France Gélinas

France Gélinas MPP (/ʒeɪliˈnɑː/ zheh-li-NA) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in 2007. She represents the riding of Nickel Belt.

France Gélinas
MPP
Gélinas in 2020
Critic, Health Care
Assumed office
June 25, 2014
LeaderAndrea Horwath and Peter Tabuns (interim)
Chief Whip of the Ontario New Democratic Party
In office
August 23, 2018 – August 30, 2019
LeaderAndrea Horwath
Preceded byJohn Vanthof
Succeeded byJohn Vanthof
Critic, Francophone Affairs; and Long-Term Care
In office
June 25, 2014 – June 7, 2018
LeaderAndrea Horwath
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Nickel Belt
Assumed office
October 10, 2007
Preceded byShelley Martel
Personal details
Political partyNew Democratic
Residence(s)Naughton, Sudbury, Ontario
ProfessionPhysiotherapist, health care administrator

Background

Gélinas was born and raised in Shawinigan, Quebec. She is trained as a physiotherapist and has been the executive director of the Community Health Centre of Sudbury, on the United Way's Citizens' Advisory Panel, served as president of the Francophone Reference Group of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. She lives in the Naughton neighborhood of Sudbury with her family.[1]

Politics

She ran in the 2007 provincial election as the New Democratic candidate in the riding of Nickel Belt. She defeated Liberal candidate Ron Dupuis by 2,762 votes.[2] She was re-elected in the 2011, 2014 and 2022 elections.[3][4]

In May 2008, she joined caucus colleagues Michael Prue and Peter Tabuns in calling on the provincial government to crack down on private hydroelectricity marketers.[5]

She has been an outspoken critic of competitive bidding in the province's home care services,[6] and of layoffs affecting nurses in provincial hospitals.[7]

Following the announcement of Howard Hampton's retirement as leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, there was some speculation in Sudbury's local media that Gélinas might join the leadership campaign. However, she indicated on June 16, 2008 that as a relatively new MPP, she did not feel that she was ready to become a leadership candidate.[8] She later endorsed Gilles Bisson for the leadership, and supported the eventual winner, Andrea Horwath, on the final ballot at the convention.

In 2009, Gélinas introduced the Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating bill, a private member's bill which would mandate the provision of nutritional and calorie information on restaurant menus.[9] In 2011, she introduced a private member's bill to have the provincial Commissioner of French Language Services report to the full Legislative Assembly of Ontario, rather than exclusively to the Minister of Francophone Affairs.[10]

In 2014 she was re-elected with 62.66% of the vote, the highest percent of any MPP in Ontario that year.

In 2015, Gélinas introduced a private member's bill to mandate the creation of a fully independent French-language university in Ontario.[11]

She is currently the party's critic for Health and Long-Term Care, and francophone affairs in the NDP's shadow cabinet.[12]

Electoral Record
2018 Ontario general election: Nickel Belt
Party Candidate Votes%±%
New DemocraticFrance Gélinas23,15763.50+0.84
Progressive ConservativeJo-Ann Cardinal8,01821.99+10.11
LiberalTay Butt3,1828.73-13.19
GreenBill Crumplin1,1373.12-0.41
Northern OntarioMatthew Del Papa3731.02
LibertarianJames Chretien2200.60
Consensus OntarioKevin R. Brault2140.59
None of the AboveBailey Burch-Belanger1660.46
Total valid votes 36,467100.0
Turnout 57.00
Eligible voters 63,973
New Democratic hold Swing
Source: Elections Ontario[13]
2014 Ontario general election: Nickel Belt
Party Candidate Votes%±%
New DemocraticFrance Gélinas19,94162.66+7.77
LiberalJames Tregonning6,97721.92-2.33
Progressive ConservativeMarck Blay3,78211.88-6.47
GreenHeather K. Dahlstrom1,1233.53+1.03
Total valid votes 31,823100.00
New Democratic hold Swing +5.05
Source: Elections Ontario[14]
2011 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New DemocraticFrance Gélinas16,82654.89+8.26
LiberalTony Ryma7,43424.25-13.79
Progressive ConservativePaula Peroni5,62518.35+8.29
GreenStephanie-Lynn Russell7702.5-1.72
Total valid votes 30,655 100.00
2007 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New DemocraticFrance Gélinas15,12646.60.08
LiberalRon Dupuis12,34138.0-0.64
Progressive ConservativeRenée Germain3,26410.1-3.39
GreenFred Twilley1,3684.22.85
Family CoalitionRichard St-Denis3411.1

References
  1. "About France". Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  2. "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 10 October 2007. p. 9 (xviii). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  3. "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 6 October 2011. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  4. "General Election by District: Nickel Belt". Elections Ontario. 12 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014.
  5. "NDP demands crackdown on door-to-door marketers". Northern Life. 23 May 2008. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011.
  6. Mulligan, Carol (February 2009). "Bidding for care, Cause for concern -- or rhetoric?". Sudbury Star.
  7. "Nurses protest layoffs in legislature". Toronto Star. 5 March 2009.
  8. Bradley, Bill (16 June 2008). "Gelinas declines to run to replace NDP leader". Northern Life. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011.
  9. Ferguson, Rob (10 April 2009). "Calorie-count bill clears hurdle". Toronto Star.
  10. "New bill to change who French language commissioner reports to". Sudbury Star. 30 May 2011.
  11. "Ontario needs a French university? Bien sûr, Gélinas says". Northern Life, May 26, 2015.
  12. Reevely, David (25 June 2014). "Horwath sticks around, names NDP shadow cabinet".
  13. "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 6. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  14. Elections Ontario (2014). "General Election Results by District 056, NIckel Belt". Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
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