Jon Gerrard
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Jon Gerrard, PC , MLA , BA, Ph.D , MD (born October 13, 1947 in Birmingham, England) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a federal Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) from 1993 to 1997, and has been the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party since 1998.
Gerrard grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan (1967), an MD from McGill University (1971) and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Pediatrics and Pharmacology. He also attended the University of Oklahoma. Gerrard trained as a physician and developed an interest in endangered species, at one point writing a book on bald eagles.
In the 1993 federal election, Gerrard was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal in the Manitoba riding of Portage-Interlake. He served in Jean Chrétien's cabinet as Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development from November 4, 1993, to June 10, 1997, and from January 25, 1996, was also Secretary of State for Western Economic Diversification.
In the federal election of 1997, Gerrard was defeated by Reform candidate Howard Hilstrom in a close three-way race. Only 188 votes separated Hilstrom from the third-place candidate, Kathleen McCallum of the New Democratic Party.
Gerrard was called upon to stand for the leadership of the Manitoba Liberal Party in 1998, at a time when the party's internal unity was deteriorating. They held only three seats in the legislature, and previous leader Ginny Hasselfield (1996-1998) had proven to be a divisive figure among party members and MLAs. Gerrard defeated former Sagkeeng Band Council Chief Jerry Fontaine for the party leadership, and had some success in reuniting the party prior to the provincial election of 1999.
The divisions of recent years were too much to overcome, and the 1999 provincial election was a disaster for the Liberal Party. They lost 10% of their support base from the previous election, most of which went to the New Democratic Party under Gary Doer. Gerrard defeated incumbent Tory Mike Radcliffe in the upscale Winnipeg riding of River Heights, but the Liberals were unable to win any other seats in the province.
Gerrard again led his party to a third-place finish in the 2003 election. Party maverick Kevin Lamoureux was re-elected in Inkster after a four-year absence to become the second Liberal MLA in the legislature.
With Gary Doer's New Democratic government still popular among centre-left voters, and the Progressive Conservatives and the dominant opposition on the right, Gerrard faces a difficult challenge in establishing a support base for the his party. With no obvious challengers for the party leadership, however, he may retain his current position for several years to come.
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| Preceded by Ginny Hasselfield |
Leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party 1998-present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| 26th Ministry - Government of Jean Chrétien | ||
| Sub-Cabinet Posts (2) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Title | Successor |
| Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification) (1996–1997) |
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| Secretary of State (Science, Research and Technology) (1993–1997) |
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