Paul Wessenger

Wessenger attended the University of Toronto, receiving a law degree. He worked as a lawyer in Toronto for four and a half years, and then practiced in Barrie, Ontario for a further twenty-one years.{{cite news |title=Tascona tops MPPs for expenses |last=Hain |first=Bruce |newspaper=Barrie - Advance |date=July 20, 2005 |page=3}} From 1973 to 1976 he served as an alderman within Barrie.{{cite news |title=PCB storage in Barrie becomes election issue |last=Ferguson |first=Jock |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=April 18, 1985 |page=M5}} There is a street in Barrie named after him.{{cite web |title=Wessenger Drive |url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.3323137,-79.7176389,17z?hl=en |publisher=Google Maps |accessdate=March 5, 2014}}

He ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election, coming a close second to Progressive Conservative incumbent Art Evans in the riding of Simcoe Centre.{{cite news |title=Table of vote results for all Ontario ridings |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 19, 1975 |page=C12}} He ran again in the 1977 provincial election, losing to the PC candidate George William Taylor by a greater margin.{{cite news |title=Ontario provincial election results riding by riding |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=June 10, 1977 |page=D9}}

Wessenger ran for the House of Commons of Canada as a candidate for the federal New Democratic Party in the 1980 federal election, but finished third in the riding of Simcoe South.{{cite news |title=Election '80 |newspaper=The Toronto Star |date=February 19, 1987 |page=B7}} He ran a third provincial campaign in the 1985 provincial election, but again lost to PC candidate Earl Rowe.{{cite news |title=Results of vote in Ontario election |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=May 3, 1985 |page=13}}

The NDP won a majority government in the 1990 provincial election, and Wessenger, running for a fourth time in Simcoe Centre, defeated incumbent Liberal Bruce Owen by almost 3,000 votes.{{cite news |title=Ontario election: Riding-by-riding voting results |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 7, 1990 |page=A12}} He served as parliamentary assistant to the Attorney General from 1991 to 1995 and to the Minister of Health for the remainder of his time in office.{{cite news |title=Volunteer hospital boards defended at hearing |first=Ellen |last=van Wageningen |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=August 20, 1992 |page=A5}}

In 1992, Wessenger and Jack Layton travelled the province to seek public consultation on changes to Ontario's Public Hospitals Act.{{cite news |title=Jo Brant beefs? Come out Aug. 12 Ministry mulls changes to Public Hospitals Act |last=Sumi |first=Craig |newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator |date=June 23, 1992 |page=T2}}

The NDP were defeated in the 1995 provincial election, and Wessenger finished third against PC candidate Joe Tascona.{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=simcoe+centre&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 8, 1995 |accessdate=2014-02-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115727/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=simcoe+centre&flag=E&layout=G |archivedate=April 2, 2015 }}

{{CANelec/top|ON|1995|Simcoe Centre}}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|Joe Tascona|29,790}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Bruce Owen|12,061}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Paul Wessenger|7,655}}

{{CANelec|ON|FCP|Susane MacPhee-Manning|769}}

{{CANelec|ON|Green|Richard Warman|580}}

{{CANelec|ON|Independent|Les Barnett|284}}

{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|51,139}}

{{End}}

{{CANelec/top|ON|1990|Simcoe Centre|percent=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Paul Wessenger|15,711|37.8}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Bruce Owen|12,869|31.0}}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|Ben Andrews|10,013|24.1}}

{{CANelec|ON|CoR|Bonnie Ainsworth|2,979|7.2}}

{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|41,572}}

{{End}}

{{CANelec/top|ON|1985|Simcoe Centre}}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|Earl W. Rowe|15,379}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Ross Whiteside|14,845}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Paul Wessenger|9,639}}

{{CANelec|ON|Independent|Steve Kaasgaard|566}}

{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|40,429}}

{{End}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1980|Simcoe South}}

{{CANelec|CA|Progressive Conservatives|Ronald Stewart|19,768}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bruce Owen|16,174}}

{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Paul Wessenger|9,474}}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|ON|1977|Simcoe Centre|percent=yes}}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|George Taylor|15,876|44.25}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Paul Wessenger|10,442|29.11}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Jim Corneau|9,556|26.64}}

{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|ON|1975|Simcoe Centre}}

{{CANelec|ON|PC|David Arthur Evans|13,555}}

{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Paul Wessenger|11,623}}

{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Margaret Kelly|9,116}}

{{end}}

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Category:1937 births

Category:Living people

Category:Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs

Category:People from Brockville

Category:University of Toronto alumni

Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario