Peter Preston (politician)
Encyclopedia
Peter L. Preston is a former politician
in Ontario, Canada
. He served as a Progressive Conservative
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1995 to 1999.
Preston was a non-commissioned officer with the Royal Canadian Engineers for a number of years. He also worked in sales and management insurance, and founded Preston House in 1984 as a group home for boys aged twelve to eighteen.
He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1995 provincial election
, defeating Liberal
incumbent Ron Eddy by about 3,500 votes in the mostly rural southern Ontario riding of Brant—Haldimand
. The seat was formerly known as a Liberal stronghold, and Preston's victory was regarded by many as an upset. He served as a backbench member of Mike Harris
's government for the next four years.
Preston's riding was eliminated by redistribution prior to the 1999 provincial election
, and he chose to seek re-election in the urban riding of Hamilton East (which had not returned a Progressive Conservative MPP since 1955). He finished a distant second against Liberal Dominic Agostino
, and has not sought a return to politics since then.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario, 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 served as a 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...
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...
from 1995 to 1999.
Preston was a non-commissioned officer with the Royal Canadian Engineers for a number of years. He also worked in sales and management insurance, and founded Preston House in 1984 as a group home for boys aged twelve to eighteen.
He was elected to the Ontario legislature in 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...
, defeating Liberal
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...
incumbent Ron Eddy by about 3,500 votes in the mostly rural southern Ontario riding of Brant—Haldimand
Brant—Haldimand
Brant—Haldimand was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1953 to 1968, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1999.-Federal electoral district:...
. The seat was formerly known as a Liberal stronghold, and Preston's victory was regarded by many as an upset. He served as a backbench member of 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...
's government for the next four years.
Preston's riding was eliminated by redistribution prior to 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....
, and he chose to seek re-election in the urban riding of Hamilton East (which had not returned a Progressive Conservative MPP since 1955). He finished a distant second against Liberal Dominic Agostino
Dominic Agostino
Dominic Agostino was a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Hamilton East for the Liberal Party in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 until his death in 2004.-Biography:...
, and has not sought a return to politics since then.