Colin Carrie

Colin Carrie, MP (born April 11, 1962) is a Canadian politician. He is a current member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Oshawa in the province of Ontario for the Conservative Party of Canada.

Personal life

Carrie was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He lived in several Canadian cities before settling in Oshawa at age fifteen. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo, and was awarded a Doctor of Chiropractic in 1989 from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Prior to entering politics, he worked as a chiropractor. He is a past executive member of the Durham Chiropractic Society and former Chair of Spinal Health Week in Durham Region, and has been Financial Secretary of the Oshawa Knights of Columbus. Carrie also served as a Director of the Oshawa Progressive Conservative Party Association, before the party's 2004 merger with the Canadian Alliance to form the Conservative Party of Canada.

Political career

Carrie was first elected as Member of Parliament (Canada) for Oshawa in the 2004 federal election, defeating NDP candidate Sid Ryan and Liberal candidate Louise Parkes in a close three-way race. In the 38th Parliament, he served as a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.

During this session, he reintroduced Private Member's Bill C-420 An Act to Amend the Food and Drugs Act (previously introduced by James Lunney) to end the listing of vitamins, minerals and related products as drugs under the Canadian Food and Drugs Act. This measure has been criticized by some as removing a safety provision from the regulation of natural health products. Supporters of the bill argued that it would benefit the position of small producers relative to the pharmaceutical industry. Carrie also served as the founding Chair of the Conservative Party of Canada’s Automotive Caucus and was also a member of the Conservative Party of Canada’s Energy Caucus and Seniors Caucus.

In a close two-way race with returning NDP challenger Sid Ryan, he retained his seat in the 2006 election as part of the first Conservative government to be elected in Canada in almost 13 years. He once again retained his seat in October 2008. On February 7, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed him to the post of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry.

Carrie once again retained his seat in the 2008 federal election. In a two-way race between himself and NDP candidate Mike Shields, Carrie won by a larger margin than his previous two elections. In November 2008, Carrie was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. During the 40th Parliament Carrie resumed his membership on the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.

In the 2011 federal election, Carrie won his fourth election in seven years. In an historic election which saw the Liberals relegated to the third party and the Conservatives achieve a majority in the House of Commons, Carrie was elected ahead of his main opponent, NDP candidate and CAW President Chris Buckley, receiving a landslide 51.3% support from Oshawa voters. Carrie won by the largest margin of victory in Oshawa since the NDP's Ed Broadbent in the 1980 federal election.

In September 2013, Carrie was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment.

Electoral record