Wayne Gates

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Wayne Gates

| image = File:Wayne - Falls 2.jpg

| imagesize =

| honorific-suffix = MPP

| office1 = Opposition Critic for Long-Term Care, Retirement Homes and Home Care

| term_start1 = July 13, 2022

| term_end1 =

| leader1 = Andrea Horwath
Peter Tabuns (interim)

| parliament2 = Ontario Provincial

| term_start2 = February 13, 2014

| term_end2 =

| predecessor2 = Kim Craitor

| successor2 =

| riding2 = Niagara Falls

| party = New Democratic

| birth_date = {{Circa|1952}} (Age 73){{Cite web |last=Tibollo |first=Nicholas |date=2022-06-17 |title=Gates confirms interest in Ontario NDP leadership bid |url=https://niagaraindependent.ca/gates-confirms-interest-in-ontario-ndp-leadership-bid/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=The Niagara Independent}}

| birth_place =

| residence = Niagara Falls, Ontario

| spouse =

| children =

| occupation =

}}

Wayne J. Gates{{cite tweet |user=ONPARLeducation|number=1547261235305058304|date=13 July 2022 |title=Within the halls of the Legislature are walls that contain the names of every Member of Provincial Parliament elected to Ontario's Legislature since 1867. The names for the 42nd Parliament were recently added. For the first time a Member's name was inscribed in Oji-Cree syllabics }} {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|MPP}} is a Canadian politician who has represented Niagara Falls in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2014. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), he was elected in a February 2014 by-election and has been re-elected in each subsequent general election.

Background

Prior to entering provincial politics, Gates was a city councillor for the City of Niagara Falls, and president of a Unifor local in Niagara Falls, Ontario.{{cite news |url=http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/13/ndp-take-niagara-falls-riding |title=NDP take Niagara Falls riding |newspaper=Toronto Sun |date=February 13, 2014}} He also served as the campaign chair for the United Way, was a member the Yellow Shirt Brigade to save the Fort Erie hospital, member of the city's recreation committee, Project Share volunteer, and member of the Ontario Health Coalition.

Political career

Gates ran as the federal New Democratic Party's candidate in Niagara Falls in the 2004 federal election and the 2006 federal election finishing third both times."Election results...riding by riding". The Globe and Mail, June 29, 2004. p. A14."Election results...riding by riding". The Globe and Mail, January 24, 2006. p. A16.

He was elected as a city councillor in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 2010. In February 2014, he was elected in a provincial by-election in the riding of Niagara Falls. He defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Bart Maves by 962 votes.{{cite news |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1149407/tories-hold-thornhill-ndp-leading-in-niagara-falls-in-ontario-byelections/ |title=NDP win Niagara Falls, Tories hold Thornhill in Ontario byelections |publisher=Global News |date=February 13, 2014}} He was re-elected in the 2014 provincial election defeating PC candidate Bart Maves by 7,429 votes.{{cite web |title=General Election by District: Niagara Falls |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 12, 2014 |url=http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=054}} Gates is the only New Democrat in history to be re-elected in the Niagara Falls riding and holds the record for the highest vote tally of any candidate ever in the Niagara Falls provincial riding, at 24,131 votes. He surpassed that record in 2018 by winning 30,161 votes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-region/2018/06/07/gates-returned-for-ndp-in-niagara-falls.html|title=Gates returned for NDP in Niagara Falls|date=8 June 2018}}

Gates has served in several critic portfolio roles as part of the Ontario NDP caucus, including Transportation, Economic Development, workers' health and safety and Consumer Services. He is currently one of the Official Opposition's critics for Long-Term Care, Retirement Homes and Home Care.

In 2016, he scored a major victory by winning unanimous support for his motion to address lengthy wait times for MRI services in Niagara.{{cite news |url=https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news-story/8191116-province-supports-gates-mri-motion/ |title=Province supports Gates MRI motion |newspaper=Niagara Falls Review |date=October 28, 2016}} He continues to advocate for healthcare issues, is a major proponent for the building of the New Niagara Falls Hospital, and has tabled legislation for universal coverage for PSA testing and the creation of a direct caregiver benefit payment in Ontario.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/11/26/new-democrat-mpp-urges-province-to-cover-the-cost-of-all-prostate-cancer-tests.html|title=New Democrat MPP urges province to cover the cost of all prostate cancer tests|date=26 November 2019}}

Electoral record

{{CANelec/top|ON|2018|Niagara Falls (provincial electoral district)|Niagara Falls|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|url=https://www.elections.on.ca/content/dam/NGW/sitecontent/2018/results/officialresults-yellowbook/votescastbycandidate/pdf/Valid%20Votes%20Cast%20for%20Each%20Candidate%20-%202018%20Provincial%20General%20Election.pdf|title=Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate |page=7|publisher=Elections Ontario|access-date=20 January 2019}}|}}

{{CANelec/top|ON|2014|Niagara Falls (provincial electoral district)|Niagara Falls|percent=yes|change=yes|prelim=no}}

{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|url=http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=054|date=2014|publisher=Elections Ontario|title=General Election Results by District, 054 Niagara Falls|access-date=17 June 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617105720/http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=054|archive-date=17 June 2014}}}}

{{CANelec/top|ON|February 13, 2014|Niagara Falls (provincial electoral district)|Niagara Falls|by=yes|percent=yes|change=yes|reason=Resignation of Kim Craitor}}

{{CANelec|ON|Libertarian|Stefanos Karatopis| 159 | 0.43 | -0.03 }}

{{CANelec|ON|People's Political Party|Troy Young| 108 | 0.29 | }}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes| 36,832 || | }}

|align="left" colspan=2|NDP gain from Liberal

|align="right"|Swing

|align="right"| +14.82%

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2006|Niagara Falls|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|58,204|100.0}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2004|Niagara Falls|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|51,378|100.0}}