Eric Winkler

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Eric Winkler

| image = Eric Winkler.png

| imagesize =

| caption = Official 1966 portrait

| office1 = Ontario MPP

| term_start1 = 1967

| term_end1 = 1975

| predecessor1 = Farquhar Oliver

| successor1 = Bob McKessock

| constituency1 = Grey SouthRiding renamed to Grey in 1974.

| riding2 = Grey—Bruce

| parliament2 = Canadian

| term_start2 = 1957

| term_end2 = 1967

| predecessor2 = Walter Harris

| successor2 = Riding abolished

| party = Progressive Conservative

| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|02|13}}

| birth_place = Hanover, Ontario

| death_date = {{death date and age|1995|03|18|1920|02|13}}

| death_place = Hanover, Ontario

| occupation = Retail merchant

| spouse = Frances Winkler

| children = 4

| allegiance = Canadian

| branch = RCAF

| unit = Bomber Command

| serviceyears = 1940-1946

| rank = Flying officer

}}

Eric Alfred Winkler (February 13, 1920 – March 18, 1995) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1957 to 1967 who represented the riding of Grey—Bruce. He was also a member of provincial parliament from 1967 to 1975 who represented the riding of Grey South. He served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bill Davis.

Background

Born in Hanover, Ontario, he worked in a local furniture factory before joining the RCAF. He served as a flying officer during World War II, flying missions over Europe when he was shot down in 1942. He survived but was held as a prisoner of war until his release in 1945.{{cite news |title=Politician served at three levels: Winkler, Eric |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=March 21, 1995 |page=A16}} When the war ended, he came home and opened Winkler Brothers Menswear. He and his wife Frances raised two sons and two daughters.

Municipal politics

In 1946, he was elected as an alderman for the city of Hanover and was elected mayor in 1948.

Federal politics

He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the riding of Grey—Bruce in the 1957 federal election. A Progressive Conservative, he was re-elected in 1958, 1962, 1963, and 1965. From 1963 to 1967, he was the Chief Opposition Whip.

Provincial politics

In 1967, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the riding of Grey South.{{cite news |author=Canadian Press |title=Tories win, but... |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=October 18, 1967 |location=Windsor, Ontario |page=B2 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TDM_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=VVEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3673%2C2835192 |accessdate=2014-03-30}} When Bill Davis became Premier in March 1971 he named Winkler as Minister of Revenue to his new cabinet.{{cite news |title=Changes in policies promised: Davis priorities to include environment and jobless |last1=Manthorpe |first1=Jonathan |last2=Slinger |first2=John |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=March 2, 1971 |page=1}}

He was re-elected during the fall election in 1971.{{cite news |title=Riding-by-riding returns in provincial election |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=October 23, 1971 |page=10}} Early in 1972, he was named Minister of Financial and Commercial Affairs.{{cite news |title=The Cabinet for Ontario |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=February 3, 1972 |page=4}} In the fall of 1972 a minor cabinet shuffle saw Winkler moved to Chair of Management Board where he stayed for the next three years.{{cite news |title=Davis names two as super-ministers, 4 to Cabinet posts |last=Manthorpe |first=Jonathan |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 29, 1972 |pages=1, 4}}

In the fall election in 1975 he was defeated for by Liberal candidate Bob McKessock by 298 votes.{{cite news |title=Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 19, 1975 |page=C12}}

=Cabinet posts=

{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Bill_Davis}}

{{ministry box cabinet posts

| post3preceded = Charles MacNaughton

| post3 = Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet

| post3years = 1972–1975

| post3note =

| post3followed = James Auld

| post2preceded = Gordon Carton

| post2 = Minister of Financial and Commercial AffairsThe ministry was renamed as Consumer and Commercial Relations in April 1972.

| post2years = 1972 (February–September)

| post2note =

| post2followed = John Clement

| post1preceded = John White

| post1 = Minister of Revenue

| post1years = 1971–1972

| post1note =

| post1followed = Arthur Meen

}}

Later life

He served as a member of the Ontario Racing Commission in the 1980s.{{cite news |title=Veteran Tory Eric Winkler served as MPP and in Ottawa |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=March 21, 1995 |page=A5}} He died at home after a long illness. He was 75.