Becky Barrett

Becky Barrett (born May 1, 1942) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She served as a cabinet minister in the government of New Democratic Premier Gary Doer, and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1990 until her retirement in 2003.

Barrett was a social worker before entering political life. She has participated in a number of national forums for the New Democratic Party, and is generally regarded as being on the left wing of the party.

In the 1990 provincial election, Barrett was elected as a New Democrat in the north-end Winnipeg riding of Wellington, defeating Liberal Ernie Gilroy by over 1,200 votes. The election was won by the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, and Barrett joined nineteen other New Democrats in the official opposition. She was re-elected in the 1995 election, defeating her Liberal opponent by almost 2,000 votes. The Progressive Conservatives once again won the general election. Also in 1995, Barrett supported Lorne Nystrom's bid to lead the federal New Democratic Party.

The New Democratic Party was successful in the 1999 election, winning 32 of 57 seats. Barrett did not run for re-election in Wellington, but instead faced popular maverick Liberal MLA Kevin Lamoureux in the riding of Inkster. This election was very close, with Barrett receiving 3,501 votes to Lamoureux's 3,358.

On October 5, 1999, Barrett was sworn in as Minister of Labour, with responsibility for administering the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act and the Workers Compensation Act, as well as for the Civil Service and Multiculturalism. On January 17, 2001, her portfolio was renamed the Ministry of Labour and Immigration, and she was relieved of responsibility for the MPICA and the Civil Service. Later in 2001, Barrett initiated a series of public discussions on the province's minimum wage laws. Her tenure as Labour Minister was generally applauded by the province's labour unions.

In 2003, Barrett supported Bill Blaikie's campaign to become leader of the federal NDP. She was not a candidate in the 2003 provincial election.