John Cleary
Encyclopedia
John Cleary is a former politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. He served as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1987 to 2003.
Cleary was educated at St. Lawrence College
. Elected as a councillor in Cornwall Township in 1972, he became the township's deputy reeve in 1974 and its reeve in 1976, serving in the latter capacity until 1987. He was chosen as warden for his region in 1983, and also served on the regional conservation authority from 1974 to 1987.
Cleary was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial election
, defeating Progressive Conservative
Luc Guidon in the riding of Cornwall by about 1,000 votes. The Liberals won a majority government in this region, and Cleary served as a government backbencher for the next three years.
The Liberals were defeated by the New Democratic Party in the 1990 election
, although Cleary managed to retain his own riding by an increased margin (despite having elected a member in the 1970s, the New Democrats have only a limited historical support base in Cornwall). In opposition, he served as his party's Agriculture Critic for the next five years.
The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the 1995 election
, though Cleary once again managed to increase his majority in Cornwall. He continued serving as his party's agriculture critic until 1996, when he was shifted to rural affairs.
Cleary faced the most difficult re-election battle of his career in the provincial election of 1999
, in which redistribution forced him to face longstanding Progressive Conservative MP Noble Villeneuve
in the riding of Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh
. Cleary eventually won the contest by 630 votes; most of the urban vote favoured him, while most of the rural vote favoured Villeneuve. He continued serving as his party's rural affairs critic until 2003, when he retired from the legislature. He also supported calls for a public inquiry into reports of an organized pedophile ring in the Cornwall area.
Although not a skilled public speaker or a leading figure in the Liberal Party, Cleary was generally regarded as a good community representative during his time in the legislature. He was not considered to be an especially partisan figure, and in fact criticized party leader Dalton McGuity for his personal attacks on Mike Harris
in 1999. Cleary also held socially conservative
views on some issues, including abortion
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1987 to 2003.
Cleary was educated at St. Lawrence College
St. Lawrence College
St. Lawrence College is the name of more than one educational institution:* St. Lawrence College, Ontario, in Kingston, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Cornwall and Brockville, Ontario, Canada...
. Elected as a councillor in Cornwall Township in 1972, he became the township's deputy reeve in 1974 and its reeve in 1976, serving in the latter capacity until 1987. He was chosen as warden for his region in 1983, and also served on the regional conservation authority from 1974 to 1987.
Cleary was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, defeating Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
Luc Guidon in the riding of Cornwall by about 1,000 votes. The Liberals won a majority government in this region, and Cleary served as a government backbencher for the next three years.
The Liberals were defeated by the New Democratic Party in the 1990 election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, although Cleary managed to retain his own riding by an increased margin (despite having elected a member in the 1970s, the New Democrats have only a limited historical support base in Cornwall). In opposition, he served as his party's Agriculture Critic for the next five years.
The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the 1995 election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, though Cleary once again managed to increase his majority in Cornwall. He continued serving as his party's agriculture critic until 1996, when he was shifted to rural affairs.
Cleary faced the most difficult re-election battle of his career in the provincial election of 1999
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, in which redistribution forced him to face longstanding Progressive Conservative MP Noble Villeneuve
Noble Villeneuve
Noble Villeneuve is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1983 to 1999, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Frank Miller and Mike Harris.Villeneuve did not attend university, and worked as a...
in the riding of Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh
Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh
Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh was a federal electoral district in eastern Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2007...
. Cleary eventually won the contest by 630 votes; most of the urban vote favoured him, while most of the rural vote favoured Villeneuve. He continued serving as his party's rural affairs critic until 2003, when he retired from the legislature. He also supported calls for a public inquiry into reports of an organized pedophile ring in the Cornwall area.
Although not a skilled public speaker or a leading figure in the Liberal Party, Cleary was generally regarded as a good community representative during his time in the legislature. He was not considered to be an especially partisan figure, and in fact criticized party leader Dalton McGuity for his personal attacks on Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
in 1999. Cleary also held socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
views on some issues, including abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.