Frank Klees
Encyclopedia
Frank Klees is a Canadian politician
and the Progressive Conservative member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Newmarket—Aurora
north of Toronto
. He was a candidate in the 2009 Progressive Conservative leadership election
placing second behind victor Tim Hudak
.
, West Germany
. His parents were Danube Swabians
, German
pioneers whose ancestors settled in parts of eastern Europe that would later be known as Hungary
and Yugoslavia
. At the age of five, Klees came with his family to Canada by boat and settled in Leamington, Ontario
.
in a traditionally Liberal riding, narrowly losing to Liberal Remo Mancini
in the southwestern riding of Essex South. He lost to Mancini a second time in the 1977 election
, and did not run as a candidate again until 1995. He remained active as a party member.
He worked as a businessman the intervening years, beginning in the financial services sector with the Canada Life Assurance Co. He then became an entrepreneur, and started a sports agency which represented professional athletes. Klees also co-founded the Municipal Gas Corporation in 1990, and served as its executive vice-president until 1997. When he sold the business, it had grown to a significant enterprise with 55,000 customers.
Currently Klees sits on the board of the controversial Universal Energy Corporation
, a natural gas and electricity retailer which has been fined by the Ontario Energy Board
on several occasions and frequently criticised by its own customers as being a scam. When Universal was bought out by Just Energy he was presented a seat on the board of their Exchange corporation.
in the election of 1995
, defeating former Liberal
leadership candidate Charles Beer
. He was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election
, and on June 17, 1999 joined the cabinet
of Premier
Mike Harris
as Chief Government Whip, Deputy House Leader and Minister without Portfolio
.
In 2000, Klees was preparing to run as a candidate for the leadership of the new Canadian Alliance
, but withdrew because one of his key financial backers insisted on a last-minute deal to make a significant funding commitment conditional on Klees throwing his support to one of the other candidates on the second ballot.
Klees stepped down from his ministerial position on July 30, 2001 for what he described as personal reasons. After returning to the backbenches for a year, he was reappointed to cabinet on October 3, 2002 as Minister of Tourism under Harris' successor, Ernie Eves
. On February 25, 2003, he became Minister of Transportation, and served in that position until the defeat of the Eves government in the October 2003 election
.
Klees was re-elected in 2003 (one of 24 Progressive Conservatives elected) and was a candidate in the 2004 Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election which took place on September 18, 2004. He was endorsed by Tory MPPs Jerry Ouellette
, Ted Chudleigh
and Bill Murdoch
, and groups such as the Conservative Youth Coalition. The other candidates in the race were Whitby-Ajax MPP Jim Flaherty
and former Rogers Communications CEO John Tory
.
Klees made healthcare his biggest priority in the campaign. He was the only candidate to openly endorse a semi-privatized health care system
. Other key issues of his campaign were school choice, physical education
in the school system, OHIP statements, and foreign-trained doctors applying for employment.
He was eliminated from the contest after placing third on the first ballot; Tory subsequently won on the second ballot. Klees increased his profile during the campaign, and is currently the Progressive Conservative Critic for Education and Citizenship & Immigration in the Legislature as well as a member of the Justice Committee.
Klees did better in the 2009 leadership race placing second behind the winner, Tim Hudak. The single biggest campaign contribution of $32,000 was made by OPTUS Capital Corporation owned by Universal Energy Corporation
's founder and CEO Mark Silver. It accounted for 20% of the total contributions. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/andrew-steele/watching-the-detectives/article1163346/
Klees lives in Aurora, Ontario
. Klees was elected in the newly-created provincial riding of Newmarket-Aurora
in the Ontario general election, 2007
. On March 30, 2009, he declared his candidacy in the 2009 Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election
.
Klees was re-elected in the 2011 Ontario election
.
because he planned to run for Speaker of the Ontario Legislature. The minority
Liberal government is one seat short of forming a majority and if Klees is elected Speaker, he will give the government a working majority
as the speaker usually votes with the government in motions of non-confidence. The move was met with derision from other Conservatives with one MPP telling the Toronto Star: “This is the equivalent of crossing the floor
... The Liberals better support him, because Frank doesn’t have a lot friends in our caucus today.” Klees withdrew his candidacy on October 29, 2011 due to lack of support.
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
and the Progressive Conservative member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Newmarket—Aurora
Newmarket—Aurora (provincial electoral district)
Newmarket—Aurora is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2007.The district contains the towns of Newmarket and Aurora....
north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. He was a candidate in the 2009 Progressive Conservative leadership election
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election, 2009
On March 6, 2009, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leader John Tory announced his intention to step down as leader following his defeat in a by-election. Tory was elected party leader in the party's 2004 leadership election, and led the party to defeat in the 2007 provincial election in...
placing second behind victor Tim Hudak
Tim Hudak
Timothy Patrick "Tim" Hudak is a politician in Ontario, Canada, and the Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario . He also serves as member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the riding of Niagara West—Glanbrook.-Background:Tim Hudak was born in Fort Erie, Ontario...
.
Early life
Klees was born in LandauLandau
Landau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. His parents were Danube Swabians
Danube Swabians
The Danube Swabians is a collective term for the German-speaking population who lived in the former Kingdom of Hungary, especially alongside the Danube River valley. Because of different developments within the territory settled, the Danube Swabians cannot be seen as a unified people...
, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
pioneers whose ancestors settled in parts of eastern Europe that would later be known as Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. At the age of five, Klees came with his family to Canada by boat and settled in Leamington, Ontario
Leamington, Ontario
Leamington is a municipality in Essex County, southern Ontario, Canada, and has a population of 31,113. It includes Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It has a large H. J. Heinz Company factory and is known as the "Tomato Capital of Canada", with 4 km² of this crop in the...
.
Business career
Klees first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial electionOntario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
in a traditionally Liberal riding, narrowly losing to Liberal Remo Mancini
Remo Mancini
Remo Mancini is a businessman and former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1993, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson.- Education :Mancini, a gold medal gymnast, received athletic scholarships...
in the southwestern riding of Essex South. He lost to Mancini a second time in the 1977 election
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and did not run as a candidate again until 1995. He remained active as a party member.
He worked as a businessman the intervening years, beginning in the financial services sector with the Canada Life Assurance Co. He then became an entrepreneur, and started a sports agency which represented professional athletes. Klees also co-founded the Municipal Gas Corporation in 1990, and served as its executive vice-president until 1997. When he sold the business, it had grown to a significant enterprise with 55,000 customers.
Currently Klees sits on the board of the controversial Universal Energy Corporation
Universal Energy Corporation
Universal Energy Corporation is a Canadian electric utility and natural gas retailer headquartered in Toronto, with offices throughout North America. It focuses on long-term sales of residential, commercial, and industrial natural gas in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia...
, a natural gas and electricity retailer which has been fined by the Ontario Energy Board
Ontario Energy Board
The Ontario Energy Board regulates natural gas and electricity utilities in the province of Ontario, Canada. This includes setting rates, and licensing all participants in the electricity sector including the Independent Electricity System Operator , generators, transmitters, distributors,...
on several occasions and frequently criticised by its own customers as being a scam. When Universal was bought out by Just Energy he was presented a seat on the board of their Exchange corporation.
Political career
From 1992 to 1994, he was third vice-president and policy chair of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Klees was first elected to the legislatureLegislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
in the election of 1995
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, defeating former Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
leadership candidate Charles Beer
Charles Beer
John Charles McWaters Beer is a former Canadian politician...
. He was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and on June 17, 1999 joined the cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
of Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
as Chief Government Whip, Deputy House Leader and Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
.
In 2000, Klees was preparing to run as a candidate for the leadership of the new Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
, but withdrew because one of his key financial backers insisted on a last-minute deal to make a significant funding commitment conditional on Klees throwing his support to one of the other candidates on the second ballot.
Klees stepped down from his ministerial position on July 30, 2001 for what he described as personal reasons. After returning to the backbenches for a year, he was reappointed to cabinet on October 3, 2002 as Minister of Tourism under Harris' successor, Ernie Eves
Ernie Eves
Ernest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
. On February 25, 2003, he became Minister of Transportation, and served in that position until the defeat of the Eves government in the October 2003 election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
.
Klees was re-elected in 2003 (one of 24 Progressive Conservatives elected) and was a candidate in the 2004 Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election which took place on September 18, 2004. He was endorsed by Tory MPPs Jerry Ouellette
Jerry Ouellette
Jerry J. Ouellette is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1995, representing the riding of Oshawa for the Progressive Conservative Party. Ouellette was Minister of Natural Resources in the government of Ernie Eves.Ouellette graduated...
, Ted Chudleigh
Ted Chudleigh
Ted Chudleigh is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Halton for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario...
and Bill Murdoch
Bill Murdoch
Bill Murdoch is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1990, and represents the riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound as a Progressive Conservative....
, and groups such as the Conservative Youth Coalition. The other candidates in the race were Whitby-Ajax MPP Jim Flaherty
Jim Flaherty
James Michael "Jim" Flaherty, PC, MP is Canada's Minister of Finance and he has also served as Ontario's Minister of Finance. From 1995 until 2005, he was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby—Ajax, and a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus...
and former Rogers Communications CEO John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
.
Klees made healthcare his biggest priority in the campaign. He was the only candidate to openly endorse a semi-privatized health care system
Health care system
A health care system is the organization of people, institutions, and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations....
. Other key issues of his campaign were school choice, physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
in the school system, OHIP statements, and foreign-trained doctors applying for employment.
He was eliminated from the contest after placing third on the first ballot; Tory subsequently won on the second ballot. Klees increased his profile during the campaign, and is currently the Progressive Conservative Critic for Education and Citizenship & Immigration in the Legislature as well as a member of the Justice Committee.
Klees did better in the 2009 leadership race placing second behind the winner, Tim Hudak. The single biggest campaign contribution of $32,000 was made by OPTUS Capital Corporation owned by Universal Energy Corporation
Universal Energy Corporation
Universal Energy Corporation is a Canadian electric utility and natural gas retailer headquartered in Toronto, with offices throughout North America. It focuses on long-term sales of residential, commercial, and industrial natural gas in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia...
's founder and CEO Mark Silver. It accounted for 20% of the total contributions. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/andrew-steele/watching-the-detectives/article1163346/
Klees lives in Aurora, Ontario
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
. Klees was elected in the newly-created provincial riding of Newmarket-Aurora
Newmarket—Aurora (provincial electoral district)
Newmarket—Aurora is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2007.The district contains the towns of Newmarket and Aurora....
in the Ontario general election, 2007
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
. On March 30, 2009, he declared his candidacy in the 2009 Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election, 2009
On March 6, 2009, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leader John Tory announced his intention to step down as leader following his defeat in a by-election. Tory was elected party leader in the party's 2004 leadership election, and led the party to defeat in the 2007 provincial election in...
.
Klees was re-elected in the 2011 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 2011
The 40th Ontario general election was held on October 6, 2011 to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party will form a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New...
.
2011 Speaker Election
On October 25, 2011 the Toronto Star revealed that Klees had turned down an appointment to Tim Hudak's shadow cabinetShadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
because he planned to run for Speaker of the Ontario Legislature. The minority
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
Liberal government is one seat short of forming a majority and if Klees is elected Speaker, he will give the government a working majority
Working majority
Working majority describes a parliamentary majority big enough for the party or faction in power to carry through most of its legislative programme without the risk of parliamentary defeat....
as the speaker usually votes with the government in motions of non-confidence. The move was met with derision from other Conservatives with one MPP telling the Toronto Star: “This is the equivalent of crossing the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
... The Liberals better support him, because Frank doesn’t have a lot friends in our caucus today.” Klees withdrew his candidacy on October 29, 2011 due to lack of support.
External links
- Official website
- Campaign website (http://www.frankklees.com/)