View source for Diane Finley

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=April 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix  = [[The Honourable]]
| name              = Diane Finley
| honorific_suffix  = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|size=100%}}
| image             = Diane Finley CPC (cropped).jpg
| image_size        = 
| alt               = 
| caption           = Finley in May 2017
| office5            = [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]] Caucus Liaison
| leader5            = [[Andrew Scheer]]<br />[[Erin O'Toole]]
| term_start5        = September 25, 2017
| term_end5          = September 2, 2020
| successor5         = [[Tim Uppal]]

| office           = [[Minister of Public Works and Government Services]]
| primeminister    = [[Stephen Harper]]
| term_start       = July 15, 2013
| term_end         = November 4, 2015
| predecessor      = [[Rona Ambrose]]
| successor        = [[Judy Foote]]
| office1           = [[Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]]{{efn|Office became known as "Minister of Human Resources and Social Development" from 2006 to 2007.}}
| primeminister1    = [[Stephen Harper]]
| term_start1       = October 30, 2008
| term_end1         = July 14, 2013
| predecessor1      = [[Monte Solberg]]
| successor1        = [[Jason Kenney]]
| term_start2       = February 2, 2006
| term_end2         = January 3, 2007
| primeminister2    = [[Stephen Harper]]
| predecessor2      = [[Belinda Stronach]]
| successor2        = [[Monte Solberg]]
| office4           = [[Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]]
| primeminister4    = [[Stephen Harper]]
| term_start4       = January 4, 2007
| term_end4         = October 29, 2008
| predecessor4      = [[Monte Solberg]]
| successor4        = [[Jason Kenney]]
| riding6           = [[Haldimand—Norfolk]]
| parliament6       = Canadian
| term_start6       = June 28, 2004
| term_end6         = May 11, 2021
| predecessor6      = [[Bob Speller]]
| successor6        = [[Leslyn Lewis]]
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age |1957|10|3}}
| birth_place       = [[Hamilton, Ontario]], Canada
| death_date        =
| death_place       =
| party             = [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
| portfolio         = 
| profession        = Businesswoman, corporate executive, [[management consultant]], school administrator
| spouse            = {{marriage|[[Doug Finley]]|<!--unknown-->|May 11, 2013|end=died}}
| residence         = [[Simcoe, Ontario]], Canada
| website           = {{URL|https://dianefinley.ca}}
}}

'''Diane Finley''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} (born October 3, 1957) is a former Canadian politician. From 2006 through 2015, she served in the cabinet of Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]].  Her ministerial portfolios included [[Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (Canada)|Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]], [[Minister of Public Works and Government Services]], Minister Responsible for [[Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation]], or CMHC, and [[Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)|Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]].  She was a member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the [[electoral district (Canada)|riding]] of [[Haldimand—Norfolk]] for the [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]] from 2004 to 2021. In August 2020, she announced that she would not be running in the [[2021 Canadian federal election]].<ref name="retire">{{cite news |title=Longtime Conservative MP Diane Finley says she's not running in the next election |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7284446/conservative-mp-diane-finley-not-running-election/ |access-date=August 23, 2020 |work=Global News |agency=Canadian Press}}</ref> She resigned from office on May 11, 2021.

==Personal life==
Diane Finley was raised in Port Dover and Charlotteville in [[Norfolk County, Ontario]], and has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a [[Masters in Business Administration]] from the [[University of Western Ontario]].  After graduation, she became the administrator of Western's French Immersion School.  She then worked in a series of private and public sector jobs, in a variety of fields.  She was named "one of Canada's future leaders" by the Governor-General's Study Conference 2000. As a child, she participated in [[Girl Guides of Canada]] youth programs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.macleans.ca/general/girl-guides-hit-the-hill/|title=Girl Guides hit the Hill – Macleans.ca|date=March 19, 2010|work=Macleans.ca|access-date=November 30, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

Her husband was [[Doug Finley]], a [[Senate of Canada|Senator]] from Ontario and former campaign manager and director of political operations for the [[Conservative Party of Canada]].<ref>{{cite news
| title=Harper's 'political pit bull'
| url=https://www.thestar.com/article/491926
| author=Linda Diebel
| work=[[Toronto Star]]
| date=September 6, 2008
| access-date=September 9, 2008}}</ref> The pair met while Diane was working as a summer hire at Rolls-Royce where Doug was an executive.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/senator-doug-finley-dies-from-cancer-at-age-66/article11877151/|title = Senator Doug Finley dies from cancer at age 66}}</ref>

In 2006, Finley announced that she has [[Graves' disease]], a non-life-threatening [[thyroid]] condition that causes increased sensitivity to bright lights and forces her to wear tinted glasses.<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/01/05/immigration_file_a_revolving_door.html Immigration file a revolving door] ''Toronto Star'' 2007-01-05, Phinjo Gombu</ref>

==Political career==

Long involved in politics of the Conservative Party and its predecessors, Finley first ran for public office in the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 federal election]] in the riding of [[Haldimand—Norfolk]]. She defeated [[Bob Speller]], a [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] [[cabinet minister]], by 1,645 votes. After being re-elected in the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 election]], she was appointed to the cabinet as [[Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (Canada)|Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]]. An [[Order in Council]] transferred authority for [[Social Development Canada]] to her as well, and accordingly, she served under the [[style (address)|style]] ''Minister of Human Resources and Social Development''. She was shuffled from the [[Human Resources and Skills Development Canada]] to the [[Citizenship and Immigration Canada]] portfolio on January 4, 2007. The following year, Finley allegedly received [[threat]]s from [[sex industry]] officials in relation to her support of Bill C-17, which sought to allow [[immigration officer]]s to deny temporary [[Visa (document)|visas]] to prospective [[stripper]]s if they were suspected to be sex trafficking victims. [[Tim Lambrinos]] of the [[Adult Entertainment Association of Canada]] (AEAC) said that "it's not plausible" that any of the AEAC strip clubs were responsible for the threats.<ref>{{Cite news|work=[[Postmedia News]]|title=Immigration minister threatened over strippers legislation|date=April 24, 2008|url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=25529326-7db2-49f3-9df6-2538bc5dc95a&k=22757|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131106010110/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=25529326-7db2-49f3-9df6-2538bc5dc95a&k=22757|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 6, 2013|access-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref>

Finley was re-elected in the [[2008 Canadian federal election|2008 election]] and resumed her former post as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.<ref name="about">[http://www.dianefinley.ca/index.php/about-diane/ About Diane Finley] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110145847/http://www.dianefinley.ca/index.php/about-diane/ |date=January 10, 2012 }}, official page. Accessed January 19, 2012.</ref> She was re-elected in the [[2011 Canadian federal election|2011 election]] with 50.9% of the vote in her riding.

In March 2015, a parliamentary ethics report on an affair linked to disgraced prime ministerial aide [[Nigel S. Wright|Nigel Wright]] found that Finley had breached conflict of interest rules in her capacity as minister by diverting funding to a favoured project in [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]] whose promoter had close ties to the Conservative Party.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/conservative-minister-finley-breached-conflict-of-interest-rules-watchdog-says/article23385863/|title=Ethics report finds Tory minister Diane Finley broke conflict-of-interest rules}}</ref>

After winning her seat once more in the [[2015 Canadian federal election|2015 federal election]], Finley announced that she would be running for the position of interim leader of the Conservative Party, after [[Stephen Harper]]'s resignation from the post.<ref name="Interim leader">{{cite web | url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/diane-finley-intends-to-run-for-interim-conservative-leader/ | title=Diane Finley intends to run for interim Conservative leader | publisher=[[CTV News]] | date=October 22, 2015 | access-date=October 22, 2015 | author=The Canadian Press | author-link=The Canadian Press }}</ref> She was passed over for interim leader and subsequently placed in Rona Ambrose's shadow cabinet.

She was re-elected in the [[2019 Canadian federal election|2019 federal election]]. On August 23, 2020, she announced that she would not seek re-election in the [[2021 Canadian federal election|2021 federal election]]. She resigned from the House of Commons on May 11, 2021.<ref name="Hansard_resignation">{{cite Hansard |jurisdiction=Canada |title=Resignation of Member |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/House/432/Debates/099/HAN099-E.PDF |house=[[House of Commons of Canada]] |date=May 11, 2021 |page=7071 }}</ref> [[Leslyn Lewis]] was the Conservative candidate elected to succeed Finley in the [[2021 Canadian federal election|2021 federal election]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=MP Diane Finley resigns from House of Commons|url=https://simcoereformer.ca/news/local-news/mp-diane-finley-resigns-from-house-of-commons|access-date=May 13, 2021|website=simcoereformer|language=en-CA}}</ref>

==Political views==

Finley has promoted increased private-sector involvement in health services. She was the founder of Canada's largest publicly funded ambulance service company, [[Emergency medical services in Canada#Private transport services|Canadian Medical Response]], and has been active in the [[Public–private partnership|Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships]].

==Electoral record==

{{2019 Canadian federal election/Haldimand—Norfolk}}
{{2015 Canadian federal election/Haldimand—Norfolk}}
{{2011 Canadian federal election/Haldimand—Norfolk}}
{{2008 Canadian federal election/Haldimand—Norfolk}}
{{2006 Canadian federal election/Haldimand—Norfolk}}
{{2004 Canadian federal election/Haldimand—Norfolk}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==External links==
* [http://www.dianefinley.ca/ Official website]{{dead link|date=July 2025}}
* [https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/25501 Profile] at [[House of Commons of Canada]]
* {{Canadian Parliament links|parlinfo=2173|openparl=diane-finley}}
* [https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/39-1/house/sitting-4/hansard Hansard: Diane Finley's announcement of her Graves' disease diagnosis]

{{s-start}}
{{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=28}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post4         = [[Minister of Public Works and Government Services (Canada)|Minister of Public Works and Government Services]]
| post4years    = 2013&ndash;2015
| post4note     =
| post4preceded = [[Rona Ambrose]]
| post4followed = [[Judy Foote]]
| post3         = [[Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (Canada)|Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]]
| post3years    = 2008&ndash;2013
| post3note     =
| post3preceded = [[Monte Solberg]]
| post3followed = [[Jason Kenney]]
| post2         = [[Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)|Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]]
| post2years    = 2007&ndash;2008
| post2note     =
| post2preceded = [[Monte Solberg]]
| post2followed = [[Jason Kenney]]
| post1         = Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
| post1years    = 2006&ndash;2007
| post1note     = styled as Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
| post1preceded = [[Belinda Stronach]]
| post1followed = [[Monte Solberg]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Harper Ministry}}
{{CA-Ministers of Citizenship and Immigration}}
{{CA-Ministers of Labour}}
{{CA-Ministers of Public Works}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finley, Diane}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Women members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the 28th Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:People from Norfolk County, Ontario]]
[[Category:Politicians from Hamilton, Ontario]]
[[Category:University of Western Ontario alumni]]
[[Category:Women in Ontario politics]]
[[Category:Women government ministers of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]