John Reimer
Encyclopedia
John Henry Reimer is a Canadian
politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1979 to 1980, and again from 1984 to 1993, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
.
Reimer was born to a Mennonite
family in Kitchener
, Ontario
. He was educated at the University of Toronto
, the Ontario College of Education and the University of Waterloo
, and holds Bachelor of Arts
, Master of Arts
and Bachelor of Education
degrees. He worked as an educator before entering political life, and served on the board of governors of Wilfrid Laurier University
for four years.
He was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1979 election
, defeating Liberal
candidate David Cooke by over 6,000 votes in Kitchener
. He served as a backbench supporter of Joe Clark
's minority government
, and lost to Liberal Peter Lang by 1,512 votes in the 1980 election
which was called after Clark's government lost a vote of confidence.
Reimer was returned to the Commons in the 1984 election
, defeating Lang by over 10,000 votes as the Progressive Conservatives won a landslide majority government
under Brian Mulroney
. He was re-elected by a narrower margin in 1988
, and served for nine years as a backbench supporter of the Mulroney and Kim Campbell
governments. In 1987, his private motion to include property rights in the Canadian Bill of Rights was approved by the house.
Reimer was defeated in 1993
, finishing third against historian and Liberal candidate John English. He sought a return to Parliament in the newly-constituted riding of Kitchener Centre
during the 1997 election
, but finished a distant second against new Liberal candidate Karen Redman
.
Reimer was on the right-wing
of the Progressive Conservative Party, and left the party to join the newly-formed Canadian Alliance
in 2000. He endorsed Stockwell Day
for the party's leadership, and campaigned under Alliance's banner in the 2000 federal election
. He lost to Liberal Lynn Myers
in Waterloo—Wellington
.
Reimer is a social conservative, and in 2000 called for a law banning abortion
in Canada.
In 2004, he endorsed Frank Klees
to lead the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
.
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...
politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 1979 to 1980, and again from 1984 to 1993, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
.
Reimer was born to a Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
family in Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, 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....
. He was educated at 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...
, the Ontario College of Education and the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
, and holds Bachelor of Arts
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...
, 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...
and Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
degrees. He worked as an educator before entering political life, and served on the board of governors of Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
for four years.
He was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1979 election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
, defeating Liberal
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...
candidate David Cooke by over 6,000 votes in Kitchener
Kitchener (electoral district)
Kitchener was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...
. He served as a backbench supporter of Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
's minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
, and lost to Liberal Peter Lang by 1,512 votes in the 1980 election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
which was called after Clark's government lost a vote of confidence.
Reimer was returned to the Commons in the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, defeating Lang by over 10,000 votes as the Progressive Conservatives won a landslide majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
under Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. He was re-elected by a narrower margin in 1988
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
, and served for nine years as a backbench supporter of the Mulroney and Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
governments. In 1987, his private motion to include property rights in the Canadian Bill of Rights was approved by the house.
Reimer was defeated in 1993
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, finishing third against historian and Liberal candidate John English. He sought a return to Parliament in the newly-constituted riding of Kitchener Centre
Kitchener Centre
Kitchener Centre is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Political geography:...
during the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, but finished a distant second against new Liberal candidate Karen Redman
Karen Redman
Karen Redman, PC is a Canadian politician. She was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2008, representing the riding of Kitchener Centre for the Liberal Party. She served as Chief Government Whip in the 2004-05 Parliament, and was the Chief Official Opposition Whip in the...
.
Reimer was on the right-wing
Blue Tory
Blue Tories, also known as small 'c' conservatives, are, in Canadian politics, members of the former federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, current Conservative Party of Canada and provincial Progressive Conservative parties who are more economically right wing...
of the Progressive Conservative Party, and left the party to join the newly-formed Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
in 2000. He endorsed Stockwell Day
Stockwell Day
Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
for the party's leadership, and campaigned under Alliance's banner in the 2000 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
. He lost to Liberal Lynn Myers
Lynn Myers
Lynn A. Myers is a former Canadian politician.Before being elected federally, he was involved in politics in the Waterloo Region from 1978 to 1997. He served in various capacities including mayor of Wilmot Township, Township councillor and regional councillor...
in Waterloo—Wellington
Waterloo—Wellington
Waterloo—Wellington was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2003. It continues to be a provincial electoral district represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
.
Reimer is a social conservative, and in 2000 called for a law banning abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
in Canada.
In 2004, he endorsed Frank Klees
Frank Klees
Frank Klees is a Canadian politician and the Progressive Conservative member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Newmarket—Aurora north of Toronto. He was a candidate in the 2009 Progressive Conservative leadership election placing second behind victor Tim Hudak.-Early life:Klees was born...
to lead 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...
.