Editing Janet Ecker

{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name          = Janet Ecker
| image         =
| caption       =
| office1       = [[Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario)|Ontario MPP]]
| term_start1   = 1999
| term_end1     = 2003
| predecessor1  = New riding
| successor1    = [[Wayne Arthurs (politician)|Wayne Arthurs]]
| constituency1 = [[Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge (provincial electoral district)|Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge]]
| term_start2   = 1995
| term_end2     = 1999
| predecessor2  = [[Jim Wiseman]]
| successor2    = Riding dissolved
| constituency2 = [[Durham West (provincial electoral district)|Durham West]]
| party         = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative Party]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1953|10|18}}
| birth_place   = [[Simcoe, Ontario]]
| occupation    = Management Consultant
}}
'''Janet Ecker''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born October 18, 1953) is a former [[politician]] in [[Ontario]], Canada. She was a member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] from 1995 to 2003, and was a senior [[cabinet minister]] in the governments of [[Mike Harris]] and [[Ernie Eves]].

==Background==
Ecker grew up in [[Exeter, Ontario]]. Her father was a family physician. She earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in [[journalism]] from the [[University of Western Ontario]]. In 1985, Ecker served as Director of Communications at the Ontario Treasury. She worked as a Government Relations Consultant with Public Affairs Management from 1987 to 1991, and was Director of Policy for the [[College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario]] from 1991 to 1995.

==Politics==
Ecker was also involved with the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario]] during these years. A [[Red Tory]], she supported [[Larry Grossman (politician)|Larry Grossman]] at both of the party's [[1985 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership elections|1985 leadership conventions]], and served as Assistant Executive Director of the Ontario PC Party from 1985 to 1987.

She was elected to the Ontario legislature in the [[1995 Ontario general election|provincial election of 1995]], defeating [[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] [[Joe Dickson]] and incumbent [[Ontario New Democratic Party|New Democrat]] [[Jim Wiseman]] by a significant margin in the [[electoral district (Canada)|riding]] of [[Durham West (provincial electoral district)|Durham West]], east of [[Toronto]].<ref name="1995 results">{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=Durham+West&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 8, 1995 |accessdate=2014-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512223129/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=durham+west&flag=E&layout=G |archivedate=May 12, 2014 }}</ref> After the election she was appointed [[Parliamentary Assistant]] to the Minister of Community and Social Services. On August 16, 1996 she was promoted to [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] and named [[Ministry of Community and Social Services (Ontario)|Minister of Community and Social Services]].<ref name="1996HarrisCab">{{cite news |title=Tsubouchi demoted in Harris shuffle |first=William |last=Walker |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=August 16, 1996 |page=A1}}</ref>

===1999 election===
In the [[1999 Ontario general election|provincial election of 1999]], she was re-elected by a comfortable margin over Liberal [[Dave Ryan (politician)|Dave Ryan]] in the redistributed riding of [[Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge (provincial electoral district)|Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge]].<ref name="1999 results">{{cite web|url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge&flag=E&layout=G |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140625040958/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge&flag=E&layout=G |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 25, 2014 |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 3, 1999 |accessdate=2014-03-02 }}</ref>  After the election, she was named to the senior portfolio of [[Ministry of Education (Ontario)|Minister of Education]].<ref name="1999HarrisCab">{{cite news |title=Ontario Cabinet |newspaper=The Spectator |location=Hamilton, Ont |date=June 18, 1999 |page=C8}}</ref> Ecker also served as Government [[House Leader]] after February 8, 2001.<ref name="2001HarrisCab">{{cite news |title=Flaherty to be new Ontario finance chief |newspaper=Sudbury Star |date=February 8, 2001 |page=A5}}</ref> In 1998, she supported [[Hugh Segal]]'s bid for the leadership of the federal Progressive Conservative Party.

Ecker's best-known controversy as Education Minister was not with the legislative opposition or the teaching community, but with [[Jim Flaherty]], another cabinet minister in the Harris government. In 2001, Flaherty announced that the government planned to introduce a tax credit for parents choosing to send their children to private and denominational schools. Flaherty's announcement broke a 1999 campaign pledge from Harris not to introduce such legislation. Flaherty reportedly did not consult with Ecker prior to making his statement. Ecker opposed this shift in policy, and according to some accounts was initially prepared to quit cabinet over the issue. She was persuaded to stay, but remained on very poor terms with Flaherty. As a result of this controversy, Ecker became a leading spokesperson for "moderate conservative" positions in her party, against the right-wing views of Flaherty and Harris. {{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

When Harris resigned as party leader in 2002, many anticipated that Ecker would join the contest to replace him. Instead, she supported the candidacy of [[Ernie Eves]], who won by defeating Flaherty in the second round of balloting. Ecker was named [[Ministry of Finance (Ontario)|Minister of Finance]] on April 15, 2002.<ref name="2002EvesCabinet">{{cite news |title=Ont-Cabinet |publisher=Canadian Press NewsWire |location=Toronto, Ont |date=April 15, 2002}}</ref> Shortly after being named as Finance Minister, Ecker announced that the Eves government would postpone the previously-announced private-school tax credit.  {{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

Ecker also introduced the Eves government's [[Keeping the Promise for a Strong Economy Act (Budget Measures), 2002]].

In 2003, Ecker delivered her provincial budget at an auto parts factory owned by [[Magna International]], rather than in the legislature. {{Why?|date=January 2011}} The move was widely criticized, even by some members of the Progressive Conservative party. Despite her previous opposition, Ecker re-introduced the private-school tax credit in this budget. {{Why?|date=January 2011}} {{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

The Eves government was defeated in the [[2003 Ontario general election|provincial election of 2003]], and Ecker herself was narrowly defeated by [[Wayne Arthurs (politician)|Wayne Arthurs]] of the Liberal Party.<ref name="2003 results">{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&district=Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=October 2, 2003 |accessdate=2014-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402113457/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&district=Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge&flag=E&layout=G |archivedate=April 2, 2015 }}</ref>

===Cabinet positions===
{{s-start}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Ernie_Eves}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post1preceded = [[Jim Flaherty]]
| post1         = [[Ministry of Finance (Ontario)|Minister of Finance]]
| post1years    = 2002–2003
| post1note     =
| post1followed = [[Greg Sorbara]]
}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Mike_Harris}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post2preceded = [[David Johnson (Canadian politician)|David Johnson]]
| post2         = [[Ministry of Education (Ontario)|Minister of Education]]
| post2years    = 1999–2002
| post2note     = 
| post2followed = [[Elizabeth Witmer]]

| post1preceded = [[David Tsubouchi]]
| post1         = [[Ministry of Community and Social Services (Ontario)|Minister of Community and Social Services]]
| post1years    = 1996–1999
| post1note     = 
| post1followed = [[John Baird (Canadian politician)|John Baird]]
}}
{{Ministry box special parl
| post1preceded = [[Norm Sterling]]
| post1         = [[Government House Leader (Ontario)|Government House Leader]]
| post1years    = 2001–2002
| post1note     = 
| post1followed = [[Chris Stockwell]]
}}
{{s-end}}

==After politics==
Ecker is an advisor with Tramore Group, a Toronto-based program management professional services firm.<ref>{{cite news |title=Soft skills are part of equation |last=Bitti |first=Mary Teresa |newspaper=National Post |date=September 26, 2007 |page=WK1}}</ref> She also teaches [[public administration]] at [[Queen's University at Kingston|Queen's University]] in [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]]. In 2004, she supported [[Belinda Stronach]]'s unsuccessful campaign to lead the new [[Conservative Party of Canada]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Stronach will be cast as 'working mother'; Harris, senators are key backers To launch bid at union hall today |author1=Robert Benzie |author2=Bruce Campion-Smith |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=January 20, 2004 |page=A6}}</ref> In 2005 she was named as president of the ''Toronto Financial Services Alliance''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ecker picked to head Toronto business group |last=McNish |first=Jacquie |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=February 18, 2005 |page=B8}}</ref> She supported [[Christine Elliott]] (spouse of [[Jim Flaherty]]) during the [[2009 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election]] and served as her campaign chair.<ref>{{cite news |title=Flaherty's wife joins Ontario PC race; June 27 Convention |last=Cowan |first=James |newspaper=National Post |date=April 2, 2009 |page=A4}}</ref>

In December 2016, Ecker was named a [[Member of the Order of Canada]] for being a leader in the financial industry.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/order-canada-newest-appointees-2016-150-1.3916634 "Order of Canada's newest appointees include Paralympian, Supreme Court judge and astrophysicist"]. [[CBC News]], December 30, 2016.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{OntarioMPPbio|id=janet-ecker}}

{{Harris Ministry}}
{{Eves Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecker, Janet}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Women government ministers of Canada]]
[[Category:Ministers of finance of Ontario]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:People from Norfolk County, Ontario]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Queen's University at Kingston]]
[[Category:University of Western Ontario alumni]]
[[Category:Female finance ministers]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs]]