Jack Riddell
| Jack Riddell | |
|---|---|
| Ontario MPP | |
| In office 1973–1990 | |
| Preceded by | Charles MacNaughton |
| Succeeded by | Paul Klopp |
| Constituency | Huron—Middlesex and Huron-Bruce |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 10, 1931 London, Ontario |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Alma mater | Ontario Agricultural College |
| Occupation | high-school teacher and a livestock sales owner and operator-auctioneeer |
John Keith Riddell (born December 10, 1931) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1973 to 1990, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson.
Background
Riddell was educated at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph, Ontario, and worked as a high-school teacher and a livestock sales owner and operator-auctioneer. He is a prominent member of the Agricultural Institute of Canada.
Politics
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in a by-election on March 16, 1973, defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Don Southcott by 2,968 votes in the constituency of Huron.[1] He was re-elected by somewhat narrower margins in the elections of 1975,[2] 1977,[3] and 1981, in the redistributed constituency of Huron—Middlesex.[4]
Riddell was on the traditionalist right-wing of the Liberal Party, and represented agricultural interests in the legislature. He brought forward a private "right-to-farm" bill in the 1980s, attempting to protect farmers against urban incursion and related matters.
The Liberal party formed a minority government following the 1985 provincial election, after having been out of power for 42 years. Riddell, re-elected without difficulty,[5] was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Food on June 26, 1985.[6] Easily re-elected again in the 1987 provincial election,[7] Riddell remained Agriculture Minister until August 2, 1989.[8] He did not run for re-election in 1990.
Cabinet positions
| Provincial Government of David Peterson | ||
| Cabinet Post (1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Ross Stevenson | Minister of Agriculture and Food 1985–1989 |
David Ramsay |
Later life
Riddell was president of the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Association in 2003-04, and has served as president of the Ontario Institute of Agrologists. He is also a prominent member of Heartland Community Credit Union Ltd.
References
- ↑ Webster, Norman (March 16, 1973). "30-year reigns end: Liberals thump PCs in St. George, Huron". The Globe and Mail. p. 1.
- ↑ "Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings". The Globe and Mail. September 19, 1975. p. C12.
- ↑ "Ontario provincial election results riding by riding". The Globe and Mail. June 10, 1977. p. D9.
- ↑ Canadian Press (1981-03-20). "Election results for Metro Toronto ridings". The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario). p. 22. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
- ↑ "Results of vote in Ontario election". The Globe and Mail. May 3, 1985. p. 13.
- ↑ "Liberals pledge reform as they take over in Ontario". The Gazette (Montreal, Que). June 27, 1985. p. B1.
- ↑ "Results from individual ridings". The Windsor Star. September 11, 1987. p. F2.
- ↑ Allen, Gene (August 3, 1989). "Veterans bear load as 8 ministers cut in Peterson shuffle". The Globe and Mail. p. A1.