Joanne Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Fisheries [a] | |
| Assumed office March 14, 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Mark Carney |
| Preceded by | Diane Lebouthillier |
| Minister of Seniors | |
| In office December 20,2024 –March 14,2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Steven MacKinnon |
| Succeeded by | Stephanie McLean |
| Member of Parliament for St. John's East | |
| Assumed office September 20,2021 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Harris |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Children | 3 |
Joanne Thompson PC MP is a Canadian politician who serves as the Minister of Fisheries and the Member of Parliament for the riding of St. John's East since 2021. A member of the Liberal Party,she has served as the Minister of Seniors and Minister of Fisheries in the cabinets of Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney.
Joanne Thompson was born in St. John's,Newfoundland and Labrador. She married and is the mother of three children. [1] In the 1970s she was trained as a nurse. She graduated from Athabasca University with a bachelor's degree in nursing and from the University of Fredericton with a Master of Business Administration degree. [2]
Jack Harris,who represented St. John's East multiple times starting 1987,declined to seek reelection in the 2021 election. [3] In the 2021 and 2025 elections Thompson was a successful Liberal candidate in St. John's East. [4] She was the first Liberal to win reelection in the riding since the 1960s. [5]
From 2021 to 2023,Thompson was a member of the Government Operations and Estimates,and Environment and Sustainable Development committees. From 2023 to 2025,she was a member of the Finance committee. She was the Minister of Seniors in the cabinet of Justin Trudeau from 20 December 2024 to 13 March 2025,and has been the Minister of Fisheries in the cabinet of Mark Carney since 14 March 2025. [4] [6] She was the co-chair of the Women’s Caucus. [1] In 2025,she doubled the allowable catch of cod off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador from 18,000 tonnes to 38,000 tonnes. [7]
Thompson supported Carney during the 2025 Liberal leadership election. [8]
| 2025 Canadian federal election : St. John's East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Joanne Thompson | 28,681 | 62.28 | +17.14 | ||||
| Conservative | David Brazil | 11,941 | 25.93 | +7.84 | ||||
| New Democratic | Mary Shortall | 5,172 | 11.23 | −23.61 | ||||
| Green | Otis Crandell | 159 | 0.35 | N/A | ||||
| Communist | Samuel Crête | 98 | 0.21 | N/A | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 46,051 | 99.05 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 440 | 0.95 | ||||||
| Turnout | 46,491 | 70.94 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 65,536 | |||||||
| Liberal notional hold | Swing | +4.65 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada [9] [10] | ||||||||
| Note: number of eligible voters does not include voting day registrations. | ||||||||
| 2021 Canadian federal election : St. John's East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Joanne Thompson | 17,239 | 45.16 | +11.97 | $71,466.38 | |||
| New Democratic | Mary Shortall | 13,090 | 34.29 | –12.63 | $65,576.70 | |||
| Conservative | Glenn Etchegary | 7,119 | 18.65 | +0.59 | $44,852.25 | |||
| People's | Dana Metcalfe | 723 | 1.89 | – | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 38,171 | 99.23 | $105,251.87 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 296 | 0.77 | –0.39 | |||||
| Turnout | 38,467 | 57.45 | –10.20 | |||||
| Registered voters | 66,963 | |||||||
| Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | +12.30 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada [11] [12] | ||||||||