In Canada, a star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media or journalism. Less commonly they are either retired high-profile politicians who have been lured back into politics or a big-city mayor or provincial premier who has been convinced to enter federal politics.

2006 election

In the 2006 Canadian federal election, the following individuals have been touted as "star candidates". The 2006 Canadian federal election (more formally, the 39th General Election) was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ...

• Chris Axworthy, Liberal, 2006, former Saskatchewan NDP cabinet minister, leadership contestant and ex-federal NDP MP, switched parties to run for Liberals in 2004 - defeated
• Allan Cutler, Conservative (Ottawa South), original whistle-blower in the sponsorship scandal, exposing corruption in the Liberal government. - defeated
• Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, (Etobicoke—Lakeshore), renowned Harvard University professor, author and public intellectual. - elected
• Peter Kent, Conservative (St. Paul's), former anchor for Global News, 1970s anchor of The National, former foreign correspondent. - defeated
• Paul Summerville, NDP (St. Paul's), former bank vice-president and chief economist. - defeated
• Marc Garneau, Liberal (Vaudreuil-Soulanges), astronaut, head of Canadian Space Agency, first Canadian in space. - defeated
• Deborah Coyne, Liberal (Toronto—Danforth), constitutional lawyer, former advisor to Clyde Wells, mother of Pierre Trudeau's only daughter. - defeated
• Lawrence Cannon, Conservative (Pontiac), former provincial Liberal cabinet minister of Quebec. - elected
• Tina Keeper, Liberal, (Churchill), Gemini Award-winning actress, North of 60 - elected
• Edward Schreyer, NDP (Selkirk—Interlake), former Governor General of Canada and former Premier of Manitoba. - defeated

Chris Axworthy (born March 10, 1947, Plymouth, England) is a Canadian politician. ... Allen Cutler was a Canadian civil servant who became notable for his role in the sponsorship scandal: by acting as the whistleblower, Cutler both triggered the scandal and lost his job. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a right-of-centre political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... Ottawa South (fr. ... The sponsorship scandal, AdScam, or Sponsorgate, is an ongoing scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government sponsorship program (sometimes capitalized) in the province of Quebec, originally rationalized as an effort to raise Canadian patriotic sentiments to counter Quebec separatism. ... Michael Ignatieff Michael Grant Ignatieff, Ph. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party positioned around the centre of the political spectrum, combining a generally progressive social policy with moderate economics. ... Etobicoke—Lakeshore (formerly known as Lakeshore and Toronto—Lakeshore) is a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ... An intellectual is a person who uses their intellect to study, reflect, and speculate on a variety of different ideas. ... Peter Kent (born in Sussex, England ca. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a right-of-centre political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... This article refers to the Canadian electoral district, for other uses see St. ... The First National Exhibitors Circuit was founded 1917 by the merger of 26 of the biggest First Run cinema chains in the United States of America, controlling more than 600 cinemas, more than 200 of them were First Run cinemas. ... The National, now officially known as CBC News: The National, is the CBCs flagship national television newscast. ... Paul Summerville, PhD is a Canadian economist who has, for 15 years, held high positions in several prominent banks, including chief economist for RBC Dominion Securities. ... This page is about the Canadian political party. ... This article refers to the Canadian electoral district, for other uses see St. ... Marc Garneau Captain (N) Dr. Joseph Jean-Pierre Marc Garneau CC, CD, Ph. ... Vaudreuil-Soulanges is a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Quebec. ... Deborah Coyne, LLD , MPhil is a Canadian constitutional lawyer, professor and author. ... Toronto—Danforth in relation to the other Toronto ridings Toronto—Danforth (formerly Broadview—Greenwood) is a federal and provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999. ... Pierre Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984. ... Hon. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a right-of-centre political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... Pontiac in relation to the other Quebec ridings Pontiac (formerly known as Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle) is a federal electoral district in western Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1949 aand since 1968, and a provincial electoral district that has been represented... Tina Keeper (b. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party positioned around the centre of the political spectrum, combining a generally progressive social policy with moderate economics. ... Churchill is a Canadian electoral district covering northern Manitoba. ... North of 60 was a mid-1990s Canadian television series depicting life in the Arctic (north of 60 degrees North latitude, hence the title). ... Edward Richard Schreyer, PC, CC, CMM, OM, CD, LLD (born December 21, 1935, Beausejour, Manitoba) is a Canadian politician and member of the New Democratic Party of Canada. ... This page is about the Canadian political party. ... Selkirk—Interlake is the name of a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada. ... Governor-General (in Canada and India, Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 8th 647,797 km² 553,556 km² 64,241 km² (14. ...

2004 Election

In the 2004 Canadian federal election, it was one of the first times in the media that the term "star candidate" had been used. Part of the reason was because Paul Martin changed the nomination process to allow him to handpick his preferred candidates. The Canadian federal election, 2004 (more formally, the 38th general election), was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... For other uses, see Paul Martin (disambiguation). ... The period between Paul Martins assumption of the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada on November 14, 2003, and the 2004 federal election being called on May 23, 2004, saw a lot of infighting within the party. ...

• Ed Broadbent, NDP (Ottawa Centre), 2004, former NDP leader came out of retirement after over a decade to return to parliament - elected
• Glen Murray, Liberal, 2004, incumbent Mayor of Winnipeg resigned his post to run for the Liberals - defeated
• Belinda Stronach, Conservative, 2004, CEO of Magna International - elected
• Chris Axworthy, Liberal, 2004, former Saskatchewan NDP cabinet minister, leadeship contestant and ex-federal NDP MP, switched parties to run for Liberals - defeated
• Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, 2004, former NDP Premier of British Columbia - elected
• Monia Mazigh, NDP, 2004, wife of Maher Arar, campaigned for his release - defeated
• Ken Dryden, Liberal, 2004, former goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, vice chairman of the Toronto Maple Leafs - elected
• Ken Nicol, Liberal, 2004, former leader of the Opposition and Liberal leader in Alberta - defeated

Hon. ... The Canadian federal election, 2004 (more formally, the 38th general election), was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... Glen Murray (born October 27, 1957) is a politician who was formerly the mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... List of mayors of Winnipeg, Manitoba: 1874 Francis Evans Cornish, Q. C. 1875–76 William Nassau Kennedy 1877–78 Thomas Scott 1879–80 Alexander Logan 1881 Elias George Conklin 1882 Alexander Logan 1883 Alexander McMicken 1884 Alexander Logan 1885 Charles Edward Hamilton 1886 Henry Shaver Wesbrook 1887–88 Lyman Melvin... Belinda Stronach, PC, MP Belinda Stronach, PC, MP (born May 2, 1966 in Newmarket, Ontario) is a Canadian businessperson, politician, and a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) in the Canadian House of Commons. ... Chris Axworthy (born March 10, 1947, Plymouth, England) is a Canadian politician. ... The Honourable Ujjal Singh Dosanjh, PC, MP, BA, LLB (born September 9, 1947, Jalandhar) is a Canadian Member of Parliament and lawyer. ... Monia Mazigh is best known as the wife of Maher Arar. ... Maher Arar (born 1970) is a Canadian software engineer born in Syria. ... The Honourable Kenneth Wayne Ken Dryden, PC, MP, BA, LLB (born August 8, 1947, in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author and retired National Hockey League goaltender. ... The Montreal Canadiens are the oldest established National Hockey League franchise, and one of the most successful in all of North American sports history. ... The Toronto Maple Leafs are a National Hockey League (NHL) team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... The Alberta Liberal Party is a political party in Alberta, Canada. ...

Past elections

Star candidates in past elections include:

• Brian Tobin, Liberal, 2000, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador (making his return to federal politics after leaving in 1996) - elected
• Greg Malone, NDP, 2000, comedian best known from Codco - defeated
• Lewis MacKenzie, PC, 1997, retired general famous for his work as a peacekeeper - defeated
• Howard Pawley, NDP, 1988, former Premier of Manitoba - defeated
• Dave Barrett, NDP, 1988, former Premier of British Columbia - elected
• Gérard Pelletier, Liberal, 1965, journalist - elected
• Jean Marchand, Liberal, 1965, labour leader - elected