Marie Bountrogianni

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Marie Bountrogianni BA, MEd, D.Ed (born December 10, 1956) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and is a cabinet minister in the government of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Bountrogianni was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the daughter of Greek immigrants. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo in 1979, a Master of Education degree from the University of Toronto in 1980, and a Doctor of Education degree from the latter institution in 1983. She became a registered psychologist in 1985, and was employed in psychological work at the Toronto Board of Education from 1984 to 1988. From 1989 to 1999, she was Chief Psychologist of the Hamilton Board of Education. Bountrogianni also served as an Assistant Professor at Sir Wilfrid Laurier University from 1985 to 1987, and McMaster University from 1992 to 1999, and was the Vice-Chair of St. Peter's Hospital in Hamilton from 1995 to 1999. In 1997, she was hired by the European Union to evaluate proposals for graduate school funding. Locally, she has also served as an honorary co-Chair of Hamilton & Bay AIDSwalk and Grace Haven Capital Campaign.

Bountrogianni first ran for the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1995, as a Liberal candidate in the riding of Hamilton Mountain. She finished ahead of incumbent New Democrat Brian Charlton, but 1028 votes behind the winner, Progressive Conservative Trevor Pettit.

Bountrogianni ran against Pettit again in the 1999 provincial election. There was some uncertainty in the riding as to whether Bountrogianni or NDP candidate Chris Charlton (wife of Brian) would have a better chance of defeating Pettit, and some groups (including the Ontario Nurses Association) recommended voting NDP as a strategic choice. As it happened, Bountrogianni was able to defeat Pettit by over 2500 votes, with Charlton finishing third. The Progressive Conservatives won the election, and Bountrogianni became the opposition critic for Colleges and Universities as well as Women's Issues. In 2002, she was named Woman of the Year in Politics by the Hamilton Status of Women Committee.

Bountrogianni was easily re-elected in the Ontario general election of 2003, in which the Liberals won a majority. On October 23, 2003, she was named Minister of Children's Services and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. In March 2004, the former ministry was renamed Children Youth Services. Her appointment was regarded favourably by childcare advocates in the province.

In October 2004, Bountrogianni introduced a plan to make all public and private buildings in the province wheelchair-accessible by 2025.

After a cabinet shuffle on June 29, 2005, Bountrogianni was named Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister for Democratic Renewal.