Kathleen Wynne
Encyclopedia
Kathleen O. Wynne is a politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
, representing the riding of Don Valley West
for the Liberal Party
.
degree from Queen's University, a Master of Arts
degree in linguistics
from the University of Toronto
(1980) and a Master of Education
degree in adult education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
. She has also completed a course in mediation training at Harvard University
. She was a member of the discipline committee of the Ontario Society of Psychotherapists from 1997 to 2000.
Wynne served as president of the Toronto Institute of Human Relations. In 1996, she helped found Citizens for Local Democracy, which opposed the efforts of Ontario's Progressive Conservative
government to amalgamate the City of Toronto
. She also founded the Metro Parent Network (now the Toronto Parent Network) which supports improvements in the province's public education system, and has participated in numerous other community endeavours. Wynne helped found MAD for Dancing, a community fundraising group that has donated over $50,000 to organizations that support gay and lesbian youth.
Prior to her coming out
at age 37 she was married to her husband Phil with whom she had three children. She now lives with her partner Jane Rounthwaite. She has been a resident of Toronto for over 25 years.
in Toronto's ward 8. During the campaign she was labelled an "extremist lesbian" in literature distributed by the "Concerned Citizens of North York and North Toronto". This was a ratepayer group that also supported Karen Stintz
in her campaign against local councillor Anne Johnston
. She strongly opposed cuts to public education mandated by the Conservative government. In 2001, she helped pass a measure encouraging public schools to purchase teaching materials reflecting the presence of gay and lesbian parents in modern society. In December 2001, Wynne ran for chair of the school board but was defeated by Donna Cansfield
in a 12-10 vote.
, defeating Progressive Conservative cabinet minister
David Turnbull
by over 5,000 votes. The Liberals won the election, and Wynne was appointed parliamentary assistant to Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Mary Anne Chambers
in October 2003. In October 2004, she was appointed parliamentary assistant to Minister of Education Gerard Kennedy
.
On September 18, 2006, she was promoted to Ontario Minister of Education in a cabinet shuffle
occasioned by the resignation of Joe Cordiano from the Legislature. She is the province's first openly lesbian cabinet minister, and only the second openly LGBT
cabinet minister after cabinet colleague George Smitherman
. On January 18, 2010 she was moved to Ontario Minister of Transportation.
In the 2007 provincial election
, Wynne ran for re-election against PC leader John Tory
. Tory, who was elected to Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey
(former PC leader Ernie Eves
' riding) in a by-election, was seeking a seat in a Toronto-area riding. Though projected to be a close race, Wynne was re-elected with 50.4 percent of the popular vote, defeating Tory by just under 5,000 votes.
|-
|Kathleen Wynne
|align="right"|23,059
|align="right"|50.4
|align="right"|-2.19%
|-
|John Tory
|align="right"|18,136
|align="right"|39.7
|align="right"|+0.75%
|-
|Adrian Walker
|align="right"|2,202
|align="right"|4.8
|align="right"|+2.03%
|-
|Mike Kenny
|align="right"|2,135
|align="right"|4.7
|align="right"|-0.99%
|-
|Daniel Kidd
|align="right"|183
|align="right"|0.4
|align="right"|
|}
|-
|Kathleen Wynne
|align="right"|23,488
|align="right"|52.59
|align="right"|+8.97
|-
|David Turnbull
|align="right"|17,394
|align="right"|38.95
|align="right"|-11.57
|-
|Ali Naqvi
|align="right"|2,540
|align="right"|5.69
|align="right"|+1.00
|-
|Philip Hawkins
|align="right"|1,239
|align="right"|2.77
|}
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario
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...
. She 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...
, representing the riding of Don Valley West
Don Valley West (provincial electoral district)
Don Valley West is a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 from parts of Don Mills, York Mills, York East and Eglinton....
for 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...
.
Background
Wynne holds a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor 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 from Queen's University, a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(1980) and a Master of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
degree in adult education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto is a teachers' college in Toronto, Ontario.-History:OISE/UT traces its origins to the founding of the Provincial Normal School in 1847...
. She has also completed a course in mediation training at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. She was a member of the discipline committee of the Ontario Society of Psychotherapists from 1997 to 2000.
Wynne served as president of the Toronto Institute of Human Relations. In 1996, she helped found Citizens for Local Democracy, which opposed the efforts of Ontario's 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...
government to amalgamate the City 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...
. She also founded the Metro Parent Network (now the Toronto Parent Network) which supports improvements in the province's public education system, and has participated in numerous other community endeavours. Wynne helped found MAD for Dancing, a community fundraising group that has donated over $50,000 to organizations that support gay and lesbian youth.
Prior to her coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
at age 37 she was married to her husband Phil with whom she had three children. She now lives with her partner Jane Rounthwaite. She has been a resident of Toronto for over 25 years.
School trustee
Wynne first ran for trustee in 1994 in ward 12 but was defeated by Ann Vanstone. In 2000, she ran again and was elected as a public school trusteeToronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
in Toronto's ward 8. During the campaign she was labelled an "extremist lesbian" in literature distributed by the "Concerned Citizens of North York and North Toronto". This was a ratepayer group that also supported Karen Stintz
Karen Stintz
Karen Stintz is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada. She represents Ward 16, one of two municipal wards enclosed within the federal-provincial riding of Eglinton—Lawrence....
in her campaign against local councillor Anne Johnston
Anne Johnston
Anne Johnston was a longtime city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1972, and served until 1985 when she ran against incumbent Mayor Art Eggleton, but was defeated. In 1988 she was elected to Metro Toronto Council...
. She strongly opposed cuts to public education mandated by the Conservative government. In 2001, she helped pass a measure encouraging public schools to purchase teaching materials reflecting the presence of gay and lesbian parents in modern society. In December 2001, Wynne ran for chair of the school board but was defeated by Donna Cansfield
Donna Cansfield
Donna H. Cansfield, is a politician in Ontario, Canada, who has represented the riding of Etobicoke Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2003...
in a 12-10 vote.
Provincial politics
Wynne was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 2003 provincial 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....
, defeating Progressive Conservative cabinet minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
David Turnbull
David Turnbull
David Turnbull is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and was a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada in the federal election of 2004.Turnbull was educated at the Edinburgh College of Domestic...
by over 5,000 votes. The Liberals won the election, and Wynne was appointed parliamentary assistant to Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Mary Anne Chambers
Mary Anne Chambers
Mary Anne Veronica Chambers is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 until 2007, and served in the cabinet in the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Background:...
in October 2003. In October 2004, she was appointed parliamentary assistant to Minister of Education Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
.
On September 18, 2006, she was promoted to Ontario Minister of Education in a cabinet shuffle
Cabinet shuffle
In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle or reshuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet....
occasioned by the resignation of Joe Cordiano from the Legislature. She is the province's first openly lesbian cabinet minister, and only the second openly LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
cabinet minister after cabinet colleague George Smitherman
George Smitherman
George Smitherman is a Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election...
. On January 18, 2010 she was moved to Ontario Minister of Transportation.
In the 2007 provincial 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...
, Wynne ran for re-election against PC leader 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...
. Tory, who was elected to Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey
Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey (provincial electoral district)
Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey is a former provincial electoral district in southwestern Ontario, Canada that elected one Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. It was created in 1999 from Wellington, Grey and Dufferin—Peel...
(former PC leader 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:...
' riding) in a by-election, was seeking a seat in a Toronto-area riding. Though projected to be a close race, Wynne was re-elected with 50.4 percent of the popular vote, defeating Tory by just under 5,000 votes.
Electoral record
|-
|Kathleen Wynne
|align="right"|23,059
|align="right"|50.4
|align="right"|-2.19%
|-
|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...
|align="right"|18,136
|align="right"|39.7
|align="right"|+0.75%
|-
|Adrian Walker
|align="right"|2,202
|align="right"|4.8
|align="right"|+2.03%
|-
|Mike Kenny
|align="right"|2,135
|align="right"|4.7
|align="right"|-0.99%
|-
|Daniel Kidd
|align="right"|183
|align="right"|0.4
|align="right"|
|}
|-
|Kathleen Wynne
|align="right"|23,488
|align="right"|52.59
|align="right"|+8.97
|-
|David Turnbull
David Turnbull
David Turnbull is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and was a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada in the federal election of 2004.Turnbull was educated at the Edinburgh College of Domestic...
|align="right"|17,394
|align="right"|38.95
|align="right"|-11.57
|-
|Ali Naqvi
|align="right"|2,540
|align="right"|5.69
|align="right"|+1.00
|-
|Philip Hawkins
|align="right"|1,239
|align="right"|2.77
|}