Mike Harris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Harris OOnt
Harris in 2014
22nd Premier of Ontario
In office June 26, 1995 – April 14, 2002
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Hal Jackman Hilary Weston James Bartleman
Preceded by	Bob Rae
Succeeded by	Ernie Eves
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
In office May 12, 1990 – March 23, 2002
Preceded by	Andy Brandt (interim)
Succeeded by	Ernie Eves
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Nipissing
In office March 19, 1981 – April 14, 2002
Preceded by	Mike Bolan
Succeeded by	Al McDonald
Personal details
Born	Michael Deane Harris (1945-01-23) January 23, 1945 (age 80) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Spouses	Mary Alyce Coward (m. 1967, div.), Janet Harrison (m. 1974, div.), Laura Maguire (m. 2005)
Relations	2 sons with Janet Harrison, including Mike Harris Jr.

Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a retired Canadian politician. He was the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002. He also led the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. As leader, he pushed for a more conservative approach, known as the "Common Sense Revolution". This plan aimed to lower taxes and cut government spending.

Born in Toronto, Mike Harris grew up in North Bay. Before politics, he worked as a ski instructor and a schoolteacher. He became a school board trustee in 1974. In 1981, he was elected as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Nipissing. He became the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1990.

In the 1990 provincial election, his party gained some support but stayed in third place. However, five years later, he led the PCs to a big win in the 1995 election. They formed a majority government. He then led the party to another majority win in 1999.

As premier, Harris focused on his "Common Sense Revolution" plan. His government cut spending in areas like social services, health care, and education. This helped to balance the provincial budget by 1999. His time as premier also saw major events like the 1997 Ontario teachers' strike. His government faced criticism for how it handled the Walkerton E. coli outbreak and the Ipperwash crisis.

In 2002, Mike Harris retired from politics. Ernie Eves took over as premier and PC leader. After leaving office, Harris worked in the private sector. He also became a fellow at the Fraser Institute, a conservative research group.

Early Life and Career

Mike Harris was born in Toronto, Ontario. He grew up in North Bay. His father ran a fishing camp there. Harris went to Waterloo Lutheran University but left after a year.

At 21, he moved to Sainte-Adèle, Quebec, and became a ski instructor. After his first marriage ended, he went to Laurentian University and North Bay Teacher's College. He became an elementary school teacher in North Bay. He taught math to grade seven and eight students. He also continued to work as a ski instructor and at his father's fishing camp. Later, he left teaching to manage a golf club in North Bay.

Entering Politics

Harris first entered public office as a school board trustee in 1974. He then entered provincial politics in the 1981 election. He won against the Liberal MPP in Nipissing. Harris said he was motivated to join politics because he disagreed with the policies of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

From 1981 to 1985, Harris was a regular member of the PC government. In 1985, he supported Frank Miller to become party leader. Miller became premier and made Harris the Minister of Natural Resources.

In the 1985 provincial election, the PCs won fewer seats and formed a minority government. Harris was re-elected easily. He kept his role as Minister of Natural Resources. He also became Minister of Energy. However, the Miller government soon lost a vote of no confidence. This meant the Liberals and NDP took power.

The PCs became the opposition party for the first time in 42 years. Miller resigned, and Larry Grossman took over. The party did not do well in the 1987 election. Harris was re-elected in Nipissing without trouble.

Becoming Party Leader (1990)

Larry Grossman remained party leader until 1990. Andy Brandt served as "interim leader" in the legislature. Harris became the PC house leader. He was the party's main voice in the legislature by 1989. Harris ran in the 1990 leadership race. He won a province-wide vote to become the official leader of the party.

The 1990 provincial election happened soon after Harris became leader. Harris promised tax cuts and spending reductions. The election was won by Bob Rae's NDP. The Conservatives increased their seats from 17 to 20 out of 130. Harris kept his own seat.

The 1995 Election Victory

In May 1994, Harris introduced his "Common Sense Revolution" plan. This plan called for big cuts to government spending and taxes. It also aimed to get rid of the province's large $11 billion deficit.

By the 1995 election, the NDP government was not popular. This was partly due to Ontario's economy and its large debt. The Liberals were expected to win, but they lost support during the campaign. Many people believe Harris's performance in the televised leaders' debate was a turning point. He spoke directly to the camera about his party's plan.

Many union workers, who usually supported the NDP, switched to the PCs in 1995. This helped the PCs win new areas. The PCs grew from 20 to 82 seats in the 130-seat legislature. This gave them a large majority government.

Premier of Ontario (1995–2002)

First Term (1995–1999)

The Common Sense Revolution in Action

After winning the election, the Harris government immediately started making big changes. They wanted to cut the large provincial deficit left by the previous government. One of their first major decisions was to cut social assistance payments by 21.6%. The government believed that too many people were relying on the program. They also started "Ontario Works," which required people receiving welfare to take part in training or job placements.

Provincial income taxes were cut by 30% to what they were before 1990. A new health levy was also created for high-income earners to help pay for health care.

The Harris government also cut funding for major city projects. For example, they stopped funding for the Eglinton West subway line in Toronto. This line was meant to connect different parts of the city.

The government also cut health spending. They laid off hundreds of nurses and closed or combined some hospitals. They also started Telehealth Ontario, a 24-hour phone line where people could talk to registered nurses.

Part of the Common Sense Revolution was to sell off government-owned businesses. The biggest ones were Ontario Hydro and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. These were not fully sold, but Ontario Hydro was split into five companies. In 1999, Highway 407 was leased to a private company.

Harris's government also reduced the number of MPPs from 130 to 103. They changed riding boundaries to match federal election areas.

The government also merged many municipalities between 1996 and 2002. The number of municipalities in the province went from 815 to 447. The biggest merger was in Metro Toronto. All the individual cities there were combined into one large city. The Conservatives said this would stop services from being duplicated and make things more efficient. They also shifted the cost of some social programs to municipalities.

The Harris government also passed a law in 1996 to make public employee salaries public. This meant that wages and benefits of public employees earning over $100,000 per year were published. This was done to increase accountability.

Changes in Education

The Harris government made several changes to education. They removed the fifth year of high school in Ontario, called the OAC year. This led to two graduating classes in 2003. Harris also introduced a law that required a standard curriculum and province-wide tests for students. This included Grade 3 and 6 EQAO tests for math and reading. High school students also had to pass a Grade 10 literacy test. Harris also made it mandatory for high school students to complete 40 hours of community service to graduate.

In 1999, they started a policy of "teacher testing." This required teachers to take exams regularly.

Quebec Referendum (1995)

In 1995, there was a referendum on whether Quebec should separate from Canada. Mike Harris was appointed by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to negotiate with Quebec leaders. Harris stated that "a separate Quebec would be a foreign country."

The Ipperwash Crisis

Soon after becoming premier, Harris faced a difficult situation. Protesters fighting for land claims took over a provincial park. During a confrontation, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shot and killed a protester named Dudley George. Members of the Stoney Point Ojibway band were protesting land claims at Ipperwash Provincial Park.

Later, an inquiry looked into the events. It found that the police, the provincial government, and the federal government all had some responsibility for what happened. The report also said that Premier Harris's comments and his desire to end the occupation quickly created an atmosphere that limited the government's options.

Second Term (1999–2002)

In 1999, the Harris government was re-elected for a second term. They again formed a majority government. This was helped by strong support in the areas around Toronto.

The Harris government balanced the provincial budget in 1999. Government revenues increased from $48 billion in 1995 to $64 billion by 2001.

In 1999, Harris also announced a program called Ontario's Living Legacy. This added 378 new parks and protected areas. This brought the total in Ontario to 650, covering more than 95,000 square kilometers.

The Walkerton Tragedy

In 2000, the town water supply of Walkerton became infected with E. coli. Seven people died, and hundreds became sick. Provincial water testing had been privatized in 1996 by Harris's first government. It was later found that the local official responsible for water quality had lied and falsified records. He also failed to test water quality regularly. When the outbreak happened, he did not quickly tell the local health officer.

The Walkerton tragedy had serious effects for Harris's government. Harris called a public inquiry. This inquiry found that cuts to inspection services and their privatization were contributing factors. It also found that the government was to blame for not regulating water quality and not enforcing existing rules.

Other changes made by the Harris government included standardized math and literacy tests for students, known as EQAO. These tests are given in Grade 3, 6, and 9. High school students must also pass a literacy test in Grade 10 to graduate. A new way of funding school boards was introduced, which took away their power to collect local taxes.

In 2001, the Harris government proposed a plan to give tax credits to parents who sent their children to private schools. This was controversial.

After Politics (2002–Present)

After leaving office, Mike Harris joined a law firm in Toronto as an advisor. He also became a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute, a conservative research group. He served on the board of directors for the Manning Centre.

In 2003, Harris joined the board of directors of Magna International, a large auto parts company. In 2012, he stepped down from the board.

In 2012, Harris started a home care business in Toronto with his wife, Laura. In 2014, he helped lead a Canadian mission to observe the Ukrainian presidential election.

In the 2018 Ontario general election, his son, Mike Harris Jr., was elected as an MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga. He is also a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. Today, Mike Harris is the Chair of the Board for Chartwell Retirement Residences.

Distinctions

• Honorary doctorate, Nipissing University (2010)
• Member of the Order of Ontario (2020)

See also

• Common Sense Revolution
• Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
• Ipperwash Crisis
• Walkerton tragedy
• Life Under Mike – A documentary about the effects of the Common Sense Revolution.

Images for kids

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  Premier Harris at a pancake festival, 1996