Claude Bennett

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Claude Frederick Bennett (September 19, 1936—) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller. Bennett was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Bennett was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He was educated at the High School of Commerce, and worked as an insurance agent. He served as an alderman in Ottawa from 1960 to 1969, and was a city controller and was the city's acting mayor in the period from 1970 to 1972. He also served as director of the Central Canada Exhibition Association from 1965 to 1978, and was president of the Ottawa Sooner Jr. Football Club from 1965 to 1973.

Bennett was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1971 provincial election, winning a convincing victory in Ottawa South. He was appointed as a minister without portfolio in Davis's government on September 28, 1972, and was promoted to Minister of Industry and Tourism on January 15, 1973. He was re-elected by a reduced majority in the 1975 election, and again with a convincing majority in 1977. On January 21, 1978, he was named Minister of Housing.

After six years of governing in a minority parliament, Davis's PCs were returned with a majority government in the 1981 election. Bennett was again returned for Ottawa South, and was named Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on July 3 of that year. He served in this position for the remainder of the Davis years.

Bennett was on the right-wing of the Progressive Conservative party, and was a prominent supporter of Frank Miller at the party's January 1985 leadership convention. When Miller became Premier of Ontario on February 8, 1985, he named Bennett as his Minister of Tourism and Recreation.

The PCs were reduced to a tenuous minority government under Miller's leadership in the 1985 provincial election, and Bennett retained his seat by only 1,337 votes (39.4%) against Liberal Party challenger Andrew Caddell (35.3%). He continued to serve as Minister of Tourism and Recreation and was also named Chair of Cabinet, but he accomplished little in this position before the Miller government was defeated in the house in June 1985. In opposition, Bennett served as his party's Critic for Industry and Trade. He supported Larry Grossman for the party leadership in November 1985, and did not run for re-election in 1987.

From 1990 to 1995, Bennett served as chairman of the board for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. He has been president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada since 1998, and has also served as chair of the Ottawa Transition Board and the Ottawa Airport Authority.

Preceded by Wesley Hackett, P.C.

M.P.P. for Ottawa South 1971-1987

Succeeded by Dalton McGuinty, Sr., Liberal