# Chris Axworthy

Christopher S. Axworthy, KC (March 10, 1947 – August 11, 2023) was a Canadian politician and academic.

## Law professor

After teaching law at the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie Law School, Chris Axworthy came to Saskatoon in 1984 as the founding executive director of the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and as a professor of law at the University of Saskatchewan. In 2003 he returned to the University of Saskatchewan as a professor of law, where he taught until the spring of 2008.
In the spring of 2008, he was appointed Dean of Robson Hall at the University of Manitoba for a five-year term beginning on July 1, 2008. He was also the President of the Institute of Parliamentary and Political Law.
In May 2010, Axworthy assumed the position as the Founding Dean of Law at Thompson Rivers University's new law school, which opened in Fall 2011. On July 15, 2013, he resigned this position.

## Political career

Axworthy was elected as a Saskatchewan Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party in 1988 and was re-elected in 1993 and 1997.
Axworthy resigned from the House of Commons on June 1, 1999, to join the cabinet of then Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow. He was elected as an MLA in a by-election as the Saskatchewan NDP MLA for the constituency of Saskatoon-Fairview with 64% of the vote. He was also re-elected three months later in a general election that same year. He served as Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. After Romanow stepped down, Axworthy ran against Lorne Calvert for the provincial NDP leadership convention and finished second. Axworthy, who was still serving as Justice Minister, resigned as MLA in January 2003.
Although he had been an NDP member for his entire political career, Axworthy announced his bid for the Liberal nomination in the riding of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin on March 5, 2004. He received 32.58% of the vote, but lost to incumbent Conservative MP, Maurice Vellacott. He lost to Vellacott a second time in the 2006 federal election.

## Personal life and death

Axworthy was born in Plymouth, England on March 10, 1947. He died from cancer on August 11, 2023, at the age of 76.

## Electoral results
### Federal

vte2006 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Wanuskewin :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | Maurice Vellacott | 17,753 | 49.39 | +2.74 | $62,331.71 |
| | Liberal | Chris Axworthy | 8,655 | 24.08 | −8.50 | $52,437.43 |
| | New Democratic | Jim Maddin | 7,939 | 22.09 | +4.27 | $35,098.35 |
| | Green | Don Cameron | 1,292 | 3.59 | +0.63 | $880.29 |
| | Christian Heritage | Dale Sanders | 307 | 0.85 | −0.90 | $1,552.99 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 35,946 | 100.00 | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 96 | 0.27 | +0.03 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,042 | 67.35 | +7.63 |
| Electors on the lists | Electors on the lists | Electors on the lists | 53,513 | | |
vte2004 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Wanuskewin :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | Maurice Vellacott | 15,109 | 46.64 | −11.09 | $66,433.82 |
| | Liberal | Chris Axworthy | 10,553 | 32.58 | +15.76 | $72,269.97 |
| | New Democratic | Priscilla Settee | 5,770 | 17.81 | −6.42 | $38,635.22 |
| | Green | David Greenfield | 960 | 2.96 | +1.75 | $25.00 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 32,392 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 76 | 0.23 | −0.03 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,468 | 59.72 | −1.90 |
| Electors on the lists | Electors on the lists | Electors on the lists | 54,366 |
| Percentage change figures are factored for redistribution. Conservative Party percentages are contrasted with the combined Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative percentages from 2000. |||||||
| Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada. |||||||
1997 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Chris Axworthy | 12,095 | 43.72 | $56,131 |
| | Reform | Elwin Hermanson | 9,011 | 32.57 | $33,126 |
| | Liberal | Tanyss Munro | 4,438 | 16.04 | $37,991 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Richard Gabruch | 1,931 | 6.98 | $11,361 |
| | Canadian Action | Rick Barsky | 191 | 0.69 | $1,760 |
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | 27,666 | 100.00 | $58,640 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 113 | 0.41 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,779 | 59.9 |
vte1993 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing :
| Candidate | Votes |
| New Democratic | Chris Axworthy | 11,587 |
| Reform | Frederick Wesolowski | 10,376 |
| Liberal | Roy Norris | 10,226 |
| Progressive Conservative | Peter McCann | 3,668 |
| National | Henry Garman | 604 |
| Natural Law | Patrick James Coulterman | 185 |
| Independent | Rhys Frostad | 109 |
| Canada Party | Shawn Cawley | 71 |
vte1988 Canadian federal election: Saskatoon—Clark's Crossing :
| Candidate | Votes |
| New Democratic | Chris Axworthy | 19,889 |
| Progressive Conservative | Ray Hnatyshyn | 14,847 |
| Liberal | Bill Patrick | 6,554 |
| Green | Keith A. Morvick | 222 |

### Provincial

1999 Saskatchewan general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Chris Axworthy | 2,653 | 56.68 | -7.55 |
| | Saskatchewan | Sandra Rees | 1,137 | 24.29 | +3.11 |
| | Liberal | Barry Anderson | 649 | 13.86 | +1.67 |
| | Prog. Conservative | Gwen Katzman | 153 | 3.27 | - |
| | New Green | Lynn Oliphant | 89 | 1.90 | -0.50 |
| Total | Total | Total | 4,681 | 100.00 | |
June 28, 1999 By-Election: Saskatoon Fairview :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Chris Axworthy | 1,871 | 64.23 | -0.56 |
| | Saskatchewan | Harry Meyers | 617 | 21.18 | * |
| | Liberal | Barry Anderson | 355 | 12.19 | -12.70 |
| | New Green | Neil Sinclair | 70 | 2.40 | * |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,913 | 100.00 | |