John Gerretsen
Encyclopedia
John Philip Gerretsen is a politician in Ontario
, Canada
. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
, and a Minister in the Cabinet
of Premier
Dalton McGuinty
.
, Netherlands
during World War II
, and moved to Canada with his parents in 1954. He was educated at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario
, receiving a BA
degree in 1964 and an LL.B
in 1967. He subsequently worked as a solicitor, serving with Manulife Insurance Company, Toronto from 1969 to 1970.
in 1972, and remained on the City Council until 1980 (serving as Deputy Mayor from 1976 to 1980). Gerretsen was himself elected Mayor
of the city in 1980, and was re-elected twice (a city record) before stepping down in 1988. He was also President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
from 1986 to 1987, and a trustee of Queen's University from 1981 to 1992.
After retiring from municipal politics, Gerretsen served as the Chair of the Ontario Housing Corporation (1989–1992) and was a Deputy Judge in the province's Small Claims Court
(1993–1995). He also became active in politics at the provincial and federal levels. Gerretsen was an Executive Member of the Ontario Liberal Party
's Kingston and the Islands
riding association from 1989 to 1993, and was President of the Liberal Party of Canada
's federal riding association from 1993 to 1995.
Gerretsen was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1995
, defeating Progressive Conservative
Sally Barnes and incumbent New Democrat Gary Wilson
in Kingston and the Islands. This was a close three-way race—Gerretsen received 10,314 votes, Barnes 8,571, and Wilson 8,052.
The general election was won by the Progressive Conservatives and Gerretsen entered parliament as a member of the opposition, serving as Opposition Critic on Municipal Affairs and Housing and Chief Opposition Whip.
In 1996, he ran to succeed Lyn McLeod
as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. Gerretsen was generally regarded as being on the right-wing of the party, and achieved some support in his home base of eastern Ontario. He placed fifth out of seven candidates on the first ballot, and dropped out after the second ballot. After withdrawing, he gave his support to Dalton McGuinty, the eventual winner. (See Ontario Liberal Leadership Conventions
.)
Gerretsen was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election
, although the Progressive Conservatives were again victorious across the province. Gerretsen continued as Opposition Whip, and remained a vocal Liberal MPP for the next four years.
with 72 seats out of 103, and Gerretsen was re-elected in Kingston & The Islands with over 60% support. On October 23, 2003, he was named Minister of Municipal Affairs, with responsibility for Seniors. In March 2004, his portfolio was renamed the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Gerretsen was the primary spokesperson for the McGuinty government in its controversial decision to permit further housing expansion on the Oak Ridges Moraine
, despite an election promise not to do so. The Liberals claimed, perhaps correctly, that they lacked the legal authority to prevent further development in the area. His main legislative success has been in leading in the enactment of a 1.8 million acre (7,300 km²) green belt surrounding the City of Toronto in 2005.
After a cabinet shuffle on June 29, 2005, the responsibility for Seniors Issues was transferred to another government minister. Gerretsen was retained as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
In the 2007 election
of October 10, 2007, the Liberal party won 70 seats to form a majority government, and Gerretsen won re-election in Kingston and the Islands, with just under 50 per cent support. Gerretsen was reappointed on October 29, 2007, to the Ontario Cabinet as Minister for the Environment, by Premier Dalton McGuinty
.
On August 18, 2010, Gerretsen was moved to the post of Minister of the Consumer Services.
won election to Kingston City Council in the 2006 municipal election
, for a four-year term. In the 2010 municipal election
, Mark Gerretsen was elected mayor of Kingston.
|-
|John Gerretsen
|align="right"|23,273
|align="right"|47.2
|align="right"|
|-
|John Rapin
|align="right"|10,994
|align="right"|22.3
|align="right"|
|-
|Rick Downes
|align="right"|10,126
|align="right"|20.6
|align="right"|
|-
|Bridget Doherty
|align="right"|4,321
|align="right"|8.8
|align="right"|
|-
|Chris K. Beneteau
|align="right"|418
|align="right"|0.9
|align="right"|
|-
|Mark Fournier
|align="right"|137
|align="right"|0.3
|align="right"|
|}
|-
|John Gerretsen
|align="right"|28,877
|align="right"|60.28
|align="right"|+5.58
|-
|Hans Westenberg
|align="right"|9,640
|align="right"|20.12
|align="right"|-9.95
|-
|Janet C. Collins
|align="right"|5,514
|align="right"|11.51
|align="right"|+0.23
|-
|Eric B. Walton
|align="right"|3,137
|align="right"|6.55
|align="right"|+4.11
|-
|Chris K. Beneteau
|align="right"|735
|align="right"|1.53
|align="right"|+0.40
|}
|-
|John Gerretsen
|align="right"|26,355
|align="right"|54.70
|-
|Bob Pickering
|align="right"|14,487
|align="right"|30.07
|-
|Beth Pater
|align="right"|5,436
|align="right"|11.28
|-
|Chris Walker
|align="right"|1,174
|align="right"|2.44
|-
|Chris K. Beneteau
|align="right"|546
|align="right"|1.13
|-
|Gerard Morris
|align="right"|182
|align="right"|0.38
|}
|-
|John Gerretsen
|align="right"|10,314
|align="right"|36.95
|-
|Sally Barnes
|align="right"| 8,571
|align="right"|30.71
|-
|Gary Wilson
|align="right"|8,052
|align="right"|28.85
|-
|John Pacheco
|align="right"| 858
|align="right"|3.07
|-
|Ronald Dunphy
|align="right"|115
|align="right"|0.41
|}
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
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...
. He is a member of 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...
, and a Minister in the Cabinet
Executive Council of Ontario
The Executive Council of Ontario plays an important role in theGovernment of Ontario, in accordance with the Westminster system....
of Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
.
Early life
Gerretsen was born in HilversumHilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and moved to Canada with his parents in 1954. He was educated at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, receiving a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1964 and an LL.B
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1967. He subsequently worked as a solicitor, serving with Manulife Insurance Company, Toronto from 1969 to 1970.
Politics
Gerretsen's political career began in the early 1970s, at the municipal level. He was elected as a Kingston AldermanAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in 1972, and remained on the City Council until 1980 (serving as Deputy Mayor from 1976 to 1980). Gerretsen was himself elected Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the city in 1980, and was re-elected twice (a city record) before stepping down in 1988. He was also President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
Association of Municipalities of Ontario
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is a non-profit organization representing municipal and regional governments in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created on June 22, 1972 through a merger of the Ontario Municipal Association and the Ontario Association of Mayors and Reeves...
from 1986 to 1987, and a trustee of Queen's University from 1981 to 1992.
After retiring from municipal politics, Gerretsen served as the Chair of the Ontario Housing Corporation (1989–1992) and was a Deputy Judge in the province's Small Claims Court
Small claims court
Small-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and the name by which such a court is known varies by jurisdiction; it may be known as a county or magistrate's court...
(1993–1995). He also became active in politics at the provincial and federal levels. Gerretsen was an Executive Member of the Ontario 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...
's Kingston and the Islands
Kingston and the Islands
Kingston and the Islands is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968....
riding association from 1989 to 1993, and was President of the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
's federal riding association from 1993 to 1995.
Gerretsen was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial 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 Progressive Conservative
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...
Sally Barnes and incumbent New Democrat Gary Wilson
Gary Wilson (politician)
Gary Wilson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995.-Background:Wilson received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Laurentian University in 1969...
in Kingston and the Islands. This was a close three-way race—Gerretsen received 10,314 votes, Barnes 8,571, and Wilson 8,052.
The general election was won by the Progressive Conservatives and Gerretsen entered parliament as a member of the opposition, serving as Opposition Critic on Municipal Affairs and Housing and Chief Opposition Whip.
In 1996, he ran to succeed Lyn McLeod
Lyn McLeod
Lyn McLeod is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 2003. McLeod was a cabinet minister in the Liberal government of David Peterson from 1987 to 1990, and served as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 1992 to 1996.-Background - Pre...
as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. Gerretsen was generally regarded as being on the right-wing of the party, and achieved some support in his home base of eastern Ontario. He placed fifth out of seven candidates on the first ballot, and dropped out after the second ballot. After withdrawing, he gave his support to Dalton McGuinty, the eventual winner. (See Ontario Liberal Leadership Conventions
Ontario Liberal leadership conventions
Ballot-by-ballot results of leadership elections in the Ontario Liberal Party, a political party in the Province of Ontario, Canada.Note: Before 1919, the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party were chosen by the party's elected Members of the Legislative Assembly...
.)
Gerretsen 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....
, although the Progressive Conservatives were again victorious across the province. Gerretsen continued as Opposition Whip, and remained a vocal Liberal MPP for the next four years.
Cabinet
The Liberal Party won the 2003 electionOntario 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....
with 72 seats out of 103, and Gerretsen was re-elected in Kingston & The Islands with over 60% support. On October 23, 2003, he was named Minister of Municipal Affairs, with responsibility for Seniors. In March 2004, his portfolio was renamed the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Gerretsen was the primary spokesperson for the McGuinty government in its controversial decision to permit further housing expansion on the Oak Ridges Moraine
Oak Ridges Moraine
The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically important geological landform in the Mixedwood Plains of south-central Ontario, Canada. The moraine covers a geographic area of between Caledon and Rice Lake, near Peterborough...
, despite an election promise not to do so. The Liberals claimed, perhaps correctly, that they lacked the legal authority to prevent further development in the area. His main legislative success has been in leading in the enactment of a 1.8 million acre (7,300 km²) green belt surrounding the City of Toronto in 2005.
After a cabinet shuffle on June 29, 2005, the responsibility for Seniors Issues was transferred to another government minister. Gerretsen was retained as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
In the 2007 election
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...
of October 10, 2007, the Liberal party won 70 seats to form a majority government, and Gerretsen won re-election in Kingston and the Islands, with just under 50 per cent support. Gerretsen was reappointed on October 29, 2007, to the Ontario Cabinet as Minister for the Environment, by Premier Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
.
On August 18, 2010, Gerretsen was moved to the post of Minister of the Consumer Services.
Family
His son Mark GerretsenMark Gerretsen
Mark Gerretsen is a Canadian politician, who was elected mayor of Kingston, Ontario in the 2010 municipal election....
won election to Kingston City Council in the 2006 municipal election
Ontario municipal elections, 2006
In the 2006 municipal elections in Ontario, voters in the province of Ontario, elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of Ontario's municipalities. These elections were regulated by the .- Date :...
, for a four-year term. In the 2010 municipal election
Ontario municipal elections, 2010
The 2010 municipal elections in Ontario were held on October 25, 2010.Voters in the province of Ontario elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of the province's municipalities....
, Mark Gerretsen was elected mayor of Kingston.
Electoral record
|-
|John Gerretsen
|align="right"|23,273
|align="right"|47.2
|align="right"|
|-
|John Rapin
|align="right"|10,994
|align="right"|22.3
|align="right"|
|-
|Rick Downes
Rick Downes
Rick Downes is current city councillor in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. In 2006 he ran for the office of mayor of Kingston where he was backed by the Kingston & District Labour Council. He came second in the 2006 election losing by a margin of 730 votes to Harvey Rosen...
|align="right"|10,126
|align="right"|20.6
|align="right"|
|-
|Bridget Doherty
|align="right"|4,321
|align="right"|8.8
|align="right"|
|-
|Chris K. Beneteau
|align="right"|418
|align="right"|0.9
|align="right"|
|-
|Mark Fournier
|align="right"|137
|align="right"|0.3
|align="right"|
|}
|-
|John Gerretsen
|align="right"|28,877
|align="right"|60.28
|align="right"|+5.58
|-
|Hans Westenberg
|align="right"|9,640
|align="right"|20.12
|align="right"|-9.95
|-
|Janet C. Collins
|align="right"|5,514
|align="right"|11.51
|align="right"|+0.23
|-
|Eric B. Walton
|align="right"|3,137
|align="right"|6.55
|align="right"|+4.11
|-
|Chris K. Beneteau
|align="right"|735
|align="right"|1.53
|align="right"|+0.40
|}
|-
|John Gerretsen
|align="right"|26,355
|align="right"|54.70
|-
|Bob Pickering
|align="right"|14,487
|align="right"|30.07
|-
|Beth Pater
|align="right"|5,436
|align="right"|11.28
|-
|Chris Walker
|align="right"|1,174
|align="right"|2.44
|-
|Chris K. Beneteau
|align="right"|546
|align="right"|1.13
|-
|Gerard Morris
|align="right"|182
|align="right"|0.38
|}
|-
|John Gerretsen
|align="right"|10,314
|align="right"|36.95
|-
|Sally Barnes
|align="right"| 8,571
|align="right"|30.71
|-
|Gary Wilson
Gary Wilson (politician)
Gary Wilson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995.-Background:Wilson received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Laurentian University in 1969...
|align="right"|8,052
|align="right"|28.85
|-
|John Pacheco
|align="right"| 858
|align="right"|3.07
|-
|Ronald Dunphy
|align="right"|115
|align="right"|0.41
|}