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Gary Schellenberger

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Gary Schellenberger
Member of Parliament
for Perth Wellington
In office
June 28, 2004 – October 19, 2015
Preceded byRiding Created
Succeeded byJohn Nater
Member of Parliament
for Perth—Middlesex
In office
May 21, 2003 – June 28, 2004
Preceded byJohn Richardson
Succeeded byRiding Abolished
Chair of the Standing Committee on
Canadian Heritage
In office
9 May 2006 – 4 October 2010
MinisterBev Oda
Josee Verner
James Moore
Preceded byMarlene Catterall
Succeeded byMichael Chong
Personal details
Born (1943-09-15) September 15, 1943 (age 81)
Sebringville, Ontario, Canada
Political partyProgressive Conservative (1997–2004)
Conservative (2004–present)
SpouseJudy Schellenberger
ResidenceSebringville
ProfessionBusinessman, interior decorator, painter

Gary Ralph Schellenberger (born September 15, 1943) is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 2003 to 2015, and represented the riding of Perth Wellington for the Conservative Party. Schellenberger won five successive elections in eight years from 2003 to 2011. He did not stand for re-election in 2015.

Early years

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Schellenberger owned a painting and decorating store in Stratford before entering political life. Schellenberger also served as a volunteer firefighter with the Perth East Fire Department for 14 years. He is a freemason, and an elder at Avonton Presbyterian Church.

In 1996 Schellenberger raised $26,000 for the Sebringville Community Center and the Sebringville Athletic Association by walking from Tobermory to Sebringville.

Political life

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A councillor in the former Downie Township, Ontario from 1988 to 2000, he first ran for parliament in the 1997 federal election as a Progressive Conservative in Perth—Middlesex. He lost to Liberal John Richardson by over 8,000 votes; former Liberal MP-turned-Reformer Garnet Bloomfield was third. Richardson, Schellenberger and Bloomfield all ran again in the 2000 election, with the same overall result.

Richardson resigned his seat on November 10, 2002, suffering from a terminal illness. The subsequent by-election in 2003 garnered national attention, as both the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance candidates attempted to displace the governing Liberals in the riding. Schellenberger, still running as a Progressive Conservative, defeated Liberal Brian Innes by 1,001 votes; despite several appearances from party leader Stephen Harper, the Alliance candidate, Marian Meinen, finished a distant third.[1] Many interpreted this as a sign that the Alliance would be unable to win many Ontario seats in the next election. Shortly after his election, Schellenberger endorsed Peter MacKay for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Schellenberger was appointed Deputy Whip of the Progressive Conservative Party in September 2003. In early 2004, the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties merged as the Conservative Party of Canada.

In the federal election of 2004, Schellenberger was elected to the newly created riding of Perth-Wellington. He defeated Innes by almost 4,000 votes.

In the 2006 federal election, Schellenberger was re-elected by a margin of 9,703 votes, defeating the Liberal candidate, David Cunningham. In the 39th Canadian Parliament, Schellenberger was elected Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

In the 2008 federal election, Schellenberger won Perth-Wellington for a third time with 20,765 votes (48.08% of valid ballots) defeating Liberal challenger Sandra Gardiner by 10,540 votes.[2] NDP candidate Kerry McManus finished third. In the 40th Canadian Parliament Schellenberger again served as Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. In November 2010 Schellenberger became chair of a second House of Commons committee, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

In the 2011 federal election, Schellenberger won Perth-Wellington for a fourth time with 25,281 votes (54.5% of valid ballots) defeating NDP candidate Ellen Papenburg (9,861 votes) and Liberal candidate Bob McTavish (8,341 votes). In the 41st Canadian Parliament Schellenberger served as a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development as well as the Subcommittee on International Human Rights.

Schellenberger also served as Chair of the Canada-Germany Interparliamentary Group. In July 2014, he hosted German Ambassador Werner Wnendt in his riding.[3]

On September 25, 2014, Schellenberger announced he would retire at the end of the 41st Canadian Parliament.[4][5]

Electoral record

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Perth-Wellington

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2011 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Gary Schellenberger 25,281 54.5 +6.5
New Democratic Ellen Papenburg 9,861 21.3 +4.3
Liberal Bob McTavish 8,341 18.0 -5.7
Green John Cowling 2,112 4.6 -4.5
Christian Heritage Irma DeVries 806 1.7 -0.4
Total valid votes/Expense limit 46,401 100.00
Total rejected ballots 179 0.4
Turnout 46,580 64.2
Eligible voters 72,610
2008 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Gary Schellenberger 20,709 48.0 +1.9 $68,139
Liberal Sandra Gardiner 10,225 23.7 -1.9 $29,238
New Democratic Kerry McManus 7,234 17.0 -1.8 $23,081
Green John Cowling 3,884 9.0 +2.5 $13,365
Christian Heritage Irma DeVries 898 2.1 -0.8 $8,662
Marxist–Leninist Julian Ichim 98 0.2
Total valid votes/Expense limit 43,048 100.0 $82,152
2006 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gary Schellenberger 22,004 46.1 +4.1
Liberal David Cunningham 12,301 25.8 -7.6
New Democratic Keith Dinicol 8,876 18.6 +3.0
Green John Cowling 3,117 6.5 +0.3
Christian Heritage Irma DeVries 1,396 2.9 +0.1
Total valid votes 47,694 100.0
2004 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Gary Schellenberger 18,879 42.0
Liberal Brian Innes 15,032 33.4
New Democratic Robert Roth 7,027 15.6
Green John Cowling 2,770 6.2
Christian Heritage Irma Nicolette Devries 1,273 2.8
Total valid votes 44,981 100.0

Perth-Middlesex

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Canadian federal by-election, 21 May 2003: Perth—Middlesex
Party Candidate Votes
Progressive Conservative Gary Schellenberger 10,413
Liberal Brian Innes 9,412
Alliance Marian Meinen 5,400
New Democratic Sam Dinicol 4,703
Christian Heritage Ron Gray 902
By-election called upon Mr. Richardson's resignation.


2000 Canadian federal election: Perth—Middlesex
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Richardson 16,988 40.37 -3.64
Progressive Conservative Gary Schellenberger 11,545 27.44 +2.56
Alliance Garnet Bloomfield 9,785 23.26 +2.63
New Democratic Sam Dinicol 2,800 6.65 -1.90
Green Eric Eberhardt 689 1.64
No affiliation Tom Kroesbergen 141 0.34
Canadian Action Larry Carruthers 128 0.30
Total valid votes 42,076 100.00
Liberal hold Swing -3.10


1997 Canadian federal election: Perth—Middlesex
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal John Richardson 19,583 44.01
Progressive Conservative Gary Schellenberger 11,073 24.88
Reform Garnet M. Bloomfield 9,180 20.63
New Democratic Linda Ham 3,806 8.55
Christian Heritage Jamie Harris 858 1.93
Total valid votes 44,500 100.00

References

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  1. ^ "Tories capture first seat in Ontario". The Globe and Mail. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  2. ^ "Schellenberger wins riding again". Mitchell Advocate. 22 October 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  3. ^ "German Ambassador tours area as guest of MP Schellenberger". St. Marys Journal Argus. 31 July 2014. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Perth-Wellington MP Schellenberger to retire, not seek re-election". CTV News. Kitchener. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Perth-Wellington Conservative MP Gary Schellenberger won't seek re-election". The Beacon Herald. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
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