Breitkreuz, Garry W. (1945-)

Born in Yorkton on October 21, 1945, Breitkreuz was raised near Springside. He obtained a BEd from the University of Saskatchewan and worked within that field for twenty-four years. Breitkreuz was elected to the House of Commons in 1993 as Reform member for Yorkton-Melville, in 1997 and 2000 for the Canadian Alliance, and in 2004 for the Conservatives. He served as the Deputy Whip of the Opposition between 2000 and 2003, spending four months as Chief Opposition Whip. Breitkreuz was the Opposition's Deputy House Leader in 2004, and the Firearms and Property Rights Critic, remaining a vocal opponent of the firearms registration scheme throughout his years in office. He sat on the House of Commons' Procedure and House Affairs Standing Committee as deputy critic of the Solicitor General, and of Aboriginal Affairs, and was critic for Unemployment Insurance. Breitkreuz was vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, and served on the Agriculture and Agri-Food, Justice and Human Rights, and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Standing Committees. He introduced a series of private member's motions that reflect his pro-life views, and in March 2004 introduced Private Member's Motion M-560, hoping to change the criminal code to protect unborn children in cases of violence against pregnant women.

Teresa Welsh