caucus in government since being elected in 2010.-Early life:...
.