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Maurice Vellacott (born September 29, 1955) is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2015 as Member of Parliament (MP) for Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. ==Early life, viewpoints and career== Vellacott was born to a family in Wadena, Saskatchewan, and was raised in Quill Lake.〔Peter Wilson, "Rookie MP learns to live in Ottawa", ''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix'', 1 November 1997, C1.〕 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.〔(Official Maurice Vellacott website ), "About Maurice" (accessed 27 March 2006).〕 He joined the Reform Party of Canada in 1990.〔Alex Postnikoff, "Vellacott's changes confusing voters", ''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix'', 2 April 2004, A10.〕 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.〔Maurice Vellacott, "Political views consistent throughout career", ''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix'', 21 April 2004, A12.〕 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 surchange 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."〔Maurice Vellacott, "Creative thinking key to keeping health services", ''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix'', 8 August 1996, A5.〕 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.〔Betty Ann Adam, "(health district needs ... ), ''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix'', 7 February 1997, A7.〕 Vellacott called for the removal of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) from the city, blaming them for an increase in health costs related to gambling addiction.〔Betty Ann Adam, "Increased attendance at Gambler's Anonymous linked to VLTs", ''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix'', 7 March 1997, A1.〕 His motion for a VLT plebiscite was defeated in May 1997.〔Dan Zakreski, "Health board rejects Saskatoon VLT vote", ''Saskatoon Star-Phoenix'', 3 May 1997, A5.〕 Vellacott is a social and economic conservative. His community involvement in the past and present 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 has been a member of the Reform Party's Family Cauucs and a co-chair of the non-partisan Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Maurice Vellacott」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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