Ed Harper
Encyclopedia
Ed Harper is a former Canadian
politician, who represented the electoral district
of Simcoe Centre
in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1993 until 1997. A member of the Reform Party
, Harper was the only MP from that party ever elected anywhere east of Manitoba
.
He defeated Liberal
candidate Janice Laking
, the incumbent mayor of Barrie
, by a margin of 123 votes. Ironically, political analysts largely credited his victory over Laking to her popularity rather than his, suggesting that many voters in Barrie switched their votes because they didn't want Laking to step down as mayor.
Harper did not stand for reelection in the 1997 election
. Before being elected to Parliament, Harper was a businessman in Barrie.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, who represented the electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Simcoe Centre
Simcoe Centre
Simcoe Centre was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. This riding was created in 1987 from parts of Grey—Simcoe, Simcoe South and Wellington—Dufferin—Simcoe ridings....
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 1993 until 1997. A member of the Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
, Harper was the only MP from that party ever elected anywhere east of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.
He defeated Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
candidate Janice Laking
Janice Laking
Janice Laking, née McCuaig, is a retired Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Barrie, Ontario from 1988 to 2000.The daughter of former Simcoe North federal Member of Parliament Duncan Fletcher McCuaig, Laking was first elected to Barrie City Council in 1972...
, the incumbent mayor of Barrie
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
, by a margin of 123 votes. Ironically, political analysts largely credited his victory over Laking to her popularity rather than his, suggesting that many voters in Barrie switched their votes because they didn't want Laking to step down as mayor.
Harper did not stand for reelection in the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
. Before being elected to Parliament, Harper was a businessman in Barrie.