Gerry Martiniuk

Gerry Martiniuk is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Cambridge for the Progressive Conservative Party.

Martiniuk was born in Toronto, and was educated at Lawrence Park Collegiate, University of Western Ontario, University of Toronto(Political Science and Economics) and Osgoode Hall Law School receiving an LL.B. in 1962. He was a director of the St. John Ambulance, predecessor of Cambridge United Way, Preston-Hespeler Rotary Club, Trinity Community Table, Preson YMCA, Chair, Conestoga College Advisory Committee on Criminology before entering provincial politics, as well as serving as president of the "Cambridge Chamber of Commerce". He has been awarded Queen's Counsel designation. Martiniuk is a widower with four children.

Martiniuk began his career at the municipal level, serving as a school trustee on the "Waterloo County Board of Education", an alderman in Preston, chair of the "Waterloo Regional Police Commission.

In the 1995 provincial election, he was elected in Cambridge over incumbent New Democrat Mike Farnan (Cambridge was one of several working-class ridings that shifted from the NDP to the Tories to his cycle). He was easily re-elected in the 1999 election, defeating Liberal Jerry Boyle by over 14,000 votes. Although he served as a Parliamentary Assistant to the Attorney General, Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice, and Co-Chair of the Ontario Crime Control Commission, he was never appointed to Cabinet by Mike Harris or Ernie Eves.

The Tories were defeated in the provincial election of 2003, although Martiniuk was again re-elected, this time defeating Boyle by just over 3000 votes. He served as PC Labour Critic from November 5, 2003 to September 28, 2004, and as Consumer and Business Services Critic from September 28, 2004 to August 24, 2005. He also served as his party's Community and Social Services Critic and now is the critic of Labour and Seniors.

In 2004, he supported John Tory's successful bid replace Ernie Eves as provincial PC leader. Martiniuk was again elected in the provincial election of 2007 with a plurality of 3243.He is presently the critic for Revenue and Seniors.

External links

* [http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_all_detail.do?locale=en&ID=63 Legislative Assembly of Ontario]
* [http://www.gerrymartiniuk.com/ Gerry Martiniuk's website]