Brian Tobin had been seen as a possible successor to Chrétien as leader of the Liberals, yet any hope of that is now gone, giving hope to others such as Paul Martin and possibly John Manley. Brian Tobin was one of Newfoundland's greater Premiers (even though there's not much to choose from, he was the sixth).
Brian Tobin was born and raised in the western Newfoundland community of Stephenville, on 21 October 1954. He studied political science at the Memorial University in St. John's yet he worked in broadcasting before entering politics, as a junior reporter for a radio station.
Brian Tobin has been no stranger to federal politics or provincial politics. He represented a riding, both federally and provincially that relies on seasonal fishing, which may have greatly helped shape his political beliefs and his career. His career started off provincially as he was an aide for Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal leader Bill Rowe in 1977, before becoming an assistant for federal Member of Parliament Don Jamieson. For the riding of Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte, Brian Tobin was elected to the House of Commons in the 1980 elections. He was then appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
He was reelected many times in 1984 and 1988. In 1989, he was elected Chairman of the national Liberal caucus. During the Mulroney years, Tobin's parliamentary role changed from time to time, and he was a critic of Forestry, Employment, Regional Industrial Expansion and Privatization and Transport. In 1993 he was again elected, and appointed Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. He was a big player in the early nineties when there was a so-called tugboat war on Spain.
In 1996, Brian Tobin made the hard decision to leave federal politics and return to provincial politics. He was elected Leader of the Liberal party and won an election in 1996, becoming the youngest province's sixth Premier.
In 1999 he was reelected and took on his second term as Premier, yet left in October 2000, right before the national elections, to return to federal politics. He was named Industry Minister by Prime Minister Chrétien, and was elected to the House of Commons in the 2000 federal elections, before he resigned last week.
Now 47, Tobin has spent almost half his life in politics since being elected to the House of Commons in 1980 at the young age of 25.
Go To Page: 1 2
