Introduction
Greg Rickford, PC, (born September 24, 1967) is a former Canadian politician, who served as the Minister of Natural Resources in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2008 federal election and representd the electoral district of Kenora as a member of the Conservative Party until his defeat by Liberal candidate Bob Nault in the 2015 election.
Life and career
Rickford was born in Paris, Ontario on September 24, 1967. He has worked as a nurse and lawyer in the remote First Nations communities of the Kenora District. Rickford holds degrees in common and civil law from McGill University, an MBA from Université Laval, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Victoria University and a Diploma in Nursing from Mohawk College.
Politics
Rickford was elected to represent the Ontario electoral district of Kenora in the 2008 federal election and re-elected in the 2011 election.
A member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Rickford was the first Conservative MP elected in the Kenora riding, and the first centre-right MP to represent the Kenora area since 1921.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Rickford to become Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages on August 30, 2010.
On January 30, 2011, Rickford was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
On July 15, 2013, he was appointed the Minister of State (Science and Technology, and Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario).
On March 19, 2014, he was appointed to succeed Joe Oliver as Minister of Natural Resources.
He was defeated in the October 19, 2015 Canadian federal election by Bob Nault. Nault had represented the predecessor riding of Kenora-Rainy River from 1988 until 2004, when he chose not to run in the 2004 Canadian federal election.
Electoral record
| Canadian federal election, 2015: Kenora | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| Liberal | Bob Nault | 10,898 | 35.39 | |||||
| New Democratic | Howard Hampton | 10,379 | 33.71 | |||||
| Conservative | Greg Rickford | 8,760 | 28.45 | |||||
| Green | Ember C. McKilop | 501 | 1.63 | |||||
| Independent | Kelvin Boucher-Chicago | 162 | 0.53 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 30,791 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Canadian federal election, 2011 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Greg Rickford | 11,567 | 47.05 | +6.59 | – | |||
| New Democratic | Tania Cameron | 6,855 | 27.88 | +4.65 | – | |||
| Liberal | Roger Valley | 5,381 | 21.89 | -9.74 | – | |||
| Green | Mike Schwindt | 636 | 2.59 | -2.09 | – | |||
| Independent | Kelvin Chicago-Boucher | 147 | 0.60 | – | – | |||
| Total valid votes | 24,586 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 120 | 0.49 | +0.09 | |||||
| Turnout | 24,706 | 60.38 | +5.01 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 40,917 | – | – | |||||
| Canadian federal election, 2008 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ∆% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Greg Rickford | 9,395 | 40.46 | +9.47 | $80,724 | |||
| Liberal | Roger Valley | 7,344 | 31.63 | -4.89 | $63,788 | |||
| New Democratic | Tania Cameron | 5,394 | 23.23 | -6.72 | $59,298 | |||
| Green | JoJo Holiday | 1,087 | 4.68 | +2.14 | $362 | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 23,220 | 100.00 | $90,484 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 94 | 0.40 | +0.09 | |||||
| Turnout | 23,314 | 55.37 | -8.11 | |||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | -7.18 | ||||||