Ron Lemieux

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Ron Lemieux

|native_name =

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|honorific-suffix = MLA

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|office = Minister of Tourism, Culture, Sport and Consumer Protection

|term_start = October 18, 2013

|term_end = May 3, 2016

|premier = Greg Selinger

|predecessor = Flor Marcelino

|successor =

|office2 = Manitoba Minister of Local Government

|term_start2 = November 3, 2009

|term_end2 = October 18, 2013

|premier2 = Greg Selinger

|predecessor2 = Steve Ashton

|successor2 = Stan Struthers

|office3 = Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation

|term_start3 = September 21, 2006

|term_end3 = November 3, 2009

|premier3 = Gary Doer
Greg Selinger

|predecessor3 = new portfolio

|successor3 = Steve Ashton

|office4 = Manitoba Minister of Transportation and Government Services

|term_start4 = November 4, 2003

|term_end4 = September 21, 2006

|premier4 = Gary Doer

|predecessor4 = Scott Smith

|successor4 = portfolio abolished

|office5 = Manitoba Minister of Education and Youth

|term_start5 = September 25, 2002

|term_end5 = November 4, 2003

|premier5 = Gary Doer

|predecessor5 = Drew Caldwell

|successor5 = Peter Bjornson

|office6 = Manitoba Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism

|term_start6 = January 17, 2001

|term_end6 = September 25, 2002

|premier6 = Gary Doer

|predecessor6 = Diane McGifford

|successor6 = Eric Robinson

|office7 = Manitoba Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs

|term_start7 = October 5, 1999

|term_end7 = January 17, 2001

|premier7 = Gary Doer

|predecessor7 = Shirley Render

|successor7 = Scott Smith

|office8 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Dawson Trail
La Verendrye, 1999–2011

|term_start8 = October 4, 2011

|term_end8 = April 19, 2016

|predecessor8 = new constituency

|successor8 = Bob Lagassé

|term_start9 = September 21, 1999

|term_end9 = October 4, 2011

|predecessor9 = Ben Sveinson

|successor9 = Dennis Smook

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|08|15}}

|birth_place = Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada

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|party = New Democratic Party

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|residence = Lorette, Manitoba, Canada

|alma_mater = University of Winnipeg
University of Manitoba

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Ron Lemieux, {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MLAMB}} (born August 15, 1950) is a Canadian politician, who was an elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1999 to 2016, and a former professional ice hockey player.{{cite web |title=MLA Biographies - Living |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/mla_bio_living.html#l |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Manitoba |accessdate=June 29, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://todaysndp.ca/ron-lemieux |title=Ron Lemieux |publisher=New Democratic Party of Manitoba |accessdate=June 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917162112/http://todaysndp.ca/ron-lemieux |archive-date=September 17, 2011 }}

Biography

Born in Dauphin, Manitoba, Lemieux was an ice hockey defenceman and was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins 110th overall in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. Lemieux started with the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, helping the Kings to the Manitoba championship in 1971–72.{{cite news |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/513955/in-the-elevator-ron-lemieux/ |title=In The Elevator: Ron Lemieux |publisher=Global News |last=Taylor |first=Derek |date=April 29, 2013}} He played for the Green Bay Bobcats in the United States Hockey League for the 1974–75 season (scoring seven goals and eighteen assists), but was never called up to the NHL. He later coached girls' hockey in Lorette, Manitoba and St. Adolphe.{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1970/70110.html |title=Ron Lemieux career profile |work=hockeydraftcentral.com}}

After leaving hockey, Lemieux received degrees in Bachelor of Arts in 1979 and Bachelor of Education in 1985 from the University of Winnipeg.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitobavotes2011/ridings/010/ |title=Electoral Divisions: Dawson Trail |year=2011 |work=Manitoba Votes 2011 |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=June 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004192156/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitobavotes2011/ridings/010/ |archive-date=October 4, 2011 }}{{cite journal |last=Van der Graaf |first=Betsy |year=2003 |title=Class Acts |journal=The Journal |page=21 |publisher=University of Winnipeg |editor1-first=Lois |editor1-last=Cherney |format=PDF |accessdate=June 29, 2012 |url=https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/cms-filesystem-action?file=pdfs/alumni/AJ_Spring_2003.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106205452/http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/cms-filesystem-action?file=pdfs%2Falumni%2FAJ_Spring_2003.pdf |archive-date=2013-01-06 |url-status=dead }} He completed post-baccalaureate work in education at the University of Manitoba.{{cite web|title=Cabinet Ministers: Ron Lemieux |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/minister/minint.html |publisher=Government of Manitoba |accessdate=June 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523102111/http://www.gov.mb.ca/minister/minint.html |archive-date=May 23, 2012 }} He worked as a teacher for several years, coaching various high school teams and holding positions in the teacher's association.

In the provincial election of 1999, Lemieux was elected to the Manitoba legislature for the rural riding of La Verendrye, defeating Progressive Conservative incumbent Ben Sveinson by 3,533 votes to 3,367. Lemieux's victory was something of an upset, as it occurred in a riding which had never before been won by the New Democratic Party or its social-democratic predecessors (despite having existed since 1879).

On October 5, 1999, Premier of Manitoba Gary Doer appointed Lemieux to be Minister of Consumer of Corporate Affairs, with responsibility for the Gaming Control Act. He was relieved of the latter responsibility on July 4, 2000; after a cabinet shuffle on January 17, 2001, he was appointed Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism with responsibility for Sport.

Lemieux later served as Minister of Education and Youth from September 25, 2002, until he was reassigned as Minister of Transportation and Government Services on November 4, 2003. In the 2003 election, Lemieux was re-elected with 58% of his riding's vote.

In September 2006 he was appointed Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation in Gary Doer's new cabinet.{{cite news |title=Premier's New Lineup |first=Rochelle |last=Squires |newspaper=Winnipeg Sun |date=September 22, 2006 |page=4 }}

In November 2009, Premier Greg Selinger named Lemieux as Minister of Local Government. He served in this capacity until October 2013, when he became Minister of Tourism, Culture, Sport and Consumer Protection. He did not seek a fifth term as MLA at the 2016 provincial election.

Lemieux has described his political views as being closer to the "New Labour" philosophy espoused by former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair than to traditional democratic socialism. In 2003, he supported Bill Blaikie's campaign to become leader of the federal New Democratic Party.{{cite web |url=http://www1.billblaikie.ca/ndp.php/leadershipsupporters/ctoctocsupport |title=Cross Canada Support for Bill |publisher=Bill Blaikie, Elmwood—Transcona |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070401195027/http://www1.billblaikie.ca/ndp.php/leadershipsupporters/ctoctocsupport |archive-date=April 1, 2007 |accessdate=June 29, 2012 }} He was re-elected in the 2007 and 2011 provincial elections.