Tammy Scott-Wallace Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Tammy Scott-Wallace
Honorific-Suffix:MLA
Office1:Minister of Tourism, Heritage and CultureMinister responsible for Women's Equality
Term Start1:September 29, 2020
Premier1:Blaine Higgs
Predecessor1:Bruce Fitch
Office2:Member of the
New Brunswick Legislative Assembly
for Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins
Term Start2:September 14, 2020
Predecessor2:Bruce Northrup
Birth Place:Belleisle, New Brunswick, Canada
Party:Progressive Conservatives

Tammy Scott-Wallace is a Canadian Progressive Conservative politician who has represented Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 2020.[1] Prior to running for politics, Scott-Wallace worked as an award-winning journalist for over 25 years, with the majority of those years spent writing for the Kings County Record and the Telegraph-Journal.

Scott-Wallace is a member of the Executive Council of New Brunswick, serving as Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, as well as Minister responsible for Women's Equality.[2] She is the first woman to be elected to represent the riding of Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins.

Early life

After growing up in Belleisle and graduating from Belleisle Regional High School, Scott-Wallace attended Mount Allison University's political science program before transferring to the journalism program at Holland College.[3] From there, she launched a 25-year career as a journalist, writing for the Kings County Record and Telegraph-Journal for the bulk of her career.[3]

Political career

First election

Following the retirement of long-time Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins MLA Bruce Northrup, Scott-Wallace secured the Progressive Conservative nomination for the riding in the 2020 New Brunswick general election.[4] Despite the riding being known as a conservative stronghold, the unpopularity of scrapped healthcare reform proposals left the party's standing in the region to be questioned.[4] Assuring voters that the proposed changes would not be re-tabled by her party, Scott-Wallace was able to win Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins with a majority of the vote. In doing so, she became the first woman to represent the riding in the provincial legislature.

2020–present: Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture

As a freshman in the legislature, Premier Blaine Higgs appointed Scott-Wallace to his cabinet as Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture on September 29, 2020.[5] She took over the mandate in the midst of the tourism sector's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott-Wallace was also appointed Minister responsible for Women's Equality[5]

In 2024, Scott-Wallace and her deputy minister came under scrutiny from opposition members as a result of a week-long vacation they took to the United Kingdom and France. The trip, which had a total cost of in taxpayer funds paid by the government, saw the staffers stay at two luxury hotels while additionally billing the government for a British Museum tour as well as for riding the London Eye. The trips, described as "Tourism Mission — Europe" on its financial statement, was critiqued as "a vacation with a few meetings here and there to justify it" by Liberal critic of tourism Isabelle Thériault.[6] [7] Scott-Wallace came under further scrutiny for spending $5,200 in taxpayer dollars to attend a cruise ship conference in Miami, Florida.[8]

Electoral record

Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Live New Brunswick election results 2020: Real-time results in the provincial election. 2020-09-15. Global News. en-US.
  2. Web site: Government of New Brunswick. Canada. 29 Sep 2020. Swearing-in ceremony held. 2020-10-03. www2.gnb.ca. en.
  3. Web site: About Me . 2021-10-26. Tammy Scott-Wallace. en.
  4. Web site: Perry. Brad. Candidate Spotlight: Tammy Scott-Wallace . 2021-10-26. Country 94. en.
  5. Web site: 2020-09-29. New Brunswick swears in 16-member cabinet, including five newly elected members . 2021-10-26 . Atlantic.CTVnews. en.
  6. News: 'Conscience is clear': N.B. tourism minister, deputy expense $22,500 for Euro trip . 16 May 2024 . . 25 April 2024 . en.
  7. News: Poitras . Jacques . Jacques Poitras . N.B. tourism minister defends pricey trip to United Kingdom, France . 16 May 2024 . . 23 April 2024.
  8. News: Chilibeck . John . Embattled N.B. tourism minister's latest trip to Miami cost thousands . June 29, 2024 . . . May 17, 2024.