Paul Wessenger
Paul Wessenger | |
|---|---|
| Ontario MPP | |
| In office 1990–1995 | |
| Preceded by | Bruce Owen |
| Succeeded by | Joe Tascona |
| Constituency | Simcoe Centre |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 25, 1937 Brockville, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | New Democrat |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Paul Wessenger (born December 25, 1937) is a former Canadian politician in Ontario. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995 who represented the central Ontario riding of Simcoe Centre.
Background[edit]
Wessenger attended the University of Toronto, receiving a law degree. He worked as a lawyer in Toronto for four and a half years, and then practiced in Barrie, Ontario for a further twenty-one years.[1] From 1973 to 1976 he served as an alderman within Barrie.[2] There is a street in Barrie named after him.[3]
Politics[edit]
He ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election, coming a close second to Progressive Conservative incumbent Art Evans in the riding of Simcoe Centre.[4] He ran again in the 1977 provincial election, losing to the PC candidate George William Taylor by a greater margin.[5]
Wessenger ran for the House of Commons of Canada as a candidate for the federal New Democratic Party in the 1980 federal election, but finished third in the riding of Simcoe South.[6] He ran a third provincial campaign in the 1985 provincial election, but again lost to PC candidate Earl Rowe.[7]
The NDP won a majority government in the 1990 provincial election, and Wessenger, running for a fourth time in Simcoe Centre, defeated incumbent Liberal Bruce Owen by almost 3,000 votes.[8] He served as parliamentary assistant to the Attorney General from 1991 to 1995 and to the Minister of Health for the remainder of his time in office.[9]
In 1992, Wessenger and Jack Layton travelled the province to seek public consultation on changes to Ontario's Public Hospitals Act.[10]
The NDP were defeated in the 1995 provincial election, and Wessenger finished third against PC candidate Joe Tascona.[11]
Electoral record[edit]
| 1995 Ontario general election: Simcoe Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Joe Tascona | 29,790 | ||||||
| Liberal | Bruce Owen | 12,061 | ||||||
| New Democratic | Paul Wessenger | 7,655 | ||||||
| Family Coalition | Susane MacPhee-Manning | 769 | ||||||
| Green | Richard Warman | 580 | ||||||
| Independent | Les Barnett | 284 | ||||||
| Total valid votes | 51,139 | |||||||
| 1990 Ontario general election: Simcoe Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| New Democratic | Paul Wessenger | 15,711 | 37.8 | |||||
| Liberal | Bruce Owen | 12,869 | 31.0 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | Ben Andrews | 10,013 | 24.1 | |||||
| Confederation of Regions | Bonnie Ainsworth | 2,979 | 7.2 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 41,572 | |||||||
| 1985 Ontario general election: Simcoe Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Earl W. Rowe | 15,379 | ||||||
| Liberal | Ross Whiteside | 14,845 | ||||||
| New Democratic | Paul Wessenger | 9,639 | ||||||
| Independent | Steve Kaasgaard | 566 | ||||||
| Total valid votes | 40,429 | |||||||
| 1980 Canadian federal election: Simcoe South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Ronald Stewart | 19,768 | ||||||
| Liberal | Bruce Owen | 16,174 | ||||||
| New Democratic | Paul Wessenger | 9,474 | ||||||
| 1977 Ontario general election: Simcoe Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | George Taylor | 15,876 | 44.25 | |||||
| New Democratic | Paul Wessenger | 10,442 | 29.11 | |||||
| Liberal | Jim Corneau | 9,556 | 26.64 | |||||
| 1975 Ontario general election: Simcoe Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | David Arthur Evans | 13,555 | ||||||
| New Democratic | Paul Wessenger | 11,623 | ||||||
| Liberal | Margaret Kelly | 9,116 | ||||||
References[edit]
- ^ Hain, Bruce (July 20, 2005). "Tascona tops MPPs for expenses". Barrie - Advance. p. 3.
- ^ Ferguson, Jock (April 18, 1985). "PCB storage in Barrie becomes election issue". The Globe and Mail. p. M5.
- ^ "Wessenger Drive". Google Maps. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Election '80". The Toronto Star. February 19, 1987. p. B7.
- ^ "Results of vote in Ontario election". The Globe and Mail. May 3, 1985. p. 13.
- ^ "Ontario election: Riding-by-riding voting results". The Globe and Mail. September 7, 1990. p. A12.
- ^ van Wageningen, Ellen (August 20, 1992). "Volunteer hospital boards defended at hearing". The Windsor Star. p. A5.
- ^ Sumi, Craig (June 23, 1992). "Jo Brant beefs? Come out Aug. 12 Ministry mulls changes to Public Hospitals Act". The Hamilton Spectator. p. T2.
- ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. June 8, 1995. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2014-02-03.