{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1943)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Lorraine Michael | honorific_suffix = | image = Lorraine Michael NL NDP.jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age | 1943|03|27}} | birth_place = St. John's, Newfoundland | constituency_AM1 = St. John's East-Quidi Vidi<br /><small>Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi (2006-2015)</small> | assembly1 = Newfoundland and Labrador House of | term_start1 = November 1, 2006 | term_end1 = April 17, 2019 | predecessor1 = Jack Harris | successor1 = Alison Coffin | office2 = Leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party <br /><small>Interim</small> | term_start2 = September 28, 2017 | term_end2 = April 8, 2018 | predecessor2 = Earle McCurdy | successor2 = Gerry Rogers | office3 = Leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party | term_start3 = May 28, 2006 | term_end3 = March 7, 2015<ref>Michael was the Permanent Leader of the NDP during this time</ref> | predecessor3 = Jack Harris | successor3 = Earle McCurdy | party = New Democratic Party | occupation = Roman Catholic Nun, Teacher, School Administrator, Social Activist | alma_mater = University of Toronto <br> Memorial University of Newfoundland }}
'''Lorraine Michael''' (born March 27, 1943) is a social-democratic Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. From May 2006 until March 2015, Michael was the leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party (NDP). She is a former nun, teacher, and social activist.
On November 1, 2006, she was elected Member of the House of Assembly (MHA) for the district of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, and re-elected the following year in the provincial election, and again in 2011. On January 6, 2015, Michael announced her resignation of leader of the NDP following a leadership election which took place on March 7, 2015. Michael successfully contested the 2015 provincial election in the district of St. John's East-Quidi Vidi.<ref name="Huffington Post">{{cite news|title=Lorraine Michael Quits As N.L. NDP Leader|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01/06/lorraine-michael-newfoundland-ndp_n_6422614.html?ir=Canada+Politics|accessdate=January 6, 2015|work=Huffington Post|agency=Canadian Press|date=January 6, 2015}}</ref> Following the resignation of her successor as NDP leader, Earle McCurdy, Michael served as interim leader of the NDP from 2017 until 2018. She did not re-offer at the May 16, 2019 provincial election and retired from the legislature.
==Background and personal life== Michael was born on March 27, 1943, to a Lebanese-Newfoundland family in St. John's, Dominion of Newfoundland. Michael was a nun until she left the Roman Catholic Church in 1993 over conflicts with the local Archdiocese, including the Archdiocese's handling of an alleged sexual assault case. She has completed degrees at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Toronto. She started her career as a high school teacher on Bell Island, and was a junior high school principal and teacher in Baie Verte, the Codroy Valley, on the Burin Peninsula, and in St. John's.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mapleleafweb.com/voter-almanac/lorraine-michael.html|title=Voter Almanac - Lorraine Michael|website=mapleleafweb.co|accessdate=Apr 6, 2021 }}</ref>
Michael has been a social activist and a feminist activist in Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as internationally. After leaving the teaching profession, she became Director of the Office of Social Action in St. John's where she worked on a number of coalitions for social justice, both regionally and nationally. In later years, while working with the Toronto-based Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justice (ECEJ), she spoke on the subject of economic globalization in Mexico, Chile, and Zimbabwe. She has also worked with the Women and Work Committee of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women and served for a period as the organization's Interim Executive Director.<ref name="cbc.ca">{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/lorraine-michael-aiming-for-a-breakthrough-1.1099708|title=Lorraine Michael: Aiming for a breakthrough|date=Aug 25, 2011|first=John|last=Gushue|publisher=CBC News |accessdate=Apr 6, 2021}}</ref>
Prior to her election as NDP leader, she was Executive Director of the Women in Resource Development Committee, consulting with industry, labour, government, and educators to achieve employment equity in natural resource development sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador. This work was an extension of her earlier work in Labrador as the Innu Nation nominee on the Voisey's Bay environmental assessment panel from 1997 to 1999.<ref name="cbc.ca"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/archives/pre-2003/5EA5DD6D-1/default_lang=En_n=0A571A1A-1_offset=20_toc=show.html|title=Voisey's Bay Mine and Mill Environmental Assessment Panel Report, Appendix A: Panel Members|publisher=Impact Assessment Agency of Canada|accessdate=Apr 6, 2021}}</ref>
In 2016, Michael announced that she had been treated for breast cancer earlier in the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/lorraine-michael-ndp-breast-cancer-1.3892301|title=MHA Lorraine Michael diagnosed with, treated for breast cancer|publisher=CBC News|first=Daniel|last=MacEachern|date=Dec 12, 2016 |accessdate=Apr 6, 2021}}</ref>
Michael is a member of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.
==Provincial politics==
===Leadership (2006-2015)=== {{See also|2006 New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador leadership election}}
On March 28, 2006, Michael announced she was seeking the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, following the resignation of leader Jack Harris.<ref>{{cite news|last=Beswick|first=Aaron|title=Activist stepping up for NDP leadership race|newspaper=The Telegram|date=29 May 2006|page=A4}}</ref> At the leadership convention on May 28, 2006, Michael defeated writer Nina Patey with a 107–5 vote count.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/michael-waltzes-to-victory-in-ndp-leadership-1.578450|title=Michael waltzes to victory in NDP leadership|accessdate=14 March 2014|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=28 May 2006}}</ref>
On November 1, 2006 she was elected in a by-election in the district of Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Jerome Kennedy. Her campaign also received support from federal NDP leader, Jack Layton who visited the district to campaign for Michael.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/michael-holds-signal-hill-for-ndp-1.604299 | work=CBC News | title=Michael holds Signal Hill for NDP | date=November 1, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/personalities-top-politics-in-signal-hill-byelection-1.585937 | work=CBC News | title=Personalities top politics in Signal Hill byelection | date=October 31, 2006}}</ref>
In March 2007, New Democrat Randy Collins resigned as MHA for Labrador West after being named in the province's constituency allowance scandal. Michael was unsuccessful in holding the district for the NDP, losing to Progressive Conservative candidate Jim Baker. The party faced several mishaps during the campaign, notably the decision of their presumed candidate, Karen Oldford, to run for the Liberals and the decision by the president of the United Steelworkers union local at Wabush Mines to endorse the Labrador Party instead of the NDP.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ndp-support-leaking-to-labrador-party-union-official-1.652475 | work=CBC News | title=NDP support leaking to Labrador Party: union official | date=February 23, 2007}}</ref>
===2007 provincial election=== In the 2007 Newfoundland and Labrador general election the party ran candidates in 36 of the 48 electoral districts. Due to a lack of funds, Michael spent most of her time campaigning in the St. John's Metropolitan Area. She did make campaign stops in Burin-Placentia West, central Newfoundland and Western Labrador.<ref name="alone">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ndp-leader-michael-alone-again-1.669743|title=NDP Leader Michael alone again|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=2007-10-09|accessdate=2017-09-28}}</ref> Michael defeated her Progressive Conservative opponent Maria Afonso by a 17% margin but the party was unable to make any other gains throughout the province.<ref name="alone"/>
===2011 provincial election=== In the 2011 general election the Progressive Conservatives won their third straight majority government. The New Democrats placed second in the popular vote and won a record number of five seats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ndp-celebrates-historic-gains-1.1117282|title=NDP celebrates historic gains|publisher=CBC News|date=October 11, 2011|accessdate=May 21, 2019}}</ref> Despite this they finished third behind the Liberal Party in seats and the Liberals remained the Official Opposition.<ref name="majority">{{cite news|title=Dunderdale leads N.L. Tories to majority|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/dunderdale-leads-n-l-tories-to-majority-1.1079789|access-date=20 April 2012|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=12 October 2011}}</ref>
===Efforts as leader=== In March 2010, she called on government to immediately put a permanent air ambulance in western Labrador following a fatal incident in which a 56-year-old man died while waiting for an air ambulance to arrive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/air-ambulance-needed-in-western-labrador-ndp-1.906917|title=Air ambulance needed in western Labrador: NDP|publisher=CBC News|date=Mar 20, 2010 |accessdate=Apr 6, 2021}}</ref> In May 2010, she called for the House of Assembly to urge government to increase funding to help problem gamblers and establish a new plan for reduction leading to elimination of VLTs.<ref>{{cite news|title=Amended NDP bill on VLTs passes|url=http://www.nl.ndp.ca/televlts|accessdate=2010-05-27|newspaper=New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador|date=2011-06-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927063745/http://www.nl.ndp.ca/televlts|archive-date=2011-09-27|url-status=dead}}</ref> She has also supported a ban on bottled water in government offices.<ref>{{cite news|title=Question Period May 4|url=http://www.nl.ndp.ca/qpmay4|accessdate=22 December 2011|newspaper=New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador|date=4 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414214707/http://www.nl.ndp.ca/qpmay4|archive-date=14 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In July 2010, she criticized the Williams Government's for carelessness after a mistake from the Department of Education resulted in approximately 6,500 high school students from across the province receiving the wrong marks, or no marks on their transcripts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/wrong-grades-in-n-l-get-flunked-by-ndp-1.884021 |title=Wrong grades in N.L. get flunked by NDP|publisher=CBC News|date=Jul 23, 2010 |accessdate=Apr 6, 2021}}</ref>
===Public opinion=== During the majority of time as leader, Michael and her party's support remained under 10 percent in the polls. Under her leadership the party's popularity was consistent with where they had been in public opinion over the past 20 years. After the 2011 federal election in which the New Democratic Party overtook the Liberals as the Official Opposition, support for Michael and the provincial NDP surged in a Corporate Research Associates (CRA) poll. On June 7, 2011, a poll showed that the party's support since March 2011, had risen from eight percent to 20 percent. This placed them in a statistical tie with the Liberal Party who were at 22 percent. Both parties however trailed the Progressive Conservatives (PC) who had the support of 57 percent. Michael's own popularity spiked, since the previous poll by CRA her popularity had risen from five percent to 14 percent. This placed her just behind Liberal leader Yvonne Jones who was at 16 percent, Premier Kathy Dunderdale had the support of 51 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/11-1-NL-Press-Release.pdf|title=Support for the Progressive Conservative Party Remains High|publisher=Corporate Research Associates|date=2011-03-07|accessdate=2011-03-08|archive-date=6 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706173959/http://cra.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/11-1-NL-Press-Release.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/pcs-dunderdale-still-dominate-poll-1.1061854|title=PCs, Dunderdale Still Dominate: Poll|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=2011-03-07|access-date=2011-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tories drop, NDP surge in new poll|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/tories-drop-ndp-surge-in-new-poll-1.1061853|access-date=2011-06-07|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=2011-06-07}}</ref> By August 2011, Michael and her New Democratic Party had over taken the Liberal Party to place second behind the Progressive Conservatives. A CRA poll conducted throughout August showed that NDP support rose to 24%, while the Liberals remained at 20% and the PC Party fell slightly to 54%. While 50% thought Dunderdale was the best choice for premier, 17% of thought Michael was the best choice compared to 16% for new Liberal leader Kevin Aylward.<ref>{{cite web|title=PCs LEAD BY A WIDE MARGIN GOING INTO ELECTION|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/pdf/11-3-nl-press-release.pdf|publisher=Corporate Research Associates|accessdate=6 September 2011|date=6 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=PC support holds as NDP makes gains: poll|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/pc-support-holds-as-ndp-makes-gains-poll-1.1027126|access-date=6 September 2011|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=6 September 2011}}</ref>
===Caucus revolt and 2015-2019=== On October 21, 2013, it was revealed that Michael had received a letter from her caucus over the previous weekend calling for a leadership election to be held in 2014. The caucus felt that without renewal in the party they would have trouble attracting quality candidates and public support in the 2015 election. In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Michael said she was shocked by the letter and felt betrayed by her caucus. Michael said she planned to sit down with her caucus before making a decision on what to do.<ref>{{cite news|title=N.L. NDP Leader Lorraine Michael facing caucus revolt|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/n-l-ndp-leader-lorraine-michael-facing-caucus-revolt-1.2129212|accessdate=21 October 2013|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=21 October 2013}}</ref>
The letter led to a public fight within the NDP, particularly among the caucus. Both Gerry Rogers and George Murphy said they regretted sending the letter and supported Michael, while Dale Kirby and Chris Mitchelmore stood behind what they had written in the letter. Following the caucus meeting Michael agreed to having a vote on her leadership at the next annual general meeting of the party. Both Kirby and Mitchelmore later announced they were leaving the caucus to sit as Independent MHAs, and both men joined the Liberal Party in February 2014. The dispute over Michael's leadership also led to members of the provincial executive to resign.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mixed messages from NDP caucus, executive|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mixed-messages-from-ndp-caucus-executive-1.2158480|accessdate=24 October 2013|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=22 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bailey|first=Sue|title=Newfoundland NDP Leader pledges to stay on after leadership feud|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/newfoundland-ndp-leader-pledges-to-stay-on-after-leadership-feud/article15150111/|accessdate=8 May 2014|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=29 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Another N.L. NDP executive member resigns|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/another-n-l-ndp-executive-member-resigns-1.2463394|accessdate=8 May 2014|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=13 December 2013}}</ref> In May 2014 a party convention reaffirmed her leadership with the support of 75% of delegates. Michael announced on January 6, 2015, that she is stepping down as party leader after the party performed poorly in four by-elections, but will not be stepping down as an MHA.<ref name="Huffington Post"/> She was succeeded by Earle McCurdy following a leadership election on March 7, 2015.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lorraine Michael stepping down as NDP leader|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/lorraine-michael-stepping-down-as-ndp-leader-1.2890893|accessdate=January 6, 2015|work=CBC News|date=January 6, 2015}}</ref> Michael successfully contested the 2015 provincial election in the district of St. John's East-Quidi Vidi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ndp-leader-earle-mccurdy-loses-to-siobhan-coady-1.3344549|title=NDP Leader Earle McCurdy loses to Siobhan Coady|publisher=CBC News|date=30 November 2015|accessdate=2 December 2015}}</ref><ref name=wins>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/provincial-election-candidates-1.3343999 "Full list of winners in Newfoundland and Labrador election"]. CBC News, November 30, 2015.</ref> She subsequently served as NDP House Leader in the following parliamentary sessions as Earle McCurdy did not win his seat.
Following the resignation of her successor as NDP leader, Earle McCurdy, Michael was appointed interim leader of the NDP in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/local/lorraine-michael-named-interim-ndp-leader-25752/|title=Lorraine Michael named interim NDP leader|publisher=Saltwire Network|date=Sep 28, 2017|accessdate=Apr 6, 2021}}</ref> She served as interim leader until the election of MHA Gerry Rogers as leader in April 2018. She declined to run for re-election in the 2019 election in order to give party leader Alison Coffin a chance to win a seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/coffin-to-run-st-johns-east-1.5056083|title=NDP MHA Lorraine Michael steps aside, leader Alison Coffin to run in St. John's East-Quidi Vidi|date=Mar 14, 2019 |publisher=CBC News |accessdate=Apr 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetelegram.com/news/local/ndp-mha-lorraine-michael-stepping-down-endorses-party-leader-alison-coffin-for-st-johns-east-quidi-vidi-seat-292041/|title=NDP MHA Lorraine Michael stepping down, endorses party leader Alison Coffin for St. John's East-Quidi Vidi seat|date=Mar 14, 2019 |publisher=The Telegram |accessdate=Apr 6, 2021}}</ref>
In 2026, Michael endorsed Avi Lewis in that year's federal NDP leadership race.
==Electoral history== {{CANelec/top|NL|2015|St. John's East-Quidi Vidi|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|NL|NDP|'''Lorraine Michael'''|3,038|51.6}} {{CANelec|NL|Liberal|Paul Antle|2,365|40.2}} {{CANelec|NL|PC|Joshua Collier|478|8.1}} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|}} {{end}}
{{CANelec/top|NL|2011|Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|NL|NDP|'''Lorraine Michael'''|3,239|65.28|+8.48}} {{CANelec|NL|PC|John Noseworthy|1,550|31.24|-8.36}} {{CANelec|NL|Liberal|Drew Brown|173|3.49|-0.11}} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|}} {{end}}
{{CANelec/top|NL|2007|Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|NL|NDP|'''Lorraine Michael'''|3,062|56.8|+1.6}} {{CANelec|NL|PC|Maria Afonso|2,135|39.6|-5.2}} {{CANelec|NL|Liberal|Maura Beam|196|3.6|+3.6}} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|}} {{end}}
{{CANelec/top|NL|November 1, 2006|Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi|percent=yes|change=yes|by=yes|reason=Resignation of Jack Harris}} {{CANelec|NL|NDP|'''Lorraine Michael'''|1,68|55.2|+6.7}} {{CANelec|NL|PC|Jerome Kennedy|1,595|44.8|-1.0}} {{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|}} {{end}}
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
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{{NL NDP Leaders}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Michael, Lorraine}} Category:1943 births Category:Leaders of the Newfoundland and Labrador CCF/NDP Category:Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party MHAs Category:Activists from Newfoundland and Labrador Category:Living people Category:20th-century American Roman Catholic nuns Category:Canadian feminists Category:Women MHAs in Newfoundland and Labrador Category:Newfoundland and Labrador political party leaders Category:Female Canadian political party leaders Category:Politicians from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Category:University of Toronto alumni Category:Memorial University of Newfoundland alumni Category:Canadian educators Category:21st-century Canadian women educators Category:21st-century members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians Category:Canadian people of Lebanese descent Category:21st-century American Roman Catholic nuns Category:Lebanese people in Newfoundland and Labrador