Gilles Morin (born July 20, 1931) is a retired

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 ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. He served as a Liberal member of the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

from 1985 to 1999, and was briefly 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 ...

in Ontario.

Background

Morin was educated at the

Séminaire de Québec The Seminary of Quebec (French: , ) is a Catholic Church, Catholic community of Secular clergy, diocesan priests in Quebec City founded by Bishop François de Laval, the first bishop of New France in 1663. History The Séminaire de Québec is ...

, the Académie Commerciale de Québec and the École Supérieure Montcalm. He was a member of the Regular Forces of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

from 1951 to 1959, and served in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

with the 3rd Battalion of the Royal 22^e Régiment. He was an aide-de-camp to

Governors General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

Vincent Massey Charles Vincent Massey (February 20, 1887December 30, 1967) was a Canadian diplomat and statesman who served as the 18th governor general of Canada from 1952 to 1959. Massey was the first governor general of Canada who was born in Canada. Mas ...

and

Georges Vanier Georges-Philias Vanier (; 23 April 1888 – 5 March 1967) was a Canadian military officer, diplomat, and statesman who served as the 19th governor general of Canada from 1959 to 1967, the first Quebecer (demonym), Quebecer and second Can ...

from 1957 to 1959, and served in the

Governor General's Foot Guards The Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG) is the senior reserve infantry regiment in the Canadian Army. Located in Ottawa at the Cartier Square Drill Hall, the regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry unit, and the members are part-time soldiers. ...

from 1959 to 1964. He retired with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. Morin subsequently became an investment dealer, and was president of the Caisse populaire Montfort for three years. In 1976, he also served as Director of Regional Services for the Office of the Ombudsman in Ontario.

Politics

He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative Bob MacQuarrie by over 7,000 votes in the Carleton East constituency. The Liberal Party formed a

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 ...

after this election, and Morin served as an Assistant Speaker for the next two years. He was easily re-elected in the 1987 election. From August 2, 1989, to October 1, 1990, he briefly served as a

Minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

responsible for Senior Citizens Affairs in the government of

David Peterson David Robert Peterson (born December 28, 1943) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 20th premier of Ontario from 1985 to 1990. He was the first Liberal officeholder in 42 years, ending the so-called Tory dynasty. Back ...

. Morin was easily returned again in the 1990 election, although the Liberals were upset by the

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

. For the next five years, he served in parliament as Deputy Speaker. He faced the most difficult election of his career in the 1995 election, defeating Progressive Conservative Jeff Slater by just over 4,000 votes. The Progressive Conservatives won the election, and Morin again served as a Deputy Speaker for the next four years. He did not run for re-election in 1999. Morin endorsed

Dalton McGuinty Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr. (born July 19, 1955) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He was the first Liberal leader to win two majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn nea ...

's bid to lead the Ontario Liberal Party in 1996.

Later life

Since 1999, he has been a member of the Ontario Highway Transport Board, which regulates the intercity bus industry.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morin, Gilles 1931 births Living people Ontario Liberal Party MPPs Franco-Ontarian people People from Dolbeau-Mistassini Members of the Executive Council of Ontario 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario