Gerard Kennedy

Gerard Michael Kennedy (born July 24, 1960) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Kennedy previously ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party, losing to future premier Dalton McGuinty on the final ballot. He also lost the 2013 Ontario Liberal leadership race, placing third.

While attending the University of Alberta in Edmonton, he became involved in the local food bank, eventually becoming its first executive director in 1983. In 1986, he moved to Toronto to run the Daily Bread Food Bank and did so until he entered politics, in 1996.

He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as an Ontario Liberal Party Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in a 1996 by-election to replace former premier Bob Rae in the York South constituency. In the 1999 and 2003 general elections, he was elected to represent the new Parkdale—High Park constituency. He became the province's Minister of Education in 2003, serving in McGuinty's first government.

In 2006, he resigned his cabinet post and then his legislative seat to seek the federal Liberal Party's leadership. He finished third in delegate selection meetings, but at the leadership convention, he placed fourth on both the first and second ballot before withdrawing to support the eventual winner, Stéphane Dion.

In the 2008 federal election he ran for the Liberal Party of Canada in the Parkdale—High Park electoral district and was elected as its Member of Parliament (MP). He ran for re-election in the 2011 federal election, but lost to former MP, Peggy Nash.

Background

Kennedy is one of six children born to Jack and Caroline Kennedy (née Shemanski).<ref name=obituary>Carrie_Kennedy Carrie Caroline Kennedy (Shemanksi)</ref><ref name="Calling Kennedy"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy's father, descendant from Scottish ancestry originating in Cape Breton Island and the Ottawa Valley, ran a gas supply business in The Pas, Manitoba, eventually becoming that town's mayor.<ref name="Calling Kennedy"/> His mother's ancestry was Ukrainian, and her family lived in Canada's Prairie region.<ref name="Calling Kennedy"/> At age 14, Kennedy moved to Winnipeg to attend St. John's-Ravenscourt School on a hockey scholarship.<ref name="Calling Kennedy"/> After high school, he attended Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, also on a hockey scholarship.<ref name="Calling Kennedy"/><ref name="Starbio1996"> Template:Cite news</ref> When Trent's hockey program was cancelled, Kennedy switched education institutions and attended the University of Alberta to continue his undergraduate studies, but left in his fourth year, without completing his degree.<ref name="Calling Kennedy"/><ref name="Campbell bio">Template:Cite news</ref> He then worked as a historical researcher for the Government of Alberta in the early 1980s.<ref name="Campbell bio"/> He began his social activism career when he directed the volunteer program at an Edmonton Food Bank in 1983.<ref name="Starbio1996"/>

After moving to Ontario, Kennedy was the executive director of Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank from 1986 to 1996.<ref name="Starbio1996"/> The food bank distributed $30 million worth of food each year without government funding; 150,000 people are estimated to have used its services every month.<ref name="Calling Kennedy"/> Kennedy was named in Toronto Life Magazine's list of fifty influential people in 1992, and was named newsmaker of the year by the Toronto Star in 1993. Kennedy was also given an honourable mention in the Financial Post Magazine's C.E.O. awards in 1995.<ref name="Meet Gerard">Template:Cite web</ref>

Kennedy is married to Jeanette Arsenault-Kennedy, a daycare professional and Acadian (Francophone) from Prince Edward Island.<ref name="Starbio1996"/> They have two children, daughter Théria and son John-Julien.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Provincial politics

York South

Kennedy entered political life in May 1996, running in a by-election for the Ontario legislature in Toronto's York South constituency, which was vacated by former Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Bob Rae.<ref name="York South"> Template:Cite news</ref> On May 23, Kennedy was the first candidate not from the NDP or its predecessor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, to win the seat since 1955.<ref name="York South"/> He received 7774 votes; his nearest opponent was the NDP's David Miller, at the time, a Toronto city councillor, who received 6656 votes.<ref name ="Official 1996 results"/>

Despite being a newcomer to politics, Kennedy became the front-runner to replace Lyn McLeod as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in late 1996.<ref name ="Polls Kennedy Frontrunner for Leader 1996"> Template:Cite news</ref> Although popular on the left-wing, he encountered a strong "anyone-but-Kennedy" movement from the party's establishment and right-wing which was divided among several candidates on the leadership convention floor.<ref name = "Front Runner Blues"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy finished first on the first, second, third and fourth ballots, but was defeated on the fifth ballot by Dalton McGuinty.<ref name="Walker"> Template:Cite news</ref> Although McGuinty finished in fourth place on the first ballot, he was able to increase his support in the subsequent ballots, gaining delegates from the candidates that dropped off.<ref name="Walker"/> The results of the leadership contest did not prove divisive within the party and both rivals eventually became strong allies.<ref name="ultimatum"/> Kennedy served as the party's Health Critic during McGuinty's first opposition term.<ref name="OLA"> Template:Cite web</ref>

Parkdale–High Park

In the 1999 Ontario general election, Kennedy sought to contest the redistributed York South—Weston constituency, which encompassed the majority of his previous York South constituency. However, he was persuaded to withdraw his candidacy in favour of Joseph Cordiano, a former leadership rival. The redistribution policies implemented by McGuinty, which allocated the first choice in redistributed electoral districts to senior MPs, favoured Cordiano over Kennedy, who had served since 1985.<ref name="Urquhart"> Template:Cite news</ref>

Kennedy opted to run in the neighbouring Parkdale—High Park constituency, which encompassed approximately one-fifth of his previous constituency, primarily the affluent Baby Point neighbourhood. He faced a formidable challenge from Annamarie Castrilli, another former Liberal leadership contender who had defected to the governing Progressive Conservatives on the final day of the legislature.<ref name="Rusk"> Template:Cite news</ref> Media reports at the time indicated that the election would be highly competitive, given the relative strength of the three major parties being evenly divided within this newly created constituency.<ref name = "Tight Race 1999"> Template:Cite news</ref>

The Progressive Conservatives were re-elected, establishing another majority government. Despite their favourable performance across the province, they were unable to secure any seats in the former City of Toronto area. Kennedy emerged victorious with a substantial plurality, with his closest rival, Castrilli, trailing by approximately 10,000 votes.<ref name="1999 Results"> Template:Cite web</ref> Subsequently, Kennedy assumed the role of opposition critic for the high-profile Education portfolio.<ref name="Education Critic"> Template:Cite news</ref>

Minister of Education

The Liberals won a majority in the 2003 Ontario provincial election, and Kennedy was re-elected in Parkdale-High Park with about 58 percent of the vote (his nearest opponent received 16 percent).<ref name = "2003 PHP Results"/> He was appointed Minister of Education on October 23, 2003.<ref name="OLA"/>

Under the two previous governments, the Education portfolio had been marked by considerable labour strife, due to either the austerity measure known as the Social Contract under the Bob Rae government,<ref name = "Rae Days"> Template:Cite news</ref> or school board restructuring and funding formula changes under the Mike Harris government.<ref name = "Harris Education Cuts"> Template:Cite news</ref> In the spring of 2005, Kennedy announced the establishment of a provincial framework in teacher negotiations, which would see teachers' salaries increase by approximately 10.5 percent over four years in exchange for four years of labour peace. The framework included priorities such as workplace preparation courses and English as a Second Language programs.<ref name = "Teacher Strike Averted"> Template:Cite news</ref>

Federal politics

2006 federal Liberal leadership race

File:Gerard Michael Kennedy.jpg

Kennedy soon after dropping out of the race and endorsing Dion.

Template:See also On April 5, 2006 Kennedy resigned as Minister of Education to pursue the federal Liberal Leadership.<ref name = "K resigns MinofEd"> Template:Cite news</ref> Premier McGuinty, who admitted that finding a replacement was difficult, was reported to have set that day as a deadline for Kennedy to make a decision in order to prevent the leadership speculation from overshadowing the Ontario government's agenda.<ref name="ultimatum"> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name = "Pupatello Min of ED"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy formally declared his candidacy in front of the House of Commons in Ottawa, on April 27, 2006.<ref name="campaign launch"> Template:Cite news</ref>

On May 18, Kennedy formally resigned from the provincial legislature.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His resignation came after several weeks of criticism over drawing an MPP's salary, despite his absence from the legislature and his stated intention to live for part of the summer in Quebec.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy responded saying that he intended to resign his seat "sooner rather than later," but first wanted to finish some local projects he'd been working on.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref>

On August 16, Premier McGuinty called a by-election to replace Kennedy in Parkdale–High Park for September 14.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref> The centre-left leaning riding was arguably held in part thanks to Kennedy's personal popularity (due to his work as food bank director and education minister) versus that of his party; Sylvia Watson could not retain the seat for the Liberals in the subsequent by-election, apparently being unable to "ride the coattails of Kennedy's popularity".<ref name = "By-election 20006"> Template:Cite news</ref>

The Toronto Star reported that Gerard Kennedy appeared to have signed up more new members than any other candidate during the member recruitment period.<ref name="diebel"> Template:Cite news</ref> The article stated that it had been "conventional wisdom" that Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae were the leaders in the race but Kennedy's numbers indicated that it was a wide-open race.<ref name="diebel"/>

On September 8, Joe Fontana, MP for London North Centre and Gerard Kennedy's Ontario Co-Chair, announced that he would be resigning his seat in the House of Commons to run for mayor in London; and, it was speculated Kennedy would run in the by-election, which he did not.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref>

On "Super Weekend", from September 29 to October 1, the Liberal Party elected approximately 85% of delegates.<ref name="superweekend"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy finished in third place with 17.3% of delegates being pledged to his campaign, a similar number to Stéphane Dion, who received 16.0% and to Bob Rae who received 20.3%.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref><ref group="Note">At the December Liberal leadership convention, the "Super Weekend" elected delegates were bound (or committed) to vote on the first ballot for the leadership candidate they had pledged to support. On the second and subsequent ballots, however, the delegates were – if they wished – able to switch their votes to another candidate.</ref> Besides sizable delegate support he was supported also by 20 MPs and former MPs, with about a dozen Ontario MPPs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On November 27, Kennedy attracted media attention when he became the first leadership candidate to oppose a motion being debated in the House of Commons of Canada, that would have declared the Québécois "a nation within a united Canada".<ref name = "Quebec Nation Motion"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy was joined in that position later that day by fellow candidates Ken Dryden and Joe Volpe.<ref name = "Quebec Nation Vote"> Template:Cite news</ref>

At the convention, Dion placed higher than Kennedy in the first ballot voting, finishing ahead of Kennedy by two votes–17.8% to 17.7%).<ref name="results"> Template:Cite news</ref> That gap increased to 2% after the second ballot–20.8% to 18.8%.<ref name="results"/> Kennedy chose to leave the ballot before he would have been forced to, and supported Dion.<ref name="force"> Template:Cite news</ref> Earlier, the two leadership contenders had allegedly struck a pact in which the first off the ballot would throw his support to the other.<ref name="force"/> Pundits said that this surprise move had caught the Ignatieff and Rae strategists off guard.<ref name="force"/> Kennedy delivered his delegates extraordinarily en masse, as Dion's support increased to 37.0% on the third ballot, moving from third place to first and eliminating Rae.<ref name="force"/> Dion retained the position for the fourth and decisive ballot which resulted in him winning the leadership.<ref name = "Gesture"> Template:Cite news</ref>

Post-leadership race

On December 19, 2006, Dion announced that Kennedy would be his special adviser on election readiness and renewal with "intimate involvement in all aspects of election readiness and the platform.<ref name = "Dion & Kennedy"> Template:Cite news</ref> In late August 2007, Kennedy entered the academic world accepting a position at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. He served a one-year term as a Distinguished Visiting Professor until September 2008.<ref name="Meet Gerard"/>

In late September 2007, Kennedy was part of a group observing Ukraine's parliamentary elections in the Mariupol electoral commission. Kennedy reported back to the Canadian media that the group he was a party to was confronted by Ukrainian police who stripped passports and observer statuses.<ref name="police"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy said that the police were interfering in the process, and the observer group felt intimidated by the police who carried weapons and followed the group around for a day. Kennedy concluded that there were major flaws in the voting process, as the group was also witness to extra ballots being distributed by the ruling party in that city.<ref name="police"/>

2008 election in Parkdale–High Park

File:Dalai Lama Toronto 2010.jpg

Kennedy (2nd from right) meeting Dalai Lama at Tibetan Centre in Etobicoke.

On February 6, 2007, Kennedy confirmed that he would seek the Liberal nomination for Parkdale—High Park in the next federal election. At the time, the electoral district was represented by New Democrat Peggy Nash.<ref name="2007 nomination"> Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy won the nomination by acclamation on April 24, 2007.<ref name="2007 nomination"/>

On March 31, 2008, although he was not a member of the House of Commons of Canada, Kennedy was appointed to the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet by leader Stéphane Dion. Kennedy served as Intergovernmental Affairs critic, which gave him responsibility to speak on behalf of the Liberal Party on matters of federal-provincial relations.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref>

In the October 2008 federal election, Kennedy defeated Nash by over 3300 votes, or roughly by a seven percent margin.<ref name = "CBC Votes 2008"> Template:Cite news</ref> He was mentioned as a possible candidate in the 2008/09 Liberal leadership race, but eventually decided to pass on another leadership run.<ref name ="Won't Seek Leadership 2008"> Template:Cite news</ref>

War resisters bill

Template:Further On September 17, 2009, Kennedy tabled a private member's bill in the House of Commons. The bill would change provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to provide sanctuary in Canada for American and other countries' war resisters on moral, political or religious grounds.<ref name ="War Resisters Bill"> Template:Cite news</ref>

2011 election in Parkdale–High Park

In 2011, Kennedy sought re-election to his Parkdale–High Park seat against Peggy Nash in a rematch of the 2008 campaign.<ref name="Nash Wins 2011"> Template:Cite news</ref> The campaign was heated at times, and on election night, harnessing the NDP's unprecedented levels of support, Nash defeated him to regain her old seat.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Official Results ELXN40&41" />

2013 Ontario Liberal leadership race

On November 12, 2012, Kennedy announced that he was seeking the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party to replace Dalton McGuinty.<ref name=kenlaunch> Template:Cite news</ref> At his campaign launch in London, Kennedy criticized the government's Bill 115 to ban teacher's strikes and freeze wages.<ref name = "LFP Interview 2012"> Template:Cite news</ref> Of the seven candidates, Kennedy has said he would consider repealing the bill.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref><ref> Template:Cite news</ref>

On November 16, 2012, he gained the formal support of former cabinet minister George Smitherman<ref name ="Smitherman Endorsement 2012"> Template:Cite AV media</ref> and Joseph Cordiano.<ref name=kenlaunch/> On November 21, 2012, Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor endorsed Kennedy.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref> Kennedy has also gained the support of MPP's Bob Delaney, and Shafiq Qaadri.

Early polls placed Kennedy ahead of other candidates to replace Premier McGuinty, helped by his name recognition from his federal and provincial work, and his role as director of the Food Bank.<ref name = "Top Pick 2012"> Template:Cite news</ref> In a poll of Ontarion released on November 29, 2012 by Forum Research, 37% said they would support Kennedy, followed by Sandra Pupatello (23%), Kathleen Wynne (19%), Eric Hoskins (7%), Glen Murray (6%), and Charles Sousa (4%). Among Liberal voters, Kennedy scored first with 38% support.<ref> Template:Cite press release</ref>

After the second ballot, in which he placed third with 13.7% of the vote, Kennedy dropped out and endorsed the eventual winner, Wynne, who went on to become Premier of Ontario.

Private sector

Since February 2013, Kennedy has been CEO of Alpha Healthcare/Alpha Laboratories.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He had previously served as a consultant to the company while serving as a Member of Parliament.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Electoral record

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External links

• Template:Canadian Parliament links
• Template:Ontario MPP biography