Frank de Jong

Born into a Dutch background, De Jong earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1978, and a Bachelor of Education from University of Ottawa in 1979. After graduating, he worked as an elementary school teacher. He developed an interest in environmental concerns during the mid-1980s, and became involved in campaigns to save Ontario's old growth forests. He was also involved in the anti-nuclear, renewable energy and pro-choice movements. De Jong now resides in Huntsville, Ontario with his partner Tove Christensen.{{fact|date=November 2023}}

The Ontario Green Party did not originally have a formal leadership structure, and was run in a very decentralized manner (nominal leaders were sometimes chosen for elections, but they had no personal authority over party decisions). De Jong and a broad coalition of chapters agreed to a new constitution in 1993. The legwork to facilitate the change was led by Ian Whyte in Ottawa and Jim Harris in Toronto. The actual rewriting of the constitution was led by Ken Toews Policy coordinator who headed up a team to write the new constitution. The changes to the constitution were approved with an 88% majority. There is a direct line between these changes to our constitution and the eventual election of Mike Schreiner to the provincial legislature. A small number of chapters opposed this approach, and successfully campaigned for a formal leadership contest in 1993. De Jong himself entered this contest, and defeated Jim Harris, who later became leader of the Green Party of Canada. De Jong supported Harris's leadership of the federal party until Harris stepped down in 2006, at which time de Jong supported David Chernushenko's leadership bid. He was challenged for the leadership of the Ontario Green Party by Judy Greenwood-Speers in 2001.

Image:Mike Schreiner and Frank de Jong Hart House 2009.jpg Leader, Mike Schreiner (left)]]

Like Harris, de Jong is an eco-capitalist. He defines his political philosophy as "socially progressive, fiscally conservative, and environmentally aware".{{Cite web|url=https://gpo.ca/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208173600/http://www.gpo.ca/node/26|url-status=dead|title=Ontario Greens | The Ontario you want. The leadership we need.|archive-date=February 8, 2012|website=Green Party of Ontario}} He has long supported conservative economic policies, including a gradual shift from the taxation of incomes to the taxation of natural resources. He has also spoken against extensive government subsidies and funding for crown corporations.

At the October 2005 Green Party of Ontario Annual General Meeting, de Jong narrowly avoided a "leadership review" when 67% of voting members voted against it. The GPO constitution requires that a leadership review be held bi-annually; If more than one-third of voting members had opted for a review, a leadership race would have been held in 2006. At the 2007 AGM, de Jong survived the next scheduled review, this time with approximately 71% support from party members. This followed what was considered the strongest election performance by the GPO to date.[https://www.thestar.com/article/279832 "Green leader gets 71 per cent support"]. Toronto Star, November 26, 2007. Speaking at the Green Party of Ontario AGM in May 2009, de Jong announced that he would not be running for re-election as leader of the party.[https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/639159 "Frank de Jong to step down as Green party leader"]. Toronto Star, May 23, 2009.

In the September 14, 2006, Parkdale–High Park by-election, de Jong received 6.2 percent of the vote. On November 7, 2006, he was nominated as the GPO candidate in the riding of Davenport for the 2007 Ontario general election.[https://archive.today/20120802015025/http://www.greenparty.on.ca/node/922%23attachments Davenport Green Party nominates de Jong], Green Party of Ontario news release, November 8, 2006. In that election, de Jong captured 10.26 percent of the vote, his best showing as a member of the Green Party.

De Jong was a candidate for Ward 18 in Toronto's 2010 municipal election.

As of December 2014, de Jong was living in Faro, Yukon and was the Green Party of Canada candidate in the Yukon riding in the 2015 federal election, placing a distant fourth.{{cite web|last=Reynolds |first=Christopher |url=http://whitehorsestar.com/News/local-man-pursues-ndp-nomination |title=Whitehorse Daily Star: Local man pursues NDP nomination |publisher=Whitehorsestar.com |date=2014-12-18 |access-date=2015-12-25}}{{cite web| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/green-party-s-frank-de-jong-asks-yukoners-to-follow-their-green-conscience-1.3259765| title = Green Party's Frank de Jong asks Yukoners to follow their 'green conscience' {{!}} CBC News}}

De Jong was elected leader of the Yukon Green Party in September 2016.{{cite news | url = https://www.yukon-news.com/news/de-jong-takes-over-green-party-leadership-as-candidates-step-forward/ | title = De Jong takes over Green Party leadership as candidates step forward | date = 2 September 2016 | last = Forrest | first = Maura | work = Yukon News | access-date = 27 March 2021 }}{{cite news | url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-green-party-territorial-election-young-voters-1.3832123 | title = Yukon's Greens hope to boost the youth vote | date = 2 November 2016 | last = Rudyk | first = Mike | work = www.cbc.ca | publisher = Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | access-date = 27 March 2021 }} He resigned as leader in 2019.

{{Wikinews|New Democrats score upset in Ontario's Parkdale-High Park by-election | Ontario Green Party leader to run in byelection}}

De Jong has campaigned for federal and provincial office several times. His best showing was in the provincial election of 2003, when he ran against sitting Premier Ernie Eves and finished third, ahead of the New Democratic Party candidate. On all other occasions, de Jong has finished well behind candidates of the major parties.

During the 1995 provincial campaign, de Jong cycled on a "leader's tour" from Ottawa to Sault Ste. Marie, Windsor and Niagara Falls before returning northward to Ottawa. Subsequently, he was involved in creating constituency contact lists throughout the province.

His electoral record is as follows:

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1988|Rosedale (electoral district)|Rosedale|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|PC|David MacDonald|22,704|41.36| -11.44 }}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bill Graham|22,624| 41.21 | +15.08 }}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Doug Wilson|8,266| 15.06| -2.77 }}

{{CANelec|CA|Libertarian|Chris Blatchly|411| 0.75| +0.09}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Frank de Jong|397| 0.72| -1.15 }}

{{CANelec|CA|Rhinoceros (historical)|Liane McLarty|265| 0.48| }}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Mike Constable|102| 0.19| }}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Harry Margel|91| 0.17| }}

{{CANelec|CA|Commonwealth of Canada|Paul Therrien|33| 0.06| -0.27}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes| 54,893| 100}}

{{End}}

{{1990 Ontario general election/Ottawa East}}

1991 Ottawa municipal election

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1993|Ottawa–Vanier|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Jean-Robert Gauthier|31,216|70.46|+11.25}}

{{CANelec|CA|PC|Marie-Christine Lemire|4,486|10.13|-13.07}}

{{CANelec|CA|Reform|Sam Dancey|3,553|8.02|}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Willie Dunn|2,935|6.62|-9.36}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Frank de Jong|606|1.37|}}

{{CANelec|CA|National|Raymond Samuels|497|1.12|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|David Talbot|429|0.97|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Natural Law|Roger Bouchard|414|0.93|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Serge Lafortune|138|0.31|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Abolitionist|Steven Edward White|28|0.06|}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|44,302 |100}}

{{end}}

{{1995 Canadian federal by-elections/Ottawa—Vanier}}

{{1995 Ontario general election/Nepean}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1997|Ottawa Centre (federal electoral district)|Ottawa Centre|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Mac Harb|25,987|45.19|-6.71}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Jamey Heath|13,646|23.73|+1.07}}

{{CANelec|CA|PC|Peter Annis|9,391|16.33|+4.45}}

{{CANelec|CA|Reform|John Perocchio|6,651|11.57|+2.03}}

{{CANelec|CA|Green|Frank de Jong|855|1.49|+0.30}}

{{CANelec|CA|Canadian Action|Howard Bertram|236|0.41|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Natural Law|Neil Paterson|211|0.37|-0.34}}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Susan Cumby|190|0.33|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Hardial Bains|150|0.26|+0.07}}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Malek Khouri|92|0.16|}}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Ray Joseph Cormier|91|0.16|}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes| 57,500|100}}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|ON|1999|Parkdale—High Park (provincial electoral district){{!}}Parkdale—High Park|percent=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Gerard Kennedy| 23,022| 54.92 }}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|Annamarie Castrilli| 12,647| 30.17 }}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Irene Atkinson| 4,937| 11.78 }}

{{CANelec|ON|Green|Frank de Jong| 500| 1.19 }}

{{CANelec|ON|Libertarian|Doug Burn| 325| 0.78 }}

{{CANelec|ON|Family Coalition|Stan Grzywna| 289| 0.69 }}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Jorge Van Schouwen| 99| 0.24 }}

{{CANelec|ON|Natural Law|Lynne Hea| 99| 0.24 }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|41,918 |100 | | }}

{{Canadian election result/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|title=Parkdale–High Park General Election of June 3, 1999|url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district_code=64&flag=E&layout=G|work=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate|publisher=Elections Ontario|access-date=2012-01-04|author=Chief Returning Officer of Ontario|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317051953/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district_code=64&flag=E&layout=G|archive-date=March 17, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}}}

{{end}}

{{Election box begin | title=2003 Ontario general election: Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey}}

{{CANelec|ON|Progressive Conservatives|Ernie Eves|29,222|56.64|-8.12}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Dan Yake|14,859|28.8|-0.03}}

{{CANelec |ON |Green |Frank De Jong |3,161 |6.13 |3.68}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Mitchel Healey|3,148|6.1|+2.13}}

{{CANelec|ON|FCP|Dave Davies|1,202|2.33}}

{{end}}

{{Election box begin | title= 2005 by-election: Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey}}

{{CANelec|ON|Progressive Conservatives|John Tory|15,610|56.3|-}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Bob Duncanson|4,625|16.7|-}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Lynda McDougall|3,881|14.0}}

{{CANelec |ON |Green |Frank de Jong |2,767 |10.0}}

{{CANelec|ON|FCP|Paul Micelli|479|1.7|-}}

{{CANelec|ON|Independent|William Cook|163|0.6|-}}

{{CANelec|ON|Libertarian|Philip Bender|135|0.5|-}}

{{CANelec|ON|Independent|John Turmel|85|0.3|-}}

{{end}}

{{CANelec/top|ON|September 14, 2006|Parkdale—High Park (provincial electoral district){{!}}Parkdale—High Park|percent=yes|change=yes|by=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Cheri DiNovo| 11,677| 41.04| +25.27}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Sylvia Watson| 9,387| 32.99| -24.84}}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|David Hutcheon| 4,921| 17.29| +1.11}}

{{CANelec|ON|Green |Frank De Jong| 1,753| 6.16| -0.77}}

{{CANelec|ON|Family Coalition| Stan Grzywna| 367| 1.29| -0.2}}

{{CANelec|ON|Libertarian| Jim McIntosh| 162| 0.57| }}

{{CANelec|ON|Freedom|Silvio Ursomarzo| 111| 0.39| -0.02}}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|John Turmel| 78| 0.27| }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|28,456 |100| | }}

{{Canadian election result/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|title=Parkdale–High Park By-election 2006|url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2006ByElections/index_PHP.jsp?flag=E&layout=G|work=Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for each Candidate|publisher=Elections Ontario|access-date=2012-01-04|author=Chief Returning Officer|location=Toronto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227010649/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2006ByElections/index_PHP.jsp?flag=E&layout=G|archive-date=December 27, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}}}

{{end}}

{{CANelec/top|ON|January 12, 2007 by-election|Burlington (provincial electoral district)|Burlington|percent=yes|change=yes|by=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|Joyce Savoline| 11,143| 48.98|+2.83}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Joan Lougheed| 9,365| 41.17|-1.01}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Cory Judson| 1,310|5.76|-2.46}}

{{CANelec|ON|Green|Frank de Jong| 734| 3.23|+0.90 }}

{{CANelec|ON|Freedom|Barry Spruce| 106| 0.47|}}

{{CANelec|XX|Independent|John Turmel| 90| 0.40|}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|22,748 | 100}}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|ON|2007|Davenport (provincial electoral district)|Davenport|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Tony Ruprecht| 12,467| 41.82| -13.70}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Peter Ferreira| 10,880| 36.49| +7.12}}

{{CANelec|ON|Green|Frank de Jong| 3,047| 10.22| * }}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|Antonio Garcia| 2,805| 9.41| +2.11}}

{{CANelec|ON|Communist|Dave McKee|191 |0.64 |}}

{{CANelec|ON|FCP|Gustavo Valdez|157 |0.53 |}}

{{CANelec|ON|Libertarian|Nunzio Venuto|152 |0.51 |*}}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Annette Kouri |114|0.38 |}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|29,813 |100 }}

{{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|row}}

|align="left" colspan=2|Liberal hold

|align="right"|Swing

|align="right"| -10.41

|

{{end}}

2010 Toronto municipal election, Ward 18: Davenport

{{CANelec/top|ON|2011|Davenport (provincial electoral district)|Davenport|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Jonah Schein|14,367 |45.93 | +9.44}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Cristina Martins|12,953 |41.41 | -0.41}}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|Kirk Russell|2,480 |7.93 | -1.48}}

{{CANelec|ON|Green|Frank de Jong|855 |2.73 | -7.49}}

{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Mark Jagg |250 |0.80 |}}

{{CANelec|ON|Communist|Miguel Figueroa|163 |0.52 |-0.12}}

{{CANelec|ON|Freedom|Franz Cauchi |96|0.31 |}}

{{CANelec|ON|Human Rights|Alix Thompson|82|0.26|}}

{{CANelec|ON|The Only Party|Kiros Ghiwot|33|0.11|}}

{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|31,279 |100}}

{{CANelec/total|Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots|178|0.57}}

{{CANelec/total|Turnout|31,457|45.59}}

{{CANelec/total|Eligible voters|68,998}}

{{CANelec/gain|ON|NDP|Liberal|+4.93}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|url=http://www.wemakevotingeasy.ca/media/EO_Site/official_GE/ED015-F0244.pdf|publisher=Elections Ontario|date=2011|title=Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Davenport|access-date=5 June 2014}} {{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}}}

{{end}}

{{2015 Canadian federal election/Yukon}}

{{Election box begin | title=2016 Yukon general election: Pelly-Nisutlin}}

|-

{{CANelec |YT |Yukon | Stacey Hassard | 280 | 42.3% |-7.1%}}

|-

{{Canadian party colour|YT|NDP|row}}

|NDP

|Ken Hodgins

|align="right"| 207

|align="right"| 31.2%

|align="right"| -0.8%

|-

{{Canadian party colour|YT|Liberal|row}}

| style="width: 130px" |Liberal

|Carl Sidney

|align="right"| 152

|align="right"| 23.0%

|align="right"| +9.9%

|-

{{CANelec|YT|Green| Frank de Jong | 22| 3.3% | +3.3% }}

|-

|- bgcolor="white"

!align="left" colspan=3|Total

!align="right"| 661

!align="right"| 100%

!align="right"|–

{{End}}

{{reflist}}

• List of Green party leaders in Canada

• [http://www.gpo.ca Green Party of Ontario official website]

{{s-start}}

{{succession box

| before = Kristina Calhoun

| title = Leader of the Yukon Green Party

| years = 2016 - 2019

| after = Vacant

}}

{{succession box

| before = Position established

| title = Leader of the Green Party of Ontario

| years = 1993 – November 2009

| after = Mike Schreiner

}}

{{end}}

{{GPC|Ontario|Yukon}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Jong, Frank}}

Category:1955 births

Category:Green Party of Canada candidates in the 1988 Canadian federal election

Category:Green Party of Canada candidates in the 1993 Canadian federal election

Category:Green Party of Canada candidates in the 1997 Canadian federal election

Category:Green Party of Canada candidates in the 2015 Canadian federal election

Category:Living people

Category:Canadian people of Dutch descent

Category:Green Party of Ontario candidates in Ontario provincial elections

Category:University of Western Ontario alumni

Category:University of Ottawa alumni

Category:People from Wellington County, Ontario

Category:Leaders of the Green Party of Ontario

Category:Leaders of the Yukon Green Party

Category:Canadian schoolteachers

Category:Canadian libertarians

Category:Ontario candidates for Member of Parliament