Jaime Watt
Encyclopedia
Jaime Watt is a Canadian
political strategist who was most notable for playing an important role in the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
's two election victories under the leadership of Mike Harris
.
In 1984, Watt was convicted of fraud for forging bank releases and promissory notes to obtain $16,000 in private loans to save the failing Oakville clothing business he had begun as a teenager. He was sentenced to twenty nights in jail. His conviction came to light following his appointment to the position of Director of Communications in the office of Premier Mike Harris and he was forced to resign in 1995 for not disclosing his criminal record and had to resign from a second position he was subsequently appointed to after that appointment became known.
A native of Montreal
, Quebec
, Watt ran for city council in Oakville
at age 19. He became a Tory campaign strategist in the 1995 Ontario provincial election
, where he organized the campaign's TV commercials. Watt served as the first director of communications in the Harris government. Later, Watt served as director of message and creative in the PCs' 1999 election
victory. In the interregnum, he served as executive vice president of Pizza Pizza, amongst other consulting contracts in research, mediation and public affairs.
Watt backed Jim Flaherty
's bid to replace Harris as PC party leader, but Ernie Eves
won the 2002 party leadership election
. Eves, however, appointed him and Leslie Noble as co-chairs of the Tory election campaign. Watt's selection was widely seen as an embrace by Eves of Flaherty's more right-wing positions. Watt was widely considered the mastermind of the widely criticized idea of presenting the 2003 provincial government budget at a Magna International
auto parts factory instead of in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
. The National Post
blamed Watt for the "Evil reptilian kitten-eater from another planet" debacle.
Later that year, he became co-chair of Barbara Hall
's campaign to become mayor of Toronto. (Hall was widely considered to be affiliated with the Liberal Party
). In early 2004, he led Belinda Stronach
's team for the federal Conservative Party
.
Watt is openly gay and campaigned prominently for same-sex marriage
. He served a term as leader of the Canadian Human Rights Campaign.
Watt is a research and strategy specialist having pioneered the practice of forensic research and communications in Canada. Having conducted more than 5,000 focus groups in his career, in Canada and abroad, he is one of the country's most experienced qualitative researchers.
He has been heavily involved in raising money for charity, in particular as chair of the Board of Directors of Casey House in Toronto.
When not campaigning, he works with Navigator Ltd., a public affairs strategy firm, which also employs figures such as Robin Sears
, Martha Durdin, Will Stewart and Joseph Lavoie. He has a daughter named Heather who herself has held a senior role on the campaign of John Tory.
In 2009, Egale Canada
presented Watt with its inaugural Leadership Award, a decision that was denounced by some LGBT activists.
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...
political strategist who was most notable for playing an important role in the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
's two election victories under the leadership of 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...
.
In 1984, Watt was convicted of fraud for forging bank releases and promissory notes to obtain $16,000 in private loans to save the failing Oakville clothing business he had begun as a teenager. He was sentenced to twenty nights in jail. His conviction came to light following his appointment to the position of Director of Communications in the office of Premier Mike Harris and he was forced to resign in 1995 for not disclosing his criminal record and had to resign from a second position he was subsequently appointed to after that appointment became known.
A native of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Watt ran for city council in Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
at age 19. He became a Tory campaign strategist in the 1995 Ontario provincial election
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...
, where he organized the campaign's TV commercials. Watt served as the first director of communications in the Harris government. Later, Watt served as director of message and creative in the PCs' 1999 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....
victory. In the interregnum, he served as executive vice president of Pizza Pizza, amongst other consulting contracts in research, mediation and public affairs.
Watt backed 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...
's bid to replace Harris as PC party leader, but 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:...
won the 2002 party leadership election
Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election, 2002
The 2002 Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership election was a leadership election called in the fall of 2001 when Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Premier Mike Harris announced his intention to resign....
. Eves, however, appointed him and Leslie Noble as co-chairs of the Tory election campaign. Watt's selection was widely seen as an embrace by Eves of Flaherty's more right-wing positions. Watt was widely considered the mastermind of the widely criticized idea of presenting the 2003 provincial government budget at a Magna International
Magna International
Magna International Inc. , is an automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer, and one of the country's largest companies. It owns the Magna Steyr automobile production company of Austria....
auto parts factory instead of in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
. The National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
blamed Watt for the "Evil reptilian kitten-eater from another planet" debacle.
Later that year, he became co-chair of Barbara Hall
Barbara Hall
Barbara Hall is a Canadian lawyer, public servant and former politician. She was the 61st mayor of Toronto, the last to run before amalgamation. She was elected mayor of the pre-amalgamation City of Toronto in 1994, and held office until December 31, 1997...
's campaign to become mayor of Toronto. (Hall was widely considered to be affiliated with the Liberal Party
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...
). In early 2004, he led Belinda Stronach
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
's team for the federal Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
.
Watt is openly gay and campaigned prominently for same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
. He served a term as leader of the Canadian Human Rights Campaign.
Watt is a research and strategy specialist having pioneered the practice of forensic research and communications in Canada. Having conducted more than 5,000 focus groups in his career, in Canada and abroad, he is one of the country's most experienced qualitative researchers.
He has been heavily involved in raising money for charity, in particular as chair of the Board of Directors of Casey House in Toronto.
When not campaigning, he works with Navigator Ltd., a public affairs strategy firm, which also employs figures such as Robin Sears
Robin Sears
Robin Sears is a veteran communications, marketing and public affairs advisor with experience on three continents for public and private sector clients. Sears joined Navigator as a partner in strategic communications in 2004...
, Martha Durdin, Will Stewart and Joseph Lavoie. He has a daughter named Heather who herself has held a senior role on the campaign of John Tory.
In 2009, Egale Canada
Egale Canada
Egale Canada is an advocacy organization founded in 1986 to advance equality for Canadian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families, across Canada....
presented Watt with its inaugural Leadership Award, a decision that was denounced by some LGBT activists.