Loretta Butler-Turner

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Loretta Butler-Turner
Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition
In office
11 December 2016 – 10 May 2017
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterPerry Christie
Preceded byHubert Minnis
Succeeded byTBD
Member of the House of Assembly of the Bahamas for Long Island
In office
2012 (2012)–2017 (2017)
Member of the House of Assembly of the Bahamas for Montagu Constituency
In office
2007 (2007)–2012 (2012)
Personal details
BornNassau, Bahamas
Political partyFree National Movement

Loretta Butler-Turner is a Bahamian mortician and politician for the Free National Movement (FNM) and was the Leader Of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Bahamian Parliament from December 2016 to May 2017. She was the first female in The Bahamas to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mortuary sciences and became the first female embalmer and mortuary director in the country. In 2016 she became the first female to be appointed Leader of Opposition in the Bahamas. In 2007, she was elected as a Member of Parliament, serving initially for the Montagu Constituency and in 2012 was elected for the Long Island Constituency. She also served as Vice President of the Inter-American Commission of Women from 2009 to 2011.

Biography[]

Loretta Butler-Turner was born in Nassau, The Bahamas[1] to Rose Marie Taylor[2] and Raleigh Butler, who was the son of the first Bahamian Governor-General, Milo Butler. She attended primary and secondary school at St. Andrews in Nassau and was the first Bahamian female to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mortuary sciences. She graduated summa cum laude from the .[1]

Butler-Turner was the first female mortuary director and embalmer in The Bahamas, following in her father's business, Butlers’ Funeral Homes and Crematorium of Nassau.[2] She has provided services for several notable deaths, particularly the death of Aaliyah[3] and Daniel Wayne Smith, son of Anna Nicole Smith.[4]

In 2007, she was elected to parliament from the Montagu Constituency and was appointed Minister of State for Social Development in the Ministry of Labour and Social Development.[1] When of Costa Rica resigned her position as Vice President of the Inter-American Commission of Women in November, 2009, Butler-Turner completed the remainder of the term, which ended in 2011.[5] In 2012, Butler-Taylor ran for the parliamentary seat of the Long Island Constituency,[6] and was elected. That same year, she was chosen as the Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement (FNM)[7] and ran for the party leadership in 2014.[8] She was defeated by Hubert Minnis and Peter Turnquest, replaced her as Deputy Leader.[9] In December 2016, Butler-Turner was sworn in as the first woman Opposition Leader in the Bahamas history.[10] Four days later, Butler came under fire from her predecessor, Hubert Minnis who vowed to have her leadership rescinded.[11][12]

In April 2017, she was thrown out of the party and ran as an independent in the general election the following month.[13] She received less than 300 votes, thus ending her parliamentary career.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Loretta Turner-Butler". Government - Contacts. Nassau, The Bahamas: Government of the Bahamas. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  2. ^ a b Beatty, Robert (21 August 2013). "Raleigh Butler Sr., 81 of Butlers' Funeral Homes". Ft. Lauderdale, Florida: South Florida Times. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Bahamas Funeral Home Which Prepared Aaliyah's Body Says Virgin Records Hasn't Paid Bill". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 102 (11): 40. 2 September 2002. ISSN 0021-5996.
  4. ^ Melia, Michael (18 September 2006). "Autopsy: Smith's Son on Antidepressants". Fox News. AP. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  5. ^ "34th Assembly of Delegates (Santiago de Chile, Chile - November 10 to 12, 2008)". OAS. Washington, DC: CIM Assembly of Delegates. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  6. ^ "FNM Unveils Candidates for Bahamas 2012 Elections". St. Michael, Barbados: Caribbean Elections Today. 15 January 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  7. ^ Smith, Larry (12 October 2014). "The Prospects of Political Leadership in the Bahamas". Nassau, The Bahamas: Bahama Pundit. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Bahamas' deputy opposition leader eyes top post". Jamaica Observer. Kingston, Jamaica. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Dr. Hubert Minnis defeats Butler-Turner 298 to 106". Nassau, The Bahamas: Bahamas Press. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Bahamas- Loretta Butler-Turner replaces Minnis as Opposition Leader". Hopewell, Hanover, Jamaica: Wired Jamaica. 12 December 2016. Archived from the original on 16 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  11. ^ ""Hit the Road," Party Tells New Opposition Leader". St. Michael, Barbados: Caribbean 360. 16 December 2016. Archived from the original on 16 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  12. ^ Rolle, Rashad (15 December 2016). "Butler-Turner's Ratification Rescinded By Fnm". Nassau, The Bahamas: Tribune 242. Archived from the original on 16 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  13. ^ "Butler-turner out of FNM as she runs as Independent". www.tribune242.com. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
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