Editing Dave Batters

{{short description|Canadian businessman and politician (1969-2009)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = 
| name             = David Batters
| honorific-suffix = [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|MP]]
| image            = 
| riding           = [[Palliser (Saskatchewan electoral district)|Palliser]]
| parliament       = Canadian
| term_start       = June 28, 2004
| term_end         = September 7, 2008
| predecessor      = [[Dick Proctor]]
| successor        = [[Ray Boughen]]
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1969|07|12}}
| birth_place      = [[Estevan]], [[Saskatchewan]], Canada
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2009|06|29|1969|07|12}}
| death_place      = [[Regina, Saskatchewan]], Canada
| party            = [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
| spouse           = [[Denise Batters]] <br><small>(m. 1997–2009)</small>
| residence        = [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]], [[Saskatchewan]]
| profession       = Pharmaceutical representative
| footnotes        =
|alma_mater=[[University of Saskatchewan]]
}}

'''David Batters''' (July 12, 1969 – June 29, 2009) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] businessman and politician. Batters was a member of the [[Conservative Party of Canada]] in the [[House of Commons of Canada]], representing the riding of [[Palliser (Saskatchewan electoral district)|Palliser]] from 2004 to 2008.

==Early life and career==
Born in [[Estevan]], [[Saskatchewan]], Batters worked in the health care field as a pharmaceutical representative with [[Pfizer]] Inc.,<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=June 30, 2009 |title=Former MP Dave Batters takes own life |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/former-mp-dave-batters-takes-own-life-1.796515 |work=[[CBC News]] |location= |access-date=December 2, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=September 8, 2008 |title='Sensitive' access to requests being delayed |url=https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2008/09/08/sensitive-access-to-requests-being-delayed/240702/ |work=[[The Hill Times]] |location= |access-date=December 2, 2023}}</ref> and as a political assistant to [[Grant Devine]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} He earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in political studies from the [[University of Saskatchewan]].<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=July 26, 2004 |title=A primer on the 39 new Conservative MPs |url=https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2008/09/08/sensitive-access-to-requests-being-delayed/240702/ |work=[[The Hill Times]] |location= |access-date=December 2, 2023}}</ref>

==Political career==
Batters was a supporter of the [[Tackling Violent Crime Act]] (Bill C-2), which sought tougher penalties for gun crimes and impaired driving and provided new ways to detect drug impaired driving. Batters successfully pressured the federal Liberal government during his term to reclassify [[Methamphetamine|crystal meth]] as a Schedule 1 drug (the most serious category) under the [[Controlled Drugs and Substances Act]]. Batters' efforts also helped to secure $15 million in federal funding for the Moose Jaw Multiplex project and to secure the safe return of Saskatchewan residents from New Orleans during [[Hurricane Katrina]].<ref name=CTV>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050902/canadians_neworleans_050902?s_name=&no_ads |title=Cdns stranded in New Orleans want Ottawa's help |publisher=CTV |date=February 2, 2005 |accessdate=2009-09-04 }}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In March 2006, he questioned Health Canada on its strategy concerning [[Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder]], which he believed was more prominent in [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] communities and would be beneficial to distribute pamphlets on FASD to people on [[Indian reserve|reserves]] in their childbearing years. At the beginning of 2008, he urged the president of [[Telefilm Canada]] not to fund films that were objectionable and supported Bill C-10.

Batters stated that one of his motivations for entering politics was the murder of his friend Michelle Lenius on November 4, 2003 by her estranged husband. In April 2008, he proposed an amendment to the Criminal Code called "Michelle's Law" that would make it more difficult for anyone accused of committing a personal injury to get bail.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kyle |first=Anne |date=April 11, 2008 |title=MP's bill inspired by friend's tragic murder |url= |page=A8 |work=[[The StarPhoenix]] |location=Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |access-date=}}</ref>
 
Batters was admitted to hospital on July 1, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www2.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=4f625812-0bcf-4bf7-94bc-401b9eb0fa26|title = Palliser MP Dave Batters in hospital|publisher = Regina Leader-Post|date = July 9, 2008|accessdate = 2009-06-30|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080731152335/http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=4f625812-0bcf-4bf7-94bc-401b9eb0fa26|archivedate = July 31, 2008}}</ref> He announced on September 1, 2008 that he would not be running in the [[40th Canadian federal election|2008 election]] because of a battle with [[clinical depression|depression]] that included an addiction to [[benzodiazepine]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-mp-batters-won-t-run-again-citing-depression-1.768611|title = Sask. MP Batters won't run again, citing depression|date = September 2, 2008|publisher = CBC News|accessdate = 2014-05-22}}</ref>

==Death==
On June 29, 2009, Batters died by suicide in his [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]] home, according to a release from his family.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://thestarphoenix.com/Former+Regina+Tory+Dave+Batters+dead+after+committing+suicide/1747210/story.html|title = Former Regina Tory MP Dave Batters commits suicide|publisher = The StarPhoenix|date = June 30, 2009|accessdate = 2009-06-30}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The Regina Police had arrived at his home hours earlier, after receiving a report that he was threatening to harm himself.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/former-mp-dave-batters-takes-own-life-1.796515|title = Former MP Dave Batters takes own life|publisher = CBC News |date = June 30, 2009 |accessdate = 2014-05-22}}</ref> At the time of his death, he was married to [[Denise Batters]], who was later named to the [[Senate of Canada]] by Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]] in 2013.<ref name=torstar>[https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1320099--prime-minister-stephen-harper-appoints-five-new-senators "Stephen Harper appoints five new senators"]. ''[[Toronto Star]]'', January 25, 2012.</ref>

Several of his former colleagues, including Conservative MPs [[Tom Lukiwski]], [[Jay Hill (politician)|Jay Hill]] and [[Andrew Scheer]] and Liberal MP [[Ralph Goodale]], paid tribute to Batters following his death.<ref name=timesherald>{{cite web|url = http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/Living/Well-being/2009-07-02/article-12064/Former-Palliser-Dave-Batters-MP-commits-suicide/1|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091129164901/http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/Living/Well-being/2009-07-02/article-12064/Former-Palliser-Dave-Batters-MP-commits-suicide/1|url-status = dead|archive-date = November 29, 2009|title = Former Palliser MP Dave Batters commits suicide|publisher = Moose Jaw Times-Herald|date = June 30, 2009|accessdate = 2014-05-22}}</ref> At his funeral, Harper spoke of the need for greater public understanding of, and compassion for, the struggles faced by sufferers of anxiety and depression.<ref>Tonda MacCharles, [https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/661081 "Harper mourns former MP's suicide"]. ''[[Toronto Star]]'', July 5, 2009.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060215193537/http://www.howdtheyvote.ca/member.php?id=19 How'd They Vote?: Dave Batters' voting history and quotes]
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=16415}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batters, Dave}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:People from Estevan]]
[[Category:Politicians from Regina, Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Canadian politicians who died by suicide]]
[[Category:University of Saskatchewan alumni]]
[[Category:Suicides in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:2009 suicides]]