Leona Dombrowsky
Ontario MPP
In office
2007–2011
Preceded byErnie Parsons
Succeeded byTodd Smith
ConstituencyPrince Edward—Hastings
In office
1999–2007
Preceded byHarry Danford
Succeeded byRiding abolished
ConstituencyHastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington
Personal details
Born (1957-04-29) April 29, 1957
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal

Leona Dombrowsky (born April 29, 1957) is a Canadian former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2011 who represented the ridings of Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington and Prince Edward—Hastings. She served as a cabinet minister in the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Background

Dombrowsky was born in Belleville, Ontario and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1979. She was elected as a Catholic School trustee on the Hastings-Prince Edward Separate School Board in 1985, and served as its Chair from 1991 to 1996. In 1998, she was elected to the amalgamated Algonquin-Lakeshore Catholic District School Board. She was also a Director of the Ontario Catholic Trustees Association during this period, and served on the Tweed Parks & Recreation Committee from 1991 to 1997. As of 2012, she served as a justice of the peace.[1]

Politics

Dombrowsky was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1999, as a Liberal in the rural riding of Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington (which surrounds the city of Kingston, Ontario) defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative Harry Danford by about 2,000 votes.[2] The election was won by the Progressive Conservatives; despite her lack of experience, Dombrowsky soon emerged as a prominent voice in the opposition benches, serving as Official Opposition Critic for Community, Family and Children's Services and Deputy House Leader.

The Liberals won the provincial election of 2003, and Dombrowsky was re-elected by about 8,000 votes over her Progressive Conservative opponent.[3] On October 23, 2003, she was appointed Minister of the Environment.[4] In this capacity, she was responsible for overseeing changes to the province's water supply system (the safety of which was called into question after a tragic outbreak of e-coli in Walkerton, Ontario). Dombrowsky's ministry hired more full-time water inspectors and also called for the phasing out of coal-fired electrical generating plants.

On June 29, 2005 Dombrowsky became Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.[5] On January 18, 2010, Dombrowsky was named Minister of Education.[6]

In the 2011 election, she lost her seat to Progressive Conservative Todd Smith.[7]

Cabinet positions

Electoral record

2011 Ontario general election: Prince Edward—Hastings
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeTodd Smith18,81642.28+9.53
LiberalLeona Dombrowsky15,68635.25-11.10
New DemocraticSherry Hayes7,37916.58+2.77
GreenTreat Hull2,0494.60-1.28
Family CoalitionNeal Ford2570.58-0.27
LibertarianAndrew Skinner2010.45 
RepublicanTrueman Tuck1150.26-0.11
Total valid votes 44,503100.0
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 1520.34
Turnout 44,65551.74
Eligible voters 86,304
Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +10.32
Source: Elections Ontario[8]
2007 Ontario general election: Prince Edward—Hastings
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalLeona Dombrowsky20,96346.35-11.03
Progressive ConservativeEric DenOuden14,84032.75+0.73
New DemocraticJodie Jenkins6,28713.81+5.36
GreenJim Arkilander2,6635.88+4.31
Family CoalitionVito Luceno2970.85 
RepublicanTrueman Tuck1660.37-0.2
Total valid votes 45,216 100.0
2003 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalLeona Dombrowsky21,54851.89+5.15
Progressive ConservativeBarry F. Gordon13,70933.01-9.51
New DemocraticRoss Sutherland4,28610.32+3.43
GreenAdam Scott1,3113.16+1.84
Family CoalitionJohn-Henry Westen6731.62+0.42
1999 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalLeona Dombrowsky20,39546.74
Progressive ConservativeHarry Danford18,55342.52
New DemocraticAllan Mcphail3,0086.89
GreenCathy Vakil5761.32
Family CoalitionJohn-henry Westen5241.2
Natural LawPeter Leggat3820.88
IndependentKarl Walker2000.46

References

  1. Fisher, Peter (September 2, 2014). "Dombrowsky's dismissal of stunt driving charge appealed". Peterborough Examiner.
  2. "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. June 3, 1999. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  3. "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. October 2, 2003. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  4. "Premier Dalton McGuinty and his 22-member cabinet were sworn in Thursday". Canadian Press NewsWire. October 23, 2003. p. 1.
  5. "Cabinet shuffle focuses on health care, education; McGuinty to head new Research and Innovation ministry". The Record. Kitchener, Ont. June 30, 2005. p. A5.
  6. Kenyon, Wallace (January 19, 2010). "Sweeping changes hit Queen's Park; Liberal Cabinet". National Post. p. A8.
  7. "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 6, 2011. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2013.
  8. Elections Ontario (2011). "Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Prince Edward—Hastings" (PDF). Retrieved 2 June 2014.
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