Mike Schreiner

Mike Schreiner
Leader of the Green Party of Ontario
Assumed office
November 15, 2009
Preceded by Frank de Jong
Personal details
Born (1969-06-09) June 9, 1969
WaKeeney, Kansas
Nationality American-Canadian
Political party Green Party of Ontario
Occupation Entrepreneur, Politician

Mike Schreiner (born June 9, 1969) is the leader of the Green Party of Ontario.[1] Professionally, he is a small business advocate, entrepreneur and food policy expert.[2]

On December 4, 2012, Schreiner was nominated before a crowd of 120 supporters as the party's candidate for Guelph, a riding the party's internal polling shows as winnable with over half of the surveyed responding they were somewhat or much more likely to vote Green if the provincial leader was the candidate.[3]

Schreiner was the party's candidate in the Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock by-election on March 5, 2009.[4] He received over 97% approval from the party membership defeating the None of the Above ballot option, in the 2009 Ontario Green Party leadership election held on November 14, 2009.[5] During the 2011 provincial election Schreiner ran in Simcoe—Grey losing to Progressive Conservative incumbent Jim Wilson.

Background

Born in WaKeeney, Kansas on June 9, 1969, Schreiner grew up as a farm-kid, helping his parents. This is where his interests in the environment began. He attended Indiana University-Bloomington as a graduate student where he met his future wife, Sandy Welsh, a sociology professor at University of Toronto. They have two children.

Schreiner and his wife became Canadian citizens in 2007.

Education

Schreiner earned bachelor's degrees in business administration and history from the University of Kansas (1992). He earned his master's degree in history from Indiana University-Bloomington in 1994.[6]

Career

Mike Schreiner and Jane Sterk at the 2012 Green Party of Canada convention.

Schreiner started his career in Guelph operating his own food distribution business, specialized in delivering local and natural foods to homes in Toronto. He helped establish Local Food Plus, which worked to bring farmers and consumers together to promote financially, socially and environmentally sustainable local food systems.[7]

Schreiner served on the steering committee for Green Enterprise Toronto, an association of over 350 small businesses, and on the Board of Directors of FarmStart, a non-profit that assists new farmers in Ontario, and he is a governor of the Canadian International Peace Project.[6]

Political career

Schreiner has been actively involved in the GPO since 2005. He was the GPO candidate for the 2009 by-election in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. He co-chaired the 2007 election platform committee for the party and served as Policy Coordinator from 2008-2009.

Schreiner was elected leader of the GPO on November 14, 2009 and is the party's first full-time leader. He has acted as critic for the Premier’s Office and for agriculture and rural affairs.

Schreiner unsuccessfully ran in Simcoe-Grey during the 2011 provincial election. During the 2014 provincial election, Schreiner ran in the riding of Guelph but was not elected.

Personal life

Schreiner lives with his wife Sandy and their two daughters in Toronto and in Guelph.[6]

Electoral record

Ontario general election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalLiz Sandals 21,949 41.33
Progressive ConservativeAnthony MacDonald 11,179 21.05
GreenMike Schreiner 10,181 19.17
New DemocraticJames Gordon 9,392 17.68
CommunistJuanita Burnett 236 0.44
LibertarianBlair Smythe 168 0.31
Source: Elections Ontario [8]
Ontario general election, 2011
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeJim Wilson 25,396 54.49
LiberalDonna Kenwell 10,386 22.49
New DemocraticDavid Matthews 6,738 14.46
GreenMike Schreiner 4,084 8.76
Total valid votes 100.0
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock by-election, March 5, 2009
resignation of Laurie Scott
Party Candidate Votes % ±
LiberalRick Johnson 15,482 43.73 +14.22
Progressive ConservativeJohn Tory 14,576 41.17 -8.73
GreenMike Schreiner 2,352 6.64 -0.56
New DemocraticLyn Edwards 2,117 5.98 -5.92
IndependentJason Taylor 320 0.90
Family CoalitionJake Pothaar 258 0.73 -0.07
FreedomBill Denby 140 0.40 -0.4
IndependentJohn Turmel 92 0.26
LibertarianPaolo Fabrizio 71 0.20

References

  1. "Ontario's Greens pick Mike Schreiner as new leader". Globe & Mail. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  2. Rider, David (11 August 2007). "Fresh thoughts about buying local". Toronto, ON: Toronto Star. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  3. "Schreiner has unprecedented support as he kicks off historic Guelph campaign", 5 December 2012.
  4. "Green policy-writer runs for byelection", Minden Times.
  5. "Mike Schreiner chosen to lead Ontario Green Party". Toronto, ON: Toronto Star. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 "Leader - Mike Schreiner | Green Party of Ontario". Toronto, ON: Green Party of Ontario. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  7. "Party leader Schreiner green in more ways than one". TheSpec. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  8. Elections Ontario (2014). "027, Guelph". Retrieved 16 June 2014.
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