Рубен Джон Эффорд: Канад саяхатшысының өмірі мен қызметі

Canadian politician (1944–2022)

Ruben John Efford (January 6, 1944 – January 2, 2022) was a Canadian politician. He first served as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly (MHA) from 1985 to 2001, representing Port de Grave electoral district and also serving as cabinet minister of various portfolios. After losing the 2001 leadership convention of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, he went into federal politics and served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2002 until 2006 for the Liberal Party of Canada. He initially represented Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, before switching to Avalon after electoral redistribution prior to the 2004 federal election.

Ruben John Efford was born on January 6, 1944, in Port de Grave, Newfoundland and Labrador, the son of Reuben John and Diana Efford. He completed high school in his hometown, before doing a business administration program. He went on to become the owner and operator of Efford’s Wholesale, Snow's Plumbing Ltd and the Della Lee retail clothing store. He joined and actively participated in the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador during the early 1960s. He was elected to the District Liberal Association in 1969 and eventually became its vice president. He accompanied Newfoundlander fish harvesters to Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto to protest the measure and argued for their rights to fish. He was perturbed by some students and scientists at Memorial University of Newfoundland who wrote to the federal fisheries minister requesting that the latter delay increasing the seal quota until a complete scientific review was conducted. Efford was of the opinion that they were undermining his efforts. Efford ultimately served as a MHA from 1985 to 2001. Despite Grimes offering him a senior cabinet position, both Efford and fellow leadership contestant Paul Dicks subsequently left provincial politics, maintaining that they could not work with Grimes.

Efford was elected to the House of Commons in a by election in May 2002 and was re elected in the 2004 general election. He was appointed Minister of Natural Resources in December 2003 and served in that role until February 2006. During his tenure, the federal government came to a new agreement on the Atlantic Accord with the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador. In February 2011, Efford criticized the leadership of provincial Liberal Leader Yvonne Jones and called for her to consider resigning. Efford stated that her low poll numbers were the main reason for his request. He referenced a Telelink poll released that week by NTV, in which 11 percent of respondents said they would prefer Jones to lead the province. Jones responded by saying Efford was an absolute nuisance to the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal party, and another poll done in March showed that Jones' popularity was now up to 18% from the 11% that the February poll showed.