Doug Galt

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Doug Galt
Ontario MPP
In office
1995–2003
Preceded by Joan Fawcett
Succeeded by Lou Rinaldi
Constituency Northumberland
Personal details
Born 1937/1938 (age 85–86)[1]
Political party Progressive Conservative
Spouse(s) Catherine
Residence Salem, Ontario
Occupation Veterinarian

Doug Galt (born 1937 or 1938) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003, and an unsuccessful contender for the Canadian House of Commons in 2004.

Background

Galt was a veterinarian before entering political life.[1] He was an overseas veterinary pathologist and project coordinator for CIDA in 1988 and 1992, and retired as head of the Brighton Veterinary Services Lab in 1994. In the late 1980s, he attended Queen's University and earned a Master's Degree in public administration. Galt currently lives in the hamlet of Salem, Ontario with his wife Catherine.[2]

Politics

He began his political career at the municipal level, serving as a warden in Northumberland County, and as reeve of Cramahe Township. Galt was also a school trustee, and chaired the Colborne-Cramahe Community Economic Development Commission in 1994.[2]

Galt was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1995 provincial election, defeating incumbent Liberal Joan Fawcett by over 6,000 votes in the Northumberland riding.[3] The Progressive Conservatives won the election under the leadership of Mike Harris, and Galt sat as a backbench supporter. He became known for asking "softball" questions (i.e. inoffensive questions which praise the sitting government, and allow ministers to outline new policy initiatives).

Galt was re-elected in the 1999 provincial election, though by only 903 votes over Liberal Carolyn Campbell.[4] He introduced a resolution in the Legislature to bring forward greater protection against cruelty to animals and tried to ban riding in the back of pick-up trucks. Galt also introduced a Private Member's Bill to create a Robert Baldwin Day in Ontario which was later endorsed by Andrew Redden in an article published in the Canadian Parliamentary Review. In 2000, Galt precipitated a minor crisis in the legislature by accidentally reading out the names of certain young offenders, whose identities were protected by law. Galt was actually praising the young offenders for graduating from a young offenders program while forgetting that they were still young offenders. Rob Sampson, the Minister of Correctional Services, had to temporarily resign from office to show ministerial accountability for Galt's error.[5]

Galt served as chair of the Premier's Task Force on Rural Economic Renewal, which toured the province and consulted with other jurisdictions. Amongst other initiatives, the findings of this Task Force led to the creation of the O.S.T.A.R. program and Rural Economic Development funding initiative.

Galt supported Ernie Eves to replace Harris as party leader in 2002, and was named by Eves as a minister without portfolio and chief government Whip on August 22 of that year.[1]

The Progressive Conservatives were defeated in the 2003 provincial election, and Galt lost his seat to Liberal candidate Lou Rinaldi by approximately 2,500 votes.[6]

Cabinet positions

Provincial Government of Ernie Eves
Sub-Cabinet Post
Predecessor Title Successor
Minister without Portfolio
(2002-2003)
Special Parliamentary Responsibilities
Predecessor Title Successor
John Baird Chief Government Whip
(2002-2003)		 Dave Levac

Federal politics

In early 2004, Galt supported Tony Clement's unsuccessful campaign to become leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Galt himself ran as a Conservative in the 2004 federal election, challenging Liberal incumbent Paul Macklin in the federal riding of Northumberland. Macklin defeated Galt by 313 votes.[7]

Electoral record

Ontario general election, 1995
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Doug Galt 19,359 52.13
Liberal Joan Fawcett 13,233 35.63
New Democratic Murray Weppler 4,539 12.22
Ontario general election, 1999: Northumberland
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
     Progressive Conservative Doug Galt 20,535 45.99 . $65,930
Liberal Carolyn Campbell 19,632 43.97 . $52,373
New Democratic Murray Weppler 2,820 6.32 . $15,249
Green Tom Lawson 1,194 2.67 . $4,419
Family Coalition Jim Psihogios 370 0.83 . $600
Natural Law Pascale Levert 99 0.22 . $0
Total valid votes 44,650 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 303
Turnout 44,953 61.19
Electors on the lists 73,464
Sources: Official Results, Elections Ontario and 1999 Annual and Election Returns, Elections Ontario.
Ontario general election, 2003
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lou Rinaldi 20,382 45.05 +1.08
Progressive Conservative Doug Galt 17,816 39.37 -6.62
New Democratic Murray Weppler 5,210 11.51 +5.19
Green Derrick J. Kelly 1,839 4.06 +1.39


Canadian federal election, 2004: Northumberland—Quinte West
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Paul Macklin 22,989 39.85
Conservative Doug Galt 22,676 39.31
New Democratic Russ Christianson 9,007 15.61
Green Steven Haylestrom 3,016 5.23
Total valid votes 57,688 100.00

References

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External links

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