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John Gerretsen

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John Gerretsen
Gerretsen in 2011
Ontario MPP
In office
1995–2014
Preceded byGary Wilson
Succeeded bySophie Kiwala
ConstituencyKingston and the Islands
90th Mayor of Kingston, Ontario
In office
1980–1988
Preceded byKen Keyes
Succeeded byHelen Cooper
Personal details
Born
John Philip Gerretsen

(1942-06-09) June 9, 1942 (age 82)
Hilversum, Netherlands
Political partyLiberal
SpouseAssunta
RelationsMark Gerretsen, son
ProfessionLawyer

John Philip Gerretsen (born June 9, 1942) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2014 who represented the eastern Ontario riding of Kingston and the Islands. He served as a Minister in the Cabinets of Premiers Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne.

Early life

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Gerretsen was born in Hilversum, 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 in Toronto from 1969 to 1970. His son Mark Gerretsen served as a Kingston, Ontario city councillor and was elected mayor in 2010.[1]

Municipal politics

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Gerretsen's political career began in the early 1970s at the municipal level. He was elected as a Kingston Alderman in 1972, and remained on the City Council until 1980 (serving as Deputy Mayor from 1976 to 1980). Gerretsen was elected Mayor of the city in 1980, and was re-elected twice 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.

Provincial politics

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Gerretsen was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1995, defeating Progressive Conservative candidate 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.[2]

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.[3]

Gerretsen was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election, although the Progressive Conservatives were again victorious across the province.[4] Gerretsen continued as Opposition Whip, and remained a vocal Liberal MPP for the next four years.

McGuinty government

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The Liberal Party won the 2003 election with 72 seats out of 103, and Gerretsen was re-elected with over 60% support.[5] On October 23, 2003, he was named Minister of Municipal Affairs, with responsibility for Seniors.[6] 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.[7] The Liberals claimed 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.[8]

In the 2007 election of October 10, 2007, Gerretsen won re-election with just under 50 per cent support.[9] On October 29, 2007, Gerretsen was appointed as Minister of the Environment.[10]

On August 18, 2010, Gerretsen was moved to the post of Minister of the Consumer Services.[11]

He won re-election in the October 6, 2011 election. He was appointed Attorney General of Ontario and was re-appointed when Kathleen Wynne became premier in early 2013.[12]

On October 25, 2013, Gerretsen announced that he would not run in the next election.[13] Just before his retirement at the June 2014 election, Gerretsen was moved from the Attorney-General portfolio to that of Chair of Cabinet.[14]

Cabinet positions

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Ontario provincial government of Kathleen Wynne
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Linda Jeffrey Chair of Cabinet
2014 		Jim Bradley
Ontario provincial government of Dalton McGuinty
Cabinet posts (5)
Predecessor Office Successor
Chris Bentley Attorney General of Ontario
2011–2014 		Madeleine Meilleur
Sophia Aggelonitis Minister of Consumer Services
2010–2011 		Margarett Best
Jim Watson Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
2010 (January 12–18) 		Jim Bradley
Laurel Broten Minister of the Environment
2007–2010 		John Wilkinson
David Young Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
2003–2007
Also responsible for Seniors 		Jim Watson

Electoral record

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2011 Ontario general election: Kingston and the Islands
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal John Gerretsen 21,028 48.84 +1.61 $ 71,020.00
New Democratic Mary Rita Holland 10,241 23.79 +3.24 34,982.21
Progressive Conservative Rodger James 9,610 22.32 –   45,336.00
Green Robert Kiley 1,594 3.70 −5.07 15,086.56
Family Coalition David Caracciolo 336 0.78 −0.07 2,857.71
Libertarian Jamie Shaw 115 0.27   0.00
Freedom Paul Busch 71 0.16 −0.12 0.00
Republican David Best 56 0.13   0.00
Total valid votes / expense limit 43,051 100.0   −12.65 $ 114,204.30
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 163 0.38 −0.20
Turnout 43,214 45.03 −8.93
Eligible voters 95,966   +4.47
Liberal hold Swing −0.82
Source(s)
"Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Kingston and the Islands" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2014.
"2011 Candidate Campaign Returns (CR-1)". Elections Ontario. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
2007 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Gerretsen 23,273 47.2
Progressive Conservative John Rapin 10,994 22.3
New Democratic Rick Downes 10,126 20.6
Green Bridget Doherty 4,321 8.8
Family Coalition Chris K. Beneteau 418 0.9
Freedom Mark Fournier 137 0.3
2003 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Gerretsen 28,877 60.28 +5.58
Progressive Conservative Hans Westenberg 9,640 20.12 -9.95
New Democratic Janet C. Collins 5,514 11.51 +0.23
Green Eric B. Walton 3,137 6.55 +4.11
Family Coalition Chris K. Beneteau 735 1.53 +0.40
1999 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal John Gerretsen 26,355 54.70
Progressive Conservative Bob Pickering 14,487 30.07
New Democratic Beth Pater 5,436 11.28
Green Chris Walker 1,174 2.44
Family Coalition Chris K. Beneteau 546 1.13
Natural Law Gerard Morris 182 0.38
1995 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal John Gerretsen 10,314 36.95
Progressive Conservative Sally Barnes 8,571 30.71
New Democratic Gary Wilson 8,052 28.85
Family Coalition John Pacheco 858 3.07
Natural Law Ronald Dunphy 115 0.41

Personal life

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On March 19, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic, Gerretsen tested positive for COVID-19, with his wife Assunta testing positive earlier that week, after they were both repatriated to Canada from the Grand Princess cruise ship; they were quarantined at CFB Trenton.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "New mayor, new faces on council". Kingston Whig-Standard. October 28, 2010. Archived from the original on November 1, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  2. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. June 8, 1995. Retrieved March 2, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ David Mutimer, ed. (2002). Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs (1996). Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 120–1.
  4. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. June 3, 1999. Retrieved March 2, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. October 2, 2003. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  6. ^ "Premier Dalton McGuinty and his 22-member cabinet were sworn in Thursday". Canadian Press NewsWire. October 23, 2003. p. 1.
  7. ^ Abbate, Gay (November 22, 2003). "Had no choice but to allow development, minister says". Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  8. ^ "Cabinet shuffle focuses on health care, education; McGuinty to head new Research and Innovation ministry". The Record. Kitchener, Ont. June 30, 2005. p. A5.
  9. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 10, 2007. p. 6 (xv). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2009.
  10. ^ Ferguson, Rob; Benzie, Robert (October 31, 2007). "Premier goes for new blood; Expanded 28-member cabinet has eight ministers from Toronto, three from 905 area". Toronto Star. p. A13.
  11. ^ Aveling, Nick (August 18, 2010). "McGuinty moves 6, brings in 2 new faces in Ontario cabinet shuffle". Postmedia News.
  12. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 6, 2011. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  13. ^ "Attorney General John Gerretsen set to retire from politics". Toronto Star. October 25, 2013.
  14. ^ "Kathleen Wynne shuffles Liberal cabinet". Toronto Star. March 25, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  15. ^ "Former Ontario Attorney General John Gerretsen diagnosed with COVID-19 at CFB Trenton". globalnews.ca. March 19, 2020.
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