Jennifer Cossitt

Jennifer Cossitt
Member of Parliament
for Leeds—Grenville
In office
12 October 1982 – 20 November 1988
Preceded byThomas Cossitt
Succeeded byJim Jordan
Personal details
Born
Jennifer Birchall

(1948-06-22) 22 June 1948 (age 76)
Redcar, Yorkshire, England
Political partyProgressive Conservative
SpouseThomas Cossitt
OccupationBusiness executive

Jennifer Cossitt (née Birchall; born 22 June 1948) was a Progressive Conservative party member of the House of Commons of Canada. She was a business executive by career.

Her husband was Thomas Cossitt, member of Parliament for the Leeds—Grenville electoral district. Cossitt served as her husband's executive assistant for nine years.[1] Following his death in 1982, she campaigned at the riding in a 12 October 1982 by-election and won the seat. Cossitt took a fifth-ballot victory at a nominating convention of Leeds-Grenville Conservative Riding Association in the town of Prescott, Ontario, gaining 262 votes.[1] On her first day in the House of Commons (27 October 1982), she spoke against Liberal employment policies and entered an unsuccessful motion to debate these.[2]

Jennifer Cossitt won re-election in the 1984 federal election, but was defeated in the following 1988 federal election by Jim Jordan of the Liberal party. She served for the latter part of the 32nd Canadian Parliament and a full term in the 33rd Parliament.[3]

Election results

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1988 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jim Jordan 20,141 43.39 +20.07
Progressive Conservative Jennifer Cossitt 18,053 38.89 -22.61
New Democratic Barry Grills 5,141 11.08 -2.88
Christian Heritage David Butcher 1,584 3.41
Confederation of Regions Faye Garner 1,497 3.23
Total valid votes 46,416 100.00
1984 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Jennifer Cossitt 26,961 61.50 +4.50
Liberal Chuck Anderson 10,222 23.32 +2.59
New Democratic Jan Allen 6,121 13.96 +5.44
Green Mike Nickerson 348 0.79
Libertarian Hans Wienhold 190 0.43 -13.01
Total valid votes 43,842 100.00
Canadian federal by-election, 12 October 1982
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
upon Tom Cossitt's death on 15 March 1982
Progressive Conservative Jennifer Cossitt 18,401 57.00 +5.78
Liberal Chuck Anderson 6,693 20.73 -10.98
Libertarian Neil Reynolds 4,337 13.44
New Democratic Mildred Smith 2,751 8.52 -8.55
Independent Ray Turmel 99 0.31
Total valid votes 32,281 100.00

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Jennifer Cossitt, widow of the late Parliamentary gadfly Thomas". UPI. 19 June 1982. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Cossitt slams PM in House debut". Ottawa Citizen. 28 October 1982. p. 5.
  3. ^ "Leeds - Grenville". CBC News. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
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