Anne McGrath

For the Australian historian, see Ann McGrath.

Anne McGrath
McGrath at the NDP's 2011 federal election campaign launch
National Director of the New Democratic Party
In office 2019–2024
Leader	Jagmeet Singh
Preceded by	Melissa Bruno
Succeeded by	Lucy Watson
In office 2014–2015
Leader	Tom Mulcair
Preceded by	Nathan Rothman
Succeeded by	Karl Bélanger
Principal Secretary to the Premier of Alberta
In office June 2016 – April 2019
Premier	Rachel Notley
President of the New Democratic Party
In office September 10, 2006 – August 16, 2009
Leader	Jack Layton
Preceded by	Adam Giambrone
Succeeded by	Peggy Nash
Personal details
Born	c. 1958 Aldershot, England
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	New Democratic Party (since at least 1993)
Other political affiliations	Communist Party of Canada (1984)

Anne McGrath (born c. 1958) is a Canadian political advisor. McGrath was president of the New Democratic Party from 2006 to 2009, National Director of the NDP from 2019 to 2024 and previously from 2014 to 2015, principal secretary to former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, and as Notley's deputy chief of staff. McGrath is currently serving as the principal secretary to federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh in the House of Commons.

Background

McGrath was born in Aldershot, England to Irish parents. Her family moved to Montreal when she was a child and later to Ottawa. Her father was a school principal and her mother was a teacher.

She studied English literature at the University of Ottawa and in 1979–80 she was President of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa.

After graduating, she moved to Edmonton to work as a field organizer for the Alberta Federation of Students while studying for an education degree at the University of Alberta and became politically active.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and began her career as a teacher. She then held a variety of positions with not-for-profit organizations including working as Canadian Programme Officer for Oxfam Canada and Community Development Team Leader and senior education officer for the Canadian Mental Health Association. She has a master's degree in communications studies. She has worked as a managing director at the lobbying firm Ensight, and is an associate at the public relations firm Hill+Knowlton Strategies. She has also served as a board member and social issues chair of the Elizabeth Fry Society, Vice-President of National Action Committee on the Status of Women, and a member of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action: Beijing and Beyond.

McGrath is a frequent commentator on national media broadcasts and has been identified as one of the 100 most influential people in government and politics in Ottawa. She has been an activist in the labour, student and women's movements and had been employed by CUPE National as Director of Equality and as executive assistant to CUPE's national president Judy Darcy, and by Oxfam Canada.

Politics

In the 1984 federal election, while a student, she ran as candidate for the Communist Party of Canada in Edmonton—Strathcona, placing seventh. Of her involvement with the Communist Party she says "I was young, probably naïve, interested in talking about politics. And very influenced by friends and teachers.". At a debate at the Calgary Varsity Centre in April 2019, McGrath apologised for her past involvement with the Communist Party saying she was no longer a Communist stating, "Four decades ago when I was a young student, I was a member [of the Communist Party] and I deeply regret that. It was a mistake and I'm very sorry."

In 1993, McGrath was the Alberta New Democratic Party's candidate in Calgary-Bow. In 1995 she was its candidate in a provincial by-election in Calgary-McCall and came in third place. In 1995, she unsuccessfully challenged Ross Harvey for the leadership of the Alberta New Democratic Party.

McGrath was president of the New Democratic Party from 2006 to 2009; she was elected on September 10, 2006, at the party's convention in Quebec City and her term ended on August 16, 2009 when Peggy Nash was elected president at the party's convention in Halifax. Before that, she had been director of operations for the NDP federal caucus.

As Chief of Staff to Jack Layton (2008–2011), she is credited with professionalizing caucus operations and with helping organize the party's historic breakthrough to Official Opposition status. She stayed on as chief of staff to interim party leader Nycole Turmel and the federal NDP Caucus, during Turmel's interim leadership. McGrath also served as the National Director of the New Democratic Party (NDP) of Canada (2014-2015).

McGrath served as principal secretary to former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and as Notley's deputy chief of staff.

McGrath was the NDP candidate in Calgary-Varsity in the 2019 Alberta general election.

She was portrayed by Wendy Crewson in the 2013 CBC Television film Jack.

Electoral record

Federal

1984 Canadian federal election: Edmonton—Strathcona
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	David Kilgour	33,712	61.43	+2.05
	New Democratic	Doris S. Burghardt	11,095	20.22	+8.21
	Liberal	Sandra Douglas-Tubb	8,500	15.49	−11.66
	Confederation of Regions	Lorne Cass	749	1.36
	Green	Russell John Mulvey	466	0.85
	Social Credit	Norman Utz	218	0.40
	Communist	Anne McGrath	137	0.25	−0.01
Total valid votes			54,877	100.00

Provincial

2019 Alberta general election: Calgary-Varsity
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	United Conservative	Jason Copping	10,853	46.16	+1.90
	New Democratic	Anne McGrath	10,215	43.44	+3.29
	Alberta Party	Beth Barberree	1,687	7.17	+6.05
	Liberal	Ryan Campbell	383	1.63	-10.48
	Green	Cheryle Chagnon-Greyeyes	274	1.17	-1.04
	Independence	Chris McAndrew	101	0.43	New
Total valid votes			23,513	99.89
Rejected, spoiled and declined			264	1.11
Turnout			23,777	73.34
Eligible electors			32,422
	United Conservative notional hold		Swing		-0.69
Source(s) "2019 Provincial General Election Results". Elections Alberta. Retrieved 2019-04-30.

Alberta provincial by-election, April 20, 1995: Calgary-McCall
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Shiraz Shariff	2,496	43.64	−1.44
	Liberal	Jeet Shergill	1,980	34.61	2.63
	New Democratic	Anne McGrath	713	12.46	2.61
	Social Credit	Doug Cooper	470	8.22
	Confederation of Regions	Peter Hope	61	1.07	−0.34
Total			5,720
Rejected, spoiled and declined			17
Eligible electors / Turnout			20,514	27.97
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		−2.04
Source: "Calgary-McCall by-election official results". Elections Alberta. April 20, 1995. Retrieved February 6, 2012.

1993 Alberta general election: Calgary-Bow
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Bonnie Laing	7,011	46.28%	11.39%
	Liberal	Rob Van Walleghem	5,369	35.44%	1.22%
	New Democratic	Anne McGrath	1,908	12.59%	-18.29%
	Social Credit	Patrick John Hudson	376	2.48%	–
	Greens	David Crowe	287	1.89%	–
	Confederation of Regions	Roberta McDonald	120	0.79%	–
	Natural Law	Alan Livingston	78	0.51%	–
Total			15,149	–	–
Rejected, spoiled and declined			60	–	–
Eligible electors / turnout			23,546	64.59%	12.48%
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		5.09%
Source(s) Source: "Calgary-Bow Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020.

1995 Alberta NDP leadership challenge

(Held on November 11, 1995)

• Ross Harvey 177
• Anne McGrath 118
• Joe Weykowich 30
• Lawrence Dubrofsky 3