Eric Stefanson

Last updated

Eric Stefanson (born October 14, 1950) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the cabinet of Progressive Conservative Premier Gary Filmon from 1991 to 1999, and was a member of the Manitoba Legislature from 1990 to 2000. [1] His father, also named Eric Stefanson, [2] was a Progressive Conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1958 to 1968.

Stefanson was born in Gimli, Manitoba, and was educated at the University of Manitoba. He later practiced as a chartered accountant. [2] Stefanson was a member of the Winnipeg city council from 1982 to 1989 for the St. Charles riding, serving as Chair of the Finance Committee from 1984 to 1986 and Deputy Mayor from 1986 to 1988. [3]

In the 1990 provincial election, Stefanson was elected to the provincial legislature in the upscale west Winnipeg riding of Kirkfield Park, defeating Liberal Jason McKee by over 2000 votes. On February 5, 1991, he was appointed Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism with responsibility for the Development Corporation Act, Sport, Fitness and Amateur Sport and the Boxing and Wrestling Commission Act. On September 10, 1993, Stefanson was promoted to Minister of Finance and Chair of the Treasury Board. [1]

Stefanson was easily re-elected in the 1995 provincial election, defeating Liberal Vic Wieler by over 3000 votes. On May 9, 1995, he was relieved of the Treasury Board portfolio and given responsibility for the Manitoba Lotteries Corporation Act (remaining Minister of Finance). On January 6, 1997, he was again given responsibility for the Boxing and Wrestling Commission Act and the Fitness and Amateur Sport Act. [1]

In a cabinet shuffle on February 5, 1999, Stefanson was appointed Minister of Health and Deputy Premier, also retaining responsibilities of the Boxing/Wrestling Commission and Fitness/Amateur Sport Acts. [1] He scored another easy victory in the 1999 provincial election (defeating New Democrat Dennis Kshyk by over 3000 votes), but the Progressive Conservative party was defeated by the NDP at the provincial level and Stefanson moved into opposition. Although touted by many as a possible party leader after the resignation of Gary Filmon, he decided not to run for the position. On September 7, 2000, Stefanson resigned from the legislature [1] to provide a seat for the party's incoming leader, Stuart Murray.

During his time in government, Stefanson was one of the most powerful ministers in Gary Filmon's cabinet. He presided over a series of balanced budgets, achieved at the cost of considerable cuts in public funding for various programs. In 1998, Stefanson was accused by some of exercising undue ministerial influence in the appointment of his brother, Tom, as CEO of Manitoba Telecom Services; no formal charges of impropriety were made, however. In 2000, he supported Tom Long for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance party. [4]

From 2004 to 2009, Stefanson was a regional managing partner for BDO Dunwoody. [3]

In January 2007, he was appointed by federal transport minister Lawrence Cannon to the board of directors of Via Rail Canada. [5]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "MLA Biographies - Living". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 Normandin, Pierre G (1989). Canadian Parliamentary Guide.
  3. 1 2 "Eric Stefanson". FWS Group of Companies. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  4. ↑ National Post. 10 May 2000.Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ Transport Canada - Media Release - No. H 006/07 January 26, 2007 - Appointments to Via Rail Canada Inc.

Related Research Articles

Brian Pallister Canadian politician

Brian William Pallister is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd premier of Manitoba from 2016 until 2021. On September 1, 2021, he resigned as premier and was succeeded by his deputy, Kelvin Goertzen. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 2012 to 2021. He was previously a cabinet minister in the provincial government of Gary Filmon and a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 2000 to 2008.

David Walter Chomiak is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Greg Selinger.

Bonnie Mitchelson is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She has been a Progressive Conservative member of the Manitoba legislature since 1986, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon from 1988 to 1999. She also served as interim leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 2000, following Filmon's resignation.

James Glen Cummings is a farmer and former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1986 to 2007, and was as a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon.

Leonard "Len" Derkach is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon, and was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 1986 to 2011.

Heather Stefanson is a Canadian politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Tuxedo, currently serving as the Manitoba Minister of Health and Seniors Care. She is a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba.

Laurent Louis "Larry" Desjardins was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Manitoba legislature for most of the period from 1959 to 1988, and was a cabinet minister under New Democratic Premiers Edward Schreyer and Howard Pawley.

Harold Gilleshammer is a Canadian judge and former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 1988 to 2003, and a Cabinet Minister in the government of Progressive Conservative Premier Gary Filmon from 1990 to 1999.

James Erwin Downey is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1977 to 1999, and served as a cabinet minister in the Progressive Conservative governments of Sterling Lyon and Gary Filmon.

James Collus McCrae is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1986 to 1999, in the Progressive Conservative Party caucus. From 1988 to 1999, McCrae was a cabinet minister in the government of Premier Gary Filmon.

James Arthur Ernst is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a municipal councillor in Winnipeg from 1973 to 1986 and a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1986 to 1997. From 1988 to 1997, Ernst was a Cabinet minister in the government of Premier Gary Filmon.

Michael Frederick Carrington Radcliffe is a lawyer and former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1995 to 1999, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Premier Gary Filmon from 1997 to 1999.

Shirley Render

Shirley Render is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1990 to 1999, and was briefly a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon.

Glen Marshall Findlay is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1986 to 1999, and a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon from 1988 to 1999.

Donald Warder Orchard is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1977 to 1995, and was a cabinet minister in the Progressive Conservative governments of Sterling Lyon and Gary Filmon.

Gerald Ducharme is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1986 to 1995, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Progressive Conservative Premier Gary Filmon from 1988 to 1995.

Harold Neufeld is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1988 to 1993, and a cabinet minister in the government of Gary Filmon from 1988 to 1992.

Victor Harold Schroeder is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1979 to 1988, and a senior cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Howard Pawley from 1981 to 1988.

Wilson Dwight Peter Parasiuk is a Canadian businessman and former politician. As founder and CEO of the Vancouver–area based Paralink Group of Companies, Parasiuk organizes private sector/public sector partnerships in the export of Canada's health care, education and governmental expertise. Paralink also provides advice on energy development matters within Canada and internationally. In his early career as a politician, he was an elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada from 1977 to 1988, and a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Howard Pawley from 1981 to 1988.

Gerald Wayne Joseph "Gerry" Mercier is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1977 to 1988, and was a cabinet minister in the Progressive Conservative government of Sterling Lyon.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.