Wayne Gates

Summary

Wayne J. Gates[1] MPP is a Canadian politician who has represented Niagara Falls in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2014. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), he was elected in a February 2014 by-election in and would be re-elected in subsequent general elections.

Wayne Gates
Opposition Critic for Long-Term Care, Retirement Homes and Home Care
Assumed office
July 13, 2022
LeaderAndrea Horwath
Peter Tabuns (interim)
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Niagara Falls
Assumed office
February 13, 2014
Preceded byKim Craitor
Personal details
Political partyNew Democratic
ResidenceNiagara Falls, Ontario

Background edit

Prior to entering provincial politics, Gates was a city councillor for the City of Niagara Falls, and president of a Unifor local in the Niagara Falls, Ontario.[2] He also served as the campaign chair for the United Way, was a member the Yellow Shirt Brigade to save the Fort Erie hospital, member of the city's recreation committee, Project Share volunteer, and member of the Ontario Health Coalition.

Political career edit

Gates ran as the federal New Democratic Party's candidate in Niagara Falls in the 2004 federal election and the 2006 federal election finishing third both times.[3][4]

He was elected as a city councillor in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 2010.[2] In February 2014, he was elected in a provincial by-election in the riding of Niagara Falls. He defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Bart Maves by 962 votes.[5] He was re-elected in the 2014 provincial election defeating PC candidate Bart Maves by 7,429 votes.[6] Gates is the only New Democrat in history to be re-elected in the Niagara Falls riding and holds the record for highest vote tally of any candidate ever in the Niagara Falls provincial riding, at 24,131 votes. He surpassed that record in 2018 by winning 30,161 votes.[7]

Gates has served in several critic portfolio roles as part of the Ontario NDP caucus, including Transportation, Economic Development, and Consumer Services. He is currently one of the Official Opposition's critics for labour issues in the caucus and is the lead critic for worker's health & safety issues.

In 2016, he scored a major victory by winning unanimous support for his motion to address lengthy wait times for MRI services in Niagara.[8] He continues to advocate for healthcare issues, is a major proponent for the building of the New Niagara Falls Hospital, and has tabled legislation for universal coverage for PSA testing in Ontario.[9]

Electoral record edit

2022 Ontario general election: Niagara Falls
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Wayne Gates 24,207 48.08 −2.71
Progressive Conservative Bob Gale 18,342 36.43 +0.86
Liberal Ashley Waters 4,239 8.42 −0.93
New Blue Christine Lewis-Napolitano 1,409 2.80  
Green Tommy Ward 1,356 2.69 −0.77
Ontario Party Wesley Kavanagh 656 1.30  
None of the Above Devon St. Denis-Richard 135 0.27  
Total valid votes 50,344 100.0  
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 309
Turnout 50,653 43.60
Eligible voters 115,083
New Democratic hold Swing −1.78
Source(s)
  • "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18.
  • "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21.
2018 Ontario general election: Niagara Falls
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Wayne Gates 30,161 50.79 +3.40
Progressive Conservative Chuck McShane 21,126 35.58 +2.76
Liberal Dean Demizio 5,554 9.95 −5.06
Green Karen Fraser 2,057 3.46 +0.03
Libertarian Shaun Somers 314 0.53 −0.54
Moderate Goran Zubic 169 0.28
Total valid votes 59,381 100.0  
Source: Elections Ontario[10]
2014 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Wayne Gates 24,123 47.38 +7.84
Progressive Conservative Bart Maves 16,699 32.80 -3.96
Liberal Lionel Tupman 7,314 14.36 -5.00
Green Clarke Bitter 1,724 3.39 +0.65
Libertarian Ralph Panucci 560 1.10 +0.67
None of the Above John Ringo Beam 498 0.98
Total valid votes 50,918 100.0  
New Democratic hold Swing +5.90
Source: Elections Ontario[11]
Ontario provincial by-election, February 13, 2014
Resignation of Kim Craitor
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Wayne Gates 14,526 39.44 +13.14
Progressive Conservative Bart Maves 13,564 36.83 +2.00
Liberal Joyce Morocco 7,143 19.39 -16.50
Green Clarke Bitter 1,006 2.73 +1.11
Independent Tim Tredwell 224 0.61 +0.24
Libertarian Stefanos Karatopis 159 0.43 -0.03
People's Political Party Troy Young 108 0.29
Freedom Andrew Brannan 102 0.28
Total valid votes 36,832
Turnout
  N.D.P. gain from Liberal Swing +14.82%
2006 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rob Nicholson 23,489 40.4% +1.7%
Liberal Gary Burroughs 20,099 34.5% -2.0%
New Democratic Wayne Gates 12,214 21.0% +0.2%
Green Kay Green 2,402 4.1% +0.1%
Total valid votes 58,204 100.0%
2004 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Rob Nicholson 19,882 38.7% -7.7%
Liberal Victor Pietrangelo 18,745 36.5% -9.4%
New Democratic Wayne Gates 10,680 20.8% +14.7%
Green Ted Mousseau 2,071 4.0% +2.7%
Total valid votes 51,378 100.0%

References edit

  1. ^ @ONPARLeducation (July 13, 2022). "Within the halls of the Legislature are walls that contain the names of every Member of Provincial Parliament elected to Ontario's Legislature since 1867. The names for the 42nd Parliament were recently added. For the first time a Member's name was inscribed in Oji-Cree syllabics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b "NDP take Niagara Falls riding". Toronto Sun. February 13, 2014.
  3. ^ "Election results...riding by riding". The Globe and Mail, June 29, 2004. p. A14.
  4. ^ "Election results...riding by riding". The Globe and Mail, January 24, 2006. p. A16.
  5. ^ "NDP win Niagara Falls, Tories hold Thornhill in Ontario byelections". Global News. February 13, 2014.
  6. ^ "General Election by District: Niagara Falls". Elections Ontario. June 12, 2014.
  7. ^ "Gates returned for NDP in Niagara Falls". 8 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Province supports Gates MRI motion". Niagara Falls Review. October 28, 2016.
  9. ^ "New Democrat MPP urges province to cover the cost of all prostate cancer tests". 26 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 7. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  11. ^ "General Election Results by District, 054 Niagara Falls". Elections Ontario. 2014. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.

External links edit

  • Ontario Legislative Assembly parliamentary history