Gerald Wayne Joseph Mercier (born November 7, 1942) is a
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
in
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, Canada. He was a member of the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba () is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at List of Manitoba genera ...
from 1977 to 1988, and was a
cabinet minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...
Sterling Lyon
Sterling Rufus Lyon (January 30, 1927 – December 16, 2010) was a Canadian lawyer, cabinet minister, and the 17th premier of Manitoba from 1977 to 1981. His government introduced several fiscally-conservative measures, and was sometimes seen a ...
.
The son of Gerard Mercier, he was born in
Claresholm, Alberta
Claresholm is a town located within southern Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 2, approximately northwest of the City of Lethbridge and south of the City of Calgary.
History
The location was originally a watering stop for steam engin ...
, in 1942. Mercier was educated at St. Paul's College and the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
Law School, and practiced as a lawyer before entering political life. He served on the
Winnipeg City Council
The Winnipeg City Council () is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Council is seated in the Council Building of Winnipeg City Hall.
In the 1977 provincial election, Mercier was elected in the central
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
New Democrat
New Democrats may refer to:
* New Democratic Party, a social democratic party in Canada
* New Democrats (United States), the ideological centrist faction of the Democratic Party
** New Democrat Coalition, the related caucus in the United States H ...
Ian Turnbull by 96 votes. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in this election, and on October 24, 1977, Mercier was appointed
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Urban Affairs. The latter two positions were merged as one ministry on October 20, 1978, and were separated again on November 15, 1979, when Mercier was named Urban Affairs minister and Government House Leader. He also had responsibility for the Liquor Control Act between October 20, 1978, and 1981. Notwithstanding the changes in name, Mercier had essentially the same responsibilities through the entirety of the Lyon government.
Lyon's government was defeated in the 1981 election, although Mercier successfully sought re-election in the safe Tory seat of St. Norbert rather than in the marginal Osborne riding. He was re-elected in the 1986 election. Mercier held a unique position in caucus for the next few years, being one of the few individuals who was on friendly terms with supporters of party leader
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is a Canadian politician from Manitoba who served as the 19th premier of Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the premier from ...
and potential challengers
Clayton Manness
Clayton Sidney Manness (born January 23, 1947) is a Manitoba politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1995. In 1983, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of ...
minority government
A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...
under
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is a Canadian politician from Manitoba who served as the 19th premier of Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the premier from ...
.
He has not sought a return to provincial politics since his defeat. He was named to the Family Division of the
Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
The Court of King's Bench of Manitoba ()—or the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba, depending on the monarch—is the superior court of the Canadian province of Manitoba.
The court is divided into two divisions. The Family Division deals wi ...
in 1989. From 1993 to 2009, Mercier served as Associate Chief Justice in the Family Division. In 2009, he elected to become a
supernumerary judge A supernumerary judge or supernumerary magistrate is a judge who has retired from a full-time position on a court, but continues to work part-time. Generally, when a judge becomes supernumerary, a vacancy is created, and the appropriate person or bo ...