John Efford

Ruben John Efford, PC (born January 6, 1944 in Port de Grave, Newfoundland and Labrador) is a former Canadian politician.

Efford was elected to the House of Commons in a by-election in May 2002 and was re-elected in the 2004 general election. In 2003, he was named Minister of Natural Resources. He has served as a member of the standing committees on Canadian Heritage and on Fisheries and Oceans. He has also served on the standing committees on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities and on Aboriginal Affairs, Northern Development and Natural Resources.

From 1985 to 2001, he served as a Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. He was Opposition critic for consumer affairs, public works, fisheries, health and social services. He later served as minister of social services, minister of works, services and transportation, and minister of fisheries and aquaculture. He lost the 2001 leadership convention to become Liberal party leader to Roger Grimes by 14 votes in a divisive contest. Efford and fellow leadership contestant Paul Dicks subsequently left provincial politics saying that they could not work with Grimes.

On September 1, 2005, after considerable speculation that he intended to resign his federal cabinet position due to ill-health, Efford announced, to much surprise, that he had no intention to resign. He later stated on NTV that he would not run again in the 2006 federal election or run for the leadership of the Newfoundland Liberal Party.

On May 4, 1998, during his time as Minister of Natural Resources, Efford called for the extermination of seals during a speech he gave to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. "Mr. Speaker, I would like to see the 6 million seals, or what ever number is out there, killed and sold, or destroyed or burned. I do not care what happens to them.... What [the fisherman] wanted was to have the right to go out and kill the seals. They have that right, and the more they kill the better I will love it.." After completing a business administration program, Mr. Efford established and ran Efford’s Wholesale, Snow's Plumbing Ltd. and the Della Lee retail clothing store. Mr. Efford and his wife, Madonna, have three children and two grandchildren.

External links

* [http://www.johnefford.parl.gc.ca/ Official site]
* [http://www.howdtheyvote.ca/member.php?id=97 How'd They Vote?: John Efford's voting history and quotes]
* [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/bio.asp?Language=E&query=18083&s=M&md=1 Federal Political Biography from the Library of Parliament]