Helena C. Guergis (born February 19, 1969) is a Canadian politician. She has represented Simcoe—Grey in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, and is the parliamentary secretary to David Emerson, the Minister of International Trade and the Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver—Whistler Olympics. Guergis is a member of the Conservative Party.
Early life and career
Guergis was born in Barrie, Ontario and raised in nearby Angus, part of Essa Township, where her family has a history of political involvement. Her background is Assyrian, Swedish and Jewish.
Guergis attended Georgian College, where she completed an Ontario Real Estate program. After her graduation, she opened a bed and bath gift shop called "Final Touch" at the Rainbow Mall in Angus.[1]. She also worked as a fundraising volunteer for the Angus Food Bank and the Barrie Literacy Council, and was a Crisis Intervention volunteer for the Barrie and District Rape Crisis Centre for seven years. Guergis was a constituency assistant for Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Joe Tascona, and later became his executive assistant.
In 1992, Guergis won the title "Miss Huronia" in the Miss Huronia Pageant, which was owned and operated by Sylvia Stark. She later participated as Huronia's representative in the year's "Miss Oktoberfest Pageant"[2] and the Canadian Search for Miss Universe. Guergis subsequently alleged financial irregularities against the pageant, and sued Stark for a $3,000 overpayment as well as the cost of her flight and gown.[3] She informed the National Post newspaper in 2003 that her suit was successful, but that she could not collect after Stark filed for bankruptcy.[4]
In January 2000, the Canadian television program the Fifth Estate profiled Ms. Stark, and included interviews with Guergis and other former contestants. Stark alleged that Guergis made death threats against her, and claimed she lost a child from the resulting stress and was unable to conceive again. Guergis responded by questioning the state of Stark's mental health.[5]
Provincial politics
Guergis closed her business after six and a half years to accept a position as a political advisor to Janet Ecker, who served as Minister of Education and Finance in the Ontario government. Guergis held this position for three and a half years, and also served three terms as a vice-president on the Progressive Conservative Party's provincial executive.[6]
She was the Progressive Conservative candidate for the downtown Toronto riding of Trinity—Spadina in the 2003 provincial election. The PCs did not target this riding as winnable and Guergis agreed to be a "sacrificial lamb" candidate in order to gain experience. She finished a distant third against New Democratic Party incumbent Rosario Marchese. Guergis endorsed Frank Klees for the leadership of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in 2004.[7]
Member of Parliament
Guergis defeated Liberal incumbent Paul Bonwick by 100 votes in the 2004 election to win the riding of Simcoe—Grey. The Liberals formed a minority government after the election, and Guergis was appointed to the Conservative shadow cabinet as critic for International Co-operation. On January 24, 2005, she was appointed deputy critic for seniors' issues.
While running for provincial office in 2003 in the socially liberal riding of Trinity—Spadina, Guergis claimed that she would vote in favour of same-sex marriage if given the opportunity. Responding to a question on same-sex marriage at an all-candidates debate, she said, "I believe in the right to choose, so I would be voting in favour of it."[8]
Campaigning the following year in the socially conservative riding of Simcoe—Grey, Guergis said that she would vote against the federal government's proposed legalization of same-sex marriage. She argued that the majority of her constituents opposed the initiative, and that she was committed to supporting their views. Guergis voted against Bill C-38, which granted legal sanction to same-sex marriage, in 2005. In the same year, she tabled a bill to restrict MPs from crossing parties after their election.[9]
Guergis was re-elected with 49.8% of the vote in 2006, substantially increasing her margin of victory as the Conservatives won a minority government nationally. On February 7, 2006, she was named by Prime Minister Stephen Harper as parliamentary secretary to David Emerson, the Minister of International Trade and the Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver—Whistler Olympics.
Guergis's appointment to be Emerson's parliamentary secretary was somewhat controversial, in that Emerson had himself crossed over from the Liberal Party to receive his cabinet position. One day prior to her appointment, Guergis informed the media that she would issue a press release indicating her continued support for anti-crossing legislation. The release was never issued.[10]
Table of offices held
External links
Electoral record
| 2006 federal election: Simcoe—Grey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative | (x)Helena Guergis | 30,135 | 49.76 | Liberal | Elizabeth Kirley | 18,689 | 30.86 | New Democratic Party | Katy Austin | 6,784 | 11.20 | Green | Peter Ellis | 3,372 | 5.57 |
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Christian Heritage/row |
Christian Heritage | Peter Vander Zaag | 1,585 | 2.62 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 60,565 | 100.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 172 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 60,737 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 federal election: Simcoe—Grey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Conservative | Helena Guergis | 22,496 | 40.62 | $81,760.75 | Liberal | (x)Paul Bonwick | 22,396 | 40.44 | $75,249.79 | New Democratic Party | Colin Mackinnon | 5,532 | 9.99 | $6,796.70 | Green | Peter Ellis | 2,668 | 4.82 | $654.47
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Christian Heritage/row |
Christian Heritage | Peter Vander Zaag | 2,285 | 4.13 | $10,167.48 |
| Total valid votes | 55,377 | 100.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 248 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 55,625 | 63.15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electors on the lists | 88,083 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 provincial election: Trinity—Spadina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Democratic Party | (x)Rosario Marchese | 19,268 | 47.51 | $64,058.75 | Liberal | Nellie Pedro | 12,927 | 31.88 | $31,631.40
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row |
Progressive Conservative | Helena Guergis | 4,985 | 12.29 | $23,485.00 | Green | Greg Laxton | 2,362 | 5.82 | $5,594.40 | Libertarian | Judson Glober | 756 | 1.86 | $0.00 | Ind. (Independent Renewal) | Nick Lin | 256 | 0.63 | $626.66 |
| Total valid votes | 40,554 | 100.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 453 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 41,007 | 52.05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electors on the lists | 78,790 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All federal electoral information is taken from Elections Canada, and all provincial electoral information is taken from Elections Ontario. Provincial expenditures refer to the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
Notes and sources
- ^ Helena Guergis, statement at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, 14 October 2004. [11] See also CBC Canada Votes 2006, Simcoe-Grey riding entry. [12]
- ^ Miss Oktoberfest historical listings. [13]
- ^ Mary Vallis, "The ugly side of Miss Canada's world", National Post, 25 January 2003, A03. Guergis paid Stark $4,000 to enter the contest, and later discovered that the real entry fee was $1.075.
- ^ Francine Dube, "Three Miss Canada contestants quit on eve of pageant", National Post, 13 August 1999, A6. This article is reprinted here [14]
- ^ Fifth Estate, January 2000. The program is summarized here, by an organization calling itself "Miss Canada International Survivors". [15]
- ^ Robert Benzie, "Marchese fighting cynicism to keep seat he's held 13 years", Toronto Star, 3 September 2003, A08.
- ^ Klees Campaign: Endorsements [16]
- ^ "Marchese 1; Guergis, Pedro 0", The Varsity, 9 September 2003. The full passage reads as follows: "When the Varsity asked what they would do if they ever had to vote on the issue of same-sex marriage, they all said they would be in favour of it. "I believe in the right to choose," said the PC's Helena Guergis, "so I would be voting in favour of it." "I have absolutely no problem with supporting same-sex marriages," said the Liberal's Nellie Pedro. The rest of the candidates made similar comments." [17]
- ^ Jason Fekete, "Cabinet controversy ruffles Tory feathers", Calgary Herald, 8 February 2006, A4.
- ^ Alexander Panetta, "Tory Rumblings; Some MPs in the new government want to revive legislation against switching parties", Hamilton Spectator, 8 February 2006, A10.
Some biographical information is taken from Guergis's website.