Gerry Phillips
Encyclopedia
Gerry Phillips was a politician
in the riding of Scarborough—Agincourt
which is located in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. He was a member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
, and served as a senior minister in the governments of Premier's
Dalton McGuinty
and David Peterson
.
's School of Business, and worked as a managing consultant before entering public life. He worked in the marketing department of Procter & Gamble
, and joined the Canadian Marketing Associates organization in 1970 (becoming its President in 1977). Phillips founded the Sales Development Group in 1979 and the Retail Resource Group in 1982, and also served on the Board of Governors of the Scarborough General Hospital
during this period.
, but lost to Progressive Conservative
Tom Wells
in Scarborough North by about 3,000 votes.
, defeating his nearest opponent, David Kho of the Ontario New Democratic Party
(NDP) by over 12,000 votes. The Liberals won a landslide majority in this election under David Peterson
. On September 29, 1987, Phillips was appointed Minister of Citizenship
, with responsibility for Race relations, Multiculturalism
and the Ontario Human Rights Commission
. In August 1989, he was transferred to the Ministry of Labour.
The Liberals were upset by the NDP in the provincial election of 1990
, although Phillips was re-elected without difficulty in his own riding. Tory Keith MacNab finished second. In opposition, he held critic portfolios in Health, Finance and Native Affairs. In 1992, he supported Lyn McLeod
's successful campaign to become party leader.
The 1995 provincial election
was won by the Progressive Conservatives, and Phillips only narrowly won re-election in Agincourt, defeating Keith MacNab by about 2,000 votes. Many suspected that Phillips would run for the party's leadership when Lyn McLeod
resigned in 1996, but he declined and supported Gerard Kennedy
, who lost to Dalton McGuinty on the final ballot. Phillips was appointed as the party's Deputy Leader in 1998.
Phillips' own re-election in 1999 was not guaranteed. Despite an endorsement from the right-wing Toronto Sun
tabloid newspaper (which usually supports Tory candidates - and which his opponent was a former employee of), he came within 3,000 votes of losing to incumbent Tory MPP Jim Brown. (The Mike Harris
government had previously reduced the number of ridings from 130 to 103, forcing several MPPs to face one another for re-election.) The Progressive Conservatives won re-election across the province, and Phillips remained a leading figure on the opposition benches. In his capacity as Native Affairs Critic, Phillips helped lead the fight for a public inquiry into the 1995 shooting death of protester Dudley George by members of the Ontario Provincial Police
.
The Liberal Party won a majority in the 2003 election
, and Phillips was re-elected with 61% support in his riding. Phillips was appointed as Chair of the Management Board. After a cabinet shuffle on June 29, 2005, Phillips's portfolio was restructured as the Minister of Government Services
. The new Ministry takes on most of the core services of the former Management Board Secretariat, Consumer and Business Services, and a large part of the Cabinet Office
.
He was re-elected in the 2007 election
, and was appointed Minister of Energy shortly after. In a cabinet shuffle on June 20, 2008, the Energy portfolio was given to George Smitherman
. Phillips was appointed minister without portfolio
and chair of cabinet.
Phillips was appointed Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure on November 9, 2009 after Smitherman resigned to enter municipal politics. On January 18, 2010 Phillips once again was appointed Phillips was appointed minister without portfolio
and chair of cabinet, and also became Minister responsible for Seniors. In September 2010, the responsibility for seniors was transferred to Sophia Aggelonitis
.
In 2011, he announced he would not run for re-election in the 2011 provincial election.
|Gerry Phillips
|align="right"|19,447
|align="right"|57.82
|align="right"|-3.28
|-
|John Del Grande
|align="right"|8,495
|align="right"|25.26
|align="right"|-4.82
|-
|Yvette Blackburn
|align="right"|3,589
|align="right"|10.67
|align="right"|+4.81
|-
|George Pappas
|align="right"|1,533
|align="right"|4.56
|align="right"|+3.06
|-
|Max Wang
|align="right"|572
|align="right"|1.7
|align="right"|+0.24
|}
|-
|Gerry Phillips
|align="right"|23,026
|align="right"|61.1
|align="right"|+10.40
|-
|Yolanda Chan
|align="right"|11,337
|align="right"|30.08
|align="right"|-13.07
|-
|Stacy Douglas
|align="right"|2,209
|align="right"|5.86
|align="right"|+2.28
|-
|Lawrence J. Arkilander
|align="right"|566
|align="right"|1.5
|align="right"|+0.28
|-
|Tony Ieraci
|align="right"|550
|align="right"|1.46
|}
|-
|Gerry Phillips
|align="right"|18,698
|align="right"|50.7
|-
|Jim Brown
|align="right"|15,915
|align="right"|43.15
|-
|Bob Frankford
|align="right"|1,319
|align="right"|3.58
|-
|Gary Carmichael
|align="right"|451
|align="right"|1.22
|-
|Wayne Cook
|align="right"|371
|align="right"|1.01
|-
|Ken Morgan
|align="right"|129
|align="right"|0.35
|}
Ontario general election, 1995
:
Ontario general election, 1990
:
Ontario general election, 1987
:
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the riding of Scarborough—Agincourt
Scarborough—Agincourt (provincial electoral district)
Scarborough—Agincourt is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999.It covers the northwest of the Scarborough part of Toronto...
which is located in 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...
, 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...
. He was a member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
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 served as a senior minister in the governments of Premier's
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....
and David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
.
Early life
Phillips was educated at the University of Western OntarioUniversity of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
's School of Business, and worked as a managing consultant before entering public life. He worked in the marketing department of Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
, and joined the Canadian Marketing Associates organization in 1970 (becoming its President in 1977). Phillips founded the Sales Development Group in 1979 and the Retail Resource Group in 1982, and also served on the Board of Governors of the Scarborough General Hospital
Scarborough Hospital
-References:...
during this period.
School trustee
Phillips began his political career as a school trustee, serving for a total of eleven years on the Scarborough Board of Education and the Metropolitan Toronto School Board (and eventually becoming chair of both organizations). He also ran for the Ontario legislature as a Liberal in the provincial election of 1975Ontario 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....
, but lost to 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...
Tom Wells
Thomas Leonard Wells
Thomas Leonard Wells was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1985, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of John Robarts and William Davis...
in Scarborough North by about 3,000 votes.
Provincial politics
Phillips was more successful in his second bid for the Ontario legislature. He was easily elected in Scarborough—Agincourt in the provincial election of 1987Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, defeating his nearest opponent, David Kho of the Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
(NDP) by over 12,000 votes. The Liberals won a landslide majority in this election under David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
. On September 29, 1987, Phillips was appointed Minister of Citizenship
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (Ontario)
The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration is responsible for citizenship and immigration issues in the Canadian province of Ontario. Overall immigration and citizenship policy is still held by the federal government....
, with responsibility for Race relations, Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
and the Ontario Human Rights Commission
Ontario Human Rights Commission
The Ontario Human Rights Commission was established in the Canadian province of Ontario on March 29, 1961 to administer the Ontario Human Rights Code...
. In August 1989, he was transferred to the Ministry of Labour.
The Liberals were upset by the NDP in the provincial election of 1990
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, although Phillips was re-elected without difficulty in his own riding. Tory Keith MacNab finished second. In opposition, he held critic portfolios in Health, Finance and Native Affairs. In 1992, he supported 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...
's successful campaign to become party leader.
The 1995 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...
was won by the Progressive Conservatives, and Phillips only narrowly won re-election in Agincourt, defeating Keith MacNab by about 2,000 votes. Many suspected that Phillips would run for the party's leadership when 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...
resigned in 1996, but he declined and supported 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...
, who lost to Dalton McGuinty on the final ballot. Phillips was appointed as the party's Deputy Leader in 1998.
Phillips' own re-election in 1999 was not guaranteed. Despite an endorsement from the right-wing Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
tabloid newspaper (which usually supports Tory candidates - and which his opponent was a former employee of), he came within 3,000 votes of losing to incumbent Tory MPP Jim Brown. (The 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...
government had previously reduced the number of ridings from 130 to 103, forcing several MPPs to face one another for re-election.) The Progressive Conservatives won re-election across the province, and Phillips remained a leading figure on the opposition benches. In his capacity as Native Affairs Critic, Phillips helped lead the fight for a public inquiry into the 1995 shooting death of protester Dudley George by members of the Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
.
The Liberal Party won a majority in the 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....
, and Phillips was re-elected with 61% support in his riding. Phillips was appointed as Chair of the Management Board. After a cabinet shuffle on June 29, 2005, Phillips's portfolio was restructured as the Minister of Government Services
Ministry of Government Services (Ontario)
The Ministry of Government Services is responsible for the delivery and management of government operations. Its goal is to provide cost-effective services to all residents and businesses and to the Ontario Public Service. It replaced the former Management Board Secretariat and the former Ministry...
. The new Ministry takes on most of the core services of the former Management Board Secretariat, Consumer and Business Services, and a large part of the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
.
He was re-elected 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...
, and was appointed Minister of Energy shortly after. In a cabinet shuffle on June 20, 2008, the Energy portfolio was given to 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...
. Phillips was appointed 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...
and chair of cabinet.
Phillips was appointed Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure on November 9, 2009 after Smitherman resigned to enter municipal politics. On January 18, 2010 Phillips once again was appointed Phillips was appointed 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...
and chair of cabinet, and also became Minister responsible for Seniors. In September 2010, the responsibility for seniors was transferred to Sophia Aggelonitis
Sophia Aggelonitis
Sophia Aggelonitis is a Canadian politician. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Hamilton Mountain and served as the province's Minister of Revenue and Minister Responsible for Seniors in the Liberal government of Premier Dalton McGuinty...
.
In 2011, he announced he would not run for re-election in the 2011 provincial election.
Electoral record
|-|Gerry Phillips
|align="right"|19,447
|align="right"|57.82
|align="right"|-3.28
|-
|John Del Grande
|align="right"|8,495
|align="right"|25.26
|align="right"|-4.82
|-
|Yvette Blackburn
|align="right"|3,589
|align="right"|10.67
|align="right"|+4.81
|-
|George Pappas
|align="right"|1,533
|align="right"|4.56
|align="right"|+3.06
|-
|Max Wang
|align="right"|572
|align="right"|1.7
|align="right"|+0.24
|}
|-
|Gerry Phillips
|align="right"|23,026
|align="right"|61.1
|align="right"|+10.40
|-
|Yolanda Chan
|align="right"|11,337
|align="right"|30.08
|align="right"|-13.07
|-
|Stacy Douglas
|align="right"|2,209
|align="right"|5.86
|align="right"|+2.28
|-
|Lawrence J. Arkilander
|align="right"|566
|align="right"|1.5
|align="right"|+0.28
|-
|Tony Ieraci
|align="right"|550
|align="right"|1.46
|}
|-
|Gerry Phillips
|align="right"|18,698
|align="right"|50.7
|-
|Jim Brown
|align="right"|15,915
|align="right"|43.15
|-
|Bob Frankford
|align="right"|1,319
|align="right"|3.58
|-
|Gary Carmichael
|align="right"|451
|align="right"|1.22
|-
|Wayne Cook
|align="right"|371
|align="right"|1.01
|-
|Ken Morgan
|align="right"|129
|align="right"|0.35
|}
Ontario general election, 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...
:
- (x)Gerry Phillips (L) 13,472
- Keith MacNab (PC) 11,337
- Christine Fei (NDP) 4,112
- Daphne Quance (NLP) 313
Ontario general election, 1990
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
:
- (x)Gerry Phillips (L) 13,347
- Keith MacNab (PC) 8,640
- Ayoub Ali (NDP) 6,763
- Bill Galster (Lbt) 1,368
Ontario general election, 1987
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
:
- Gerry Phillips (L) 19,101
- David Kho (NDP) 7,021
- Adrienne Johnson (PC) 6,284
- Barry Coyne (Lbt) 794