|
|
|
|
|
Chris HodgsonChris Hodgson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1994 to 2003, and a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. His uncle, Glen Hodgson, was also a Tory MPP for many years. Hodgson was born in Haliburton, Ontario, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Trent University. He worked as a real-estate salesperson for Remax before entering public life, and worked in Health Care Planning for Haliburton County. He is also Past President of the Haliburton Men's Hockey League, and has been a minor league hockey coach. Hodgson was first elected to the Ontario legislature in a 1994 by-election, defeating Liberal candidate Sharon McCrae by fewer than 2,000 votes in the rural riding of Victora--Haliburton, north of Toronto. This by-election was extremely bitter, and there were many accusations that Hodgson's team appealed to homophobic prejudice in the region to put their candidate over the top. (At the time of the by-election, the Liberal Party supported the NDP government's plans to provide increased social benefits for same-sex couples. They reversed their position after Hodgson's victory, amid fears that the issue had cost them rural support. This reversal in policy would later cost the party dearly.) The Tories won a majority government in the provincial election of 1995, and Hodgson was re-elected over McCrae by almost 20,000 votes. On June 26, 1995, he was named Minister of Natural Resources, Development and Mines in Mike Harris's government. Shortly after assuming office, Hodgson was involved in a private discussion with Harris and members of the Ontario Provincial Police concerning a standoff with native protesters at Ipperwash Provincial Park. According to reports from the meeting, both Harris and Hodgson came out in support of strong police action against the protesters. The police cleared the park by force on September 6, 1995, and in the process killed an unarmed protester named Dudley George. Many believe that Harris and Hodgson were responsible for ordering the police actions which resulted in George's death; the issue has not been resolved as of 2004. On October 10, 1997, Hodgson was named Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet and Deputy Government House Leader. Hodgson defeated McCrae for a third time in the 1999 provincial election, this time in the redistributed riding of Haliburton--Victoria--Brock. He maintained his position as Chair of the Management Board in the new parliament, and was also named Commissioner of the Board of Internal Economy on July 27, 1999. After a cabinet shuffle on February 8, 2001, he was named Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. When Harris resigned as Premier in 2002, many expected Hodgson to enter the race to replace him. Instead, he endorsed Ernie Eves, the victorious candidate. He remained the Municipal Affairs and Housing portfolio in the Eves cabinet, but unexpectedly stepped down on January 13, 2003, announcing his decision to retire from politics. He did not run in the 2003 election. Many considered Hodgson as Mike Harris's heir-apparent during the 1990s, and there are some who believe he will eventually return to provincial politics. Alternately, his close association with the Harris years and his role in the Ipperwash tragedy may damage his future prospects for public office. In 2004, he supported John Tory's successful bid to replace Eves as party leader. Hodgson, Chris
|
 |
|
| Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|