Kathleen Wynne | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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25th Premier of Ontario | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office February 11, 2013 – June 29, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lieutenant Governor | David Onley Elizabeth Dowdeswell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Dalton McGuinty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Doug Ford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Don Valley West | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office October 2, 2003 – May 3, 2022[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | David Turnbull | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Stephanie Bowman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Kathleen O'Day Wynne May 21, 1953 Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Ontario Liberal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouses | Phil Cowperthwaite
(m. 1977; div. 1991)Jane Rounthwaite (m. 2005) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation | Politician | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kathleen O'Day Wynne (/wɪn/ WIN; born May 21, 1953) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was member of provincial parliament (MPP) for Don Valley West from 2003 to 2022. Wynne is the first female premier of Ontario and the first openly gay premier in Canada.
Wynne was first elected to public office as a trustee for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 2000. She subsequently was elected to the Ontario Legislature in 2003. Under Premier Dalton McGuinty, she served in various cabinet posts, until resigning to run in the Liberal leadership race when McGuinty announced his resignation in 2012.[2] Wynne replaced McGuinty as premier and leader of the Liberal Party upon her victory of the leadership, and subsequently led the party to a majority government victory in the 2014 Ontario provincial election.
As premier, Wynne introduced free prescription drug coverage for children, increased the minimum wage to $14 an hour, and introduced free post-secondary tuition for families making under $50,000. Controversially, her government introduced a reformed sex education curriculum, brought in a cap-and-trade pollution pricing regime with Quebec and California, and privatized Hydro One.
Wynne sought another mandate in the 2018 provincial election; however, she conceded midway into the election and acknowledged her party would not form government again. The Liberals would lose official party status in the worst defeat of a governing party in Ontario history. Wynne subsequently resigned as Liberal leader on election night and was succeeded by Ottawa South MPP John Fraser as interim party leader. Wynne formally resigned as premier on June 29, 2018. She held her seat in the Legislative Assembly and continued to sit as an MPP until 2022 when she did not contest the provincial election and retired from politics.