Frank Sheehan
| Frank Sheehan | |
|---|---|
| Ontario MPP | |
| In office 1995–1999 | |
| Preceded by | Ron Hansen |
| Succeeded by | Riding abolished |
| Constituency | Lincoln |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1933 |
| Died | December 17, 2013 St. Catharines, Ontario |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Diane |
| Children | 7 |
| Occupation | Businessman |
Francis Xavier Sheehan (1933 – December 17, 2013) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 1999.[1]
Background
Sheehan graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Windsor. He served as the president of Sheehan & Rosie, Investment Brokers and was the chairman and co-founder of the Wayside House and Wayside Community Residential Centre. Sheehan was also a co-founder of the right-wing Taxpayers Coalition of Ontario.[2]
He was married for 54 years to Diane and father of 7 children.
Politics
In 1970, he was elected as a trustee to the Lincoln County Separate School Board.
Sheehan was elected to the legislature in the 1995 provincial election, defeating Liberal Harry Pelissero by about 8,000 votes in the southern Ontario riding of Lincoln (NDP incumbent Ron Hansen was third). For the next four years, he served as a backbencher support of Mike Harris's government.
In 1996, the Harris government reduced the number of ridings from 130 to 103. This meant that some sitting MPPs had to compete against one another for re-election in the 1999 provincial election. Sheehan faced popular NDP maverick Peter Kormos in the riding Niagara Centre, and lost by over 4,000 votes.
Sheehan was known as an outspoken politician, on the right-wing of his party. In 1997, he introduced a private member's bill to end closed-shop unions in Ontario; this was defeated when some other PCs voted against it. One of the principal commitments made by the Progressive Conservatives, during the 1995 election, was to deal with the issue of government "red tape", duplication and waste. The Harris government created the "Red Tape Commission" and Sheehan was made a Co-Chair of a unique organization that combined elected Members of Parliament with a group of experienced and committed civil servants. After the 1999 election, in recognition of his experience on the Commission, Sheehan was appointed to continue serving as Co-Chair, from 1999 to 2003, along with MPP Steve Gilchrist.
Later life
After leaving political office, he returned to the insurance business in an advisory capacity. Sheehan also worked tirelessly on taxpayer initiatives helping to make the Niagara Region and Ontario a great place to live and to do business.
Sheehan died after a short battle with cancer at his home in December 2013.[3][4]
References
- ↑ Ontario Legislative Assembly Parliamentarian History , Accessed 14 April 2011
- ↑ Bolichowski, Jeff (December 19, 2013). "Former Lincoln MPP Sheehan dies". The Standard (St. Catharines). Retrieved December 20, 2013.
- ↑ The Canadian Press (December 20, 2013). "Former Niagara-area PC MPP Frank Sheehan dies". CTV News. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
- ↑ http://www.yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oid=762751