Maurice Vellacott

Maurice Vellacott (born September 29, 1955) is a former Canadian politician from Saskatchewan.

He joined the Reform Party of Canada in 1990.

Vellacott campaigned in the 1995 Saskatchewan provincial election as a Liberal and lost to New Democratic Party candidate Eric Cline in Saskatoon Mount Royal.

He later argued that running as a Liberal was consistent with his political ideology, in that the provincial Liberal platform of 1995 contained several policies advocated by the Reform Party, which did not have provincial affiliates.

Vellacott was elected for Ward Two on the Saskatoon District Health Board in 1995, and served on the board for two years before his election to the House of Commons.

He wrote an editorial piece about Canada's health care system in 1996, defending the public model as far superior to the "fragmented" American system in combating administrative waste, but also arguing that the system was in need of renewal and an infusion of funds.

Vellacott suggested that Saskatoon District Health could impose a surcharge on American health insurers for certain medical procedures given to American patients, "and in the process make money to inject back into the public system for the people of Saskatchewan."

He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2015 as the member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin from 1997 to 2015 (prior to 2000, known simply as Wanuskewin), variously as a member of the Reform Party, the Canadian Alliance, and the Conservative Party.

Vellacott was known as an outspoken social conservative, particularly in opposing same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

Vellacott was born in Wadena, Saskatchewan, and was raised in Quill Lake.

He obtained a Bachelor's degree from Briercrest College, a Christian educational institution located in Caronport, Saskatchewan, and later earned a Master of Divinity at the Canadian Theological Seminary (affiliated with the University of Regina) and a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity International University, which is an evangelical Christian university in Deerfield, Illinois.

Before entering political life, he was a pastor and personal care worker at a nursing home in Rosthern, Saskatchewan.

In early 1997, Vellacott opposed a request by Saskatoon's Gay and Lesbian Health Services (GLHS) for health board funding.

Gens Hellquist of GLHS had argued that homophobic intolerance was responsible for higher levels of depression in the LGBT community in relation to society as a whole, and that community-specific funding would address these and other concerns.

Vellacott responded by suggesting that many homosexuals were inappropriately blaming their personal difficulties on homophobia.

Vellacott called for the removal of video lottery terminals from the city, blaming them for an increase in health costs related to gambling addiction.

His motion for a plebiscite was defeated in May 1997.

Vellacott is a social and economic conservative.

His community involvement has included the Canadian Club, Canadian Palliative Care, the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association, the Saskatchewan Landlords Association, the Saskatchewan Taxpayers Federation, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, the Chamber of Commerce, the North Saskatoon Business Association and Toastmasters International.

He is a founding Board Member of Real Choices Crisis Pregnancy Centre in Saskatoon.

In Parliament, he was a member of the Reform Party's Family Caucus and a co-chair of the non-partisan Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus.

In early 1997, Vellacott defeated Sam Dyck and Fred Wesolowski to win the Reform Party's nomination for the new Saskatoon-area electoral district of Wanuskewin.

Dyck later ran as an independent candidate against Vellacott in the 1997 federal election, arguing that Vellacott would try to "legislate morality" if victorious.

Vellacott was nonetheless elected, amid a general gain for Reform in Saskatchewan.

The Liberal Party of Canada won a second consecutive majority government, and Vellacott served as a member of the Official Opposition.

Shortly after his election, Vellacott announced that he would introduce a private member's bill to eliminate the national Court Challenges Program, which provides funding for groups that bring human rights cases before the Canadian courts.

He argued that "some zealots" were "using our important tax dollars" for dubious ends via the program, and singled out an effort by Saskatoon resident Ailsa Watkinson to prohibit corporal punishment against children.

Vellacott wrote an editorial piece in early 1998 describing Watkinson as a "social engineer" promoting an "extremist agenda", and accusing Canada's "unelected judges" of "judicial imperialism" in their interpretations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

A supporter of Watkinson responded that Vellacott's piece was a "mixture of invective and innuendo", and argued that his defence of corporal punishment was based on flawed logic.

Vellacott supported other socially conservative initiatives.

In late 1998, he brought forward a "conscience rights" bill to prevent nurses and doctors from being forced to perform abortions.

He wrote an editorial against same-sex marriage the following year, arguing that marriage should be restricted to heterosexual couples because of its traditional role in the procreation and nurturing of children.

He wrote that "homosexuals already have the right to marry, providing that -- like everybody else -- they marry someone of the opposite sex."

He opposed granting spousal benefits for same-sex couples, describing supporters of the initiative as "activist liberal judges and a small but aggressive homosexual lobby."

Vellacott confirmed his support for Preston Manning's leadership of the Reform Party in 1998, after two other Saskatchewan Reform MPs called for a leadership review.

In 1999, he criticized the Saskatchewan government's decision to force thirteen-year-old Tyrell Dueck into cancer treatment.

Dueck's parents objected to continued cancer treatment at the Saskatoon cancer centre on the grounds that it did not appear to be working and instead sought to access a more experimental treatment in Mexico.

Vellacott supported parental discretion in such matters.

Vellacott also called for full compensation to Hepatitis C victims during his first term in Parliament, arguing that the government could overcome complicated legal issues around liability by issuing ex gratia payments.

He originally voted against the 1999 United Alternative initiative which led to the creation of the Canadian Alliance, but later changed his mind and supported it.