James J. Bradley

Infobox CanadianMP | name=Hon. James J. Bradley


cabinet=Minister of Transportation
term_start=1977 Prov. Election
term_end=Incumbent
predecessor=
successor= Incumbent
birth_date=Birth date and age|1945|2|19|mf=y
birth_place=Sudbury, Ontario
death_date=
death_place=
profession=Teacher
party= Liberal
party colour=Liberal
residence=St. Catharines, Ontario
riding=St. Catharines
portfolio=
footnotes=
term_start2=
term_end2=
predecessor2=
successor2=
spouse=
religion=United Church|

James J. (Jim) Bradley (born February 19, 1945 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada) is a long-time Ontario Liberal Party politician and Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Before entering politics, Bradley was a teacher with the Lincoln County Board of Education. He was elected to St. Catharines' city council in 1970, but also remained in the classroom until 1977.

After failed bids in the elections of 1967 and 1971, Bradley was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1977 election in the riding of St. Catharines, and has served as MPP for that riding since that time. He fended off strong challenges from the New Democratic Party in the 1990 election and the Progressive Conservative Party in 1995 election. On all other occasions since 1977, he has been re-elected without difficulty.

When the Liberals came to power under David Peterson following the 1985 election, Bradley became Minister of the Environment and held that position until the Liberals were defeated in the 1990 election. He is generally regarded as Ontario's most effective Environment Minister, although some believe that his ambitions for the portfolio were undermined by Peterson and Finance Minister Robert Nixon. As Environment Minister, Jim Bradley expanded Blue Box Recycling, making it a province-wide initiative. As well as instituting tough new penalties for polluters, enforced by a strengthened Investigation and Enforcement Branch.

Bradley was a vocal opponent of David Peterson's plans to call an election in 1990, preferring that the party wait until 1992 before going to the polls. While the Liberals were defeated, Bradley was personally re-elected and had a prominent position in the Opposition benches.

When Nixon, the interim leader of the Liberals, left Queen's Park to accept an appointment he was replaced by Murray Elston. Elston resigned as interim leader to run in the 1992 Ontario Liberal Leadership Convention, and Bradley became interim leader of the party and interim Leader of the Opposition from November 1991 until the election of Lyn McLeod in February 1992. He remained an opposition stalwart until the Liberals won the 2003 election under Dalton McGuinty.

There was some speculation that Bradley would be re-appointed Minister of the Environment in McGuinty's government, but this did not occur. Instead, he was named Minister of Tourism and Recreation on October 23, 2003. He was also given ministerial responsibility for Seniors on June 29, 2005. On October 11, 2005, Bradley was also appointed to replace Dwight Duncan as Government House Leader, following Duncan's appointment as Minister of Finance. Furthermore, Bradley is also the Province's wine secretary, as well as the minister responsible for the Greenbelt. On October 30, 2007, Jim Bradley was sworn in as Minister of Transportation in Dalton McGuinty's new cabinet

Electoral record

1977 provincial election, St. Catharines

1987 provincial election, St. Catharines (redistributed)

1990 provincial election, St. Catharines

-
Liberal
(x)Jim Bradley
align="right"|13,761
align="right"|46.53
align="right"|+7.77
align="right"|$33,835.95
Progressive Conservative
Archie Heide
align="right"|11,486
align="right"|38.84
align="right"|+25.68
align="right"|$36,875.32
New Democratic Party
Jeff Burch
align="right"|3,929
align="right"|13.29
align="right"|-22.34
align="right"|$12,043.92
Family Coalition Party
Jon Siemens
align="right"|245
align="right"|0.83
align="right"|-3.63
align="right"|$0.00
Natural Law Party
Marcy Sheremetta
align="right"|153
align="right"|0.52
align="right"|+0.52
align="right"|$0.00
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Total valid votes!align="right"|29,574!align="right"|100.00!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots!align="right"|227!align="right"
!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout!align="right"|29,801!align="right"|64.58!align="right"
!align="right"

-
Liberal
(x)Jim Bradley
align="right"|25,186
align="right"|53.90
align="right"|+7.37
align="right"|$45,478.14
Progressive Conservative
(x)Tom Froese
align="right"|17,994
align="right"|38.51
align="right"|-0.33
align="right"|$68,831.44
New Democratic Party
Gordon Coggins
align="right"|2,902
align="right"|6.21
align="right"|-7.08
align="right"|$8,286.11
Natural Law Party
Helene Ann Darisse
align="right"|272
align="right"|0.58
align="right"|+0.58
align="right"|$0.00
Green
Douglas Woodard
align="right"|215
align="right"|0.46
align="right"|+0.46
align="right"|$83.93
Ind. (Marxist-Leninist)
Ron Walker
align="right"|154
align="right"|0.33
align="right"|+0.33
align="right"|$112.00
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Total valid votes!align="right"|46,723!align="right"|100.00!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots!align="right"|336!align="right"
!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout!align="right"|47,059!align="right"|59.61!align="right"
!align="right"

-
Liberal
(x)Jim Bradley
align="right"|25,319
align="right"|57.44
align="right"|+3.54
align="right"|$63,576.04
Progressive Conservative
Mark Brickell
align="right"|12,932
align="right"|29.34
align="right"|-9.17
align="right"|$72,267.48
New Democratic Party
John Bacher
align="right"|3,944
align="right"|8.95
align="right"|+2.74
align="right"|$8,542.84
Green
Jim Fannon
align="right"|1,167
align="right"|2.65
align="right"|+2.19
align="right"|$2,858.89
Family Coalition Party
Linda Klassen
align="right"|714
align="right"|1.62
align="right"|+1.62
align="right"|$13.80
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Total valid votes!align="right"|44,076!align="right"|100.00!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots!align="right"|271!align="right"
!align="right"
!align="right"
- bgcolor="white"!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout!align="right"|44,347!align="right"|56.43!align="right"
!align="right"

The 1999, 2003 and 2007 expenditure entries are taken from official candidate reports as listed by Elections Ontario. The figures cited are the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations. The 1995 expenditures are taken from an official listing of election expenses published by Elections Ontario.

External links

* [http://ontarioliberal.ca/en/Riding/Details.aspx/St.%20Catharines/ Ontario Liberal Party Profile]
* [http://www.votebradley.ca Jim Bradley Campaign Website]