Wikipedia

Frank de Jong

Not to be confused with Frenkie de Jong.
In this Dutch name, the surname is de Jong, not Jong.

Frank de Jong (born October 16, 1955) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, and elementary school teacher. He joined the Green Party of Ontario in 1987 and became the party's first official leader in 1993 – a position he held until November 14, 2009, when he was succeeded by Mike Schreiner. From 2017 to 2019 he was the leader of the Yukon Green Party.[1] De Jong has also campaigned for federal office as a member of the Green Party of Canada.

Frank de Jong
Speaking at an economics forum in 2007
Leader of the Yukon Green Party
In office
2016–2019
Preceded byKristina Calhoun
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Leader of the Green Party of Ontario
In office
1993–2009
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byMike Schreiner
Personal details
Born (1955-10-16) October 16, 1955 (age 69)
West Luther Township, Ontario, Canada
Political partyGreen
Other political
affiliations		Ontario Green (1983–2014)
Yukon Green (2016–2019)
Residence(s)Huntsville, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
  • Politician
  • environmentalist
ProfessionTeacher

Education and activism

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Born into a Dutch background, De Jong earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1978, and a Bachelor of Education from University of Ottawa in 1979. After graduating, he worked as an elementary school teacher. He developed an interest in environmental concerns during the mid-1980s, and became involved in campaigns to save Ontario's old growth forests. He was also involved in the anti-nuclear, renewable energy and pro-choice movements. De Jong now resides in Huntsville, Ontario with his partner Tove Christensen.[citation needed]

Politics

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The Ontario Green Party did not originally have a formal leadership structure, and was run in a very decentralized manner (nominal leaders were sometimes chosen for elections, but they had no personal authority over party decisions). De Jong and a broad coalition of chapters agreed to a new constitution in 1993. The legwork to facilitate the change was led by Ian Whyte in Ottawa and Jim Harris in Toronto. The actual rewriting of the constitution was led by Ken Toews Policy coordinator who headed up a team to write the new constitution. The changes to the constitution were approved with an 88% majority. There is a direct line between these changes to our constitution and the eventual election of Mike Schreiner to the provincial legislature. A small number of chapters opposed this approach, and successfully campaigned for a formal leadership contest in 1993. De Jong himself entered this contest, and defeated Jim Harris, who later became leader of the Green Party of Canada. De Jong supported Harris's leadership of the federal party until Harris stepped down in 2006, at which time de Jong supported David Chernushenko's leadership bid. He was challenged for the leadership of the Ontario Green Party by Judy Greenwood-Speers in 2001.

 
Frank De Jong (right), with his successor as Ontario Greens Leader, Mike Schreiner (left)

Like Harris, de Jong is an eco-capitalist. He defines his political philosophy as "socially progressive, fiscally conservative, and environmentally aware".[2] He has long supported conservative economic policies, including a gradual shift from the taxation of incomes to the taxation of natural resources. He has also spoken against extensive government subsidies and funding for crown corporations.

At the October 2005 Green Party of Ontario Annual General Meeting, de Jong narrowly avoided a "leadership review" when 67% of voting members voted against it. The GPO constitution requires that a leadership review be held bi-annually; If more than one-third of voting members had opted for a review, a leadership race would have been held in 2006. At the 2007 AGM, de Jong survived the next scheduled review, this time with approximately 71% support from party members. This followed what was considered the strongest election performance by the GPO to date.[3] Speaking at the Green Party of Ontario AGM in May 2009, de Jong announced that he would not be running for re-election as leader of the party.[4]

In the September 14, 2006, Parkdale–High Park by-election, de Jong received 6.2 percent of the vote. On November 7, 2006, he was nominated as the GPO candidate in the riding of Davenport for the 2007 Ontario general election.[5] In that election, de Jong captured 10.26 percent of the vote, his best showing as a member of the Green Party.

De Jong was a candidate for Ward 18 in Toronto's 2010 municipal election.

As of December 2014, de Jong was living in Faro, Yukon and was the Green Party of Canada candidate in the Yukon riding in the 2015 federal election, placing a distant fourth.[6][7]

De Jong was elected leader of the Yukon Green Party in September 2016.[8][9] He resigned as leader in 2019.

Election campaigns

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De Jong has campaigned for federal and provincial office several times. His best showing was in the provincial election of 2003, when he ran against sitting Premier Ernie Eves and finished third, ahead of the New Democratic Party candidate. On all other occasions, de Jong has finished well behind candidates of the major parties.

During the 1995 provincial campaign, de Jong cycled on a "leader's tour" from Ottawa to Sault Ste. Marie, Windsor and Niagara Falls before returning northward to Ottawa. Subsequently, he was involved in creating constituency contact lists throughout the province.

His electoral record is as follows:

1988 Canadian federal election: Rosedale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative David MacDonald 22,704 41.36 -11.44
Liberal Bill Graham 22,624 41.21 +15.08
New Democratic Doug Wilson 8,266 15.06 -2.77
Libertarian Chris Blatchly 411 0.75 +0.09
Green Frank de Jong 397 0.72 -1.15
Rhinoceros Liane McLarty 265 0.48
Independent Mike Constable 102 0.19
Independent Harry Margel 91 0.17
Commonwealth of Canada Paul Therrien 33 0.06 -0.27
Total valid votes 54,893 100


1990 Ontario general election: Ottawa East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Bernard Grandmaître 16,363 62.41 −11.85
New Democratic Lori Lucier 6,103 23.28 +7.07
Progressive Conservative Diana Morin 2,203 8.40 −1.13
Family Coalition Richard Hudon 826 3.15  
Green Frank de Jong 723 2.76  
Total valid votes 26,218 98.78
Total rejected ballots 324 1.22
Turnout 26,542 55.23
Eligible voters 48,055
Liberal hold Swing -9.46

1991 Ottawa municipal election

Capital Ward
Candidate Votes %
Jim Watson 4,123
Lynn Smyth (X) 1,817
Michael Lynch 638
Frank De Jong 482
1993 Canadian federal election: Ottawa–Vanier
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Jean-Robert Gauthier 31,216 70.46 +11.25
Progressive Conservative Marie-Christine Lemire 4,486 10.13 -13.07
Reform Sam Dancey 3,553 8.02
New Democratic Willie Dunn 2,935 6.62 -9.36
Green Frank de Jong 606 1.37
National Raymond Samuels 497 1.12
Independent David Talbot 429 0.97
Natural Law Roger Bouchard 414 0.93
Marxist–Leninist Serge Lafortune 138 0.31
Abolitionist Steven Edward White 28 0.06
Total valid votes 44,302 100


Canadian federal by-election, February 13, 1995: Ottawa—Vanier
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Mauril Bélanger 11,918 60.06 −10.41 $52,001
  Reform Kevin Gaudet 4,034 20.33 +12.44 $36,995
  Progressive Conservative Françoise Guenette 1,899 9.57 −0.96 $30,933
  New Democratic Party Bob Lawson 1,259 6.34 −0.16 $5,764
  Christian Heritage Gilles Gauthier 299 1.51 $1,751
Green Frank de Jong 218 1.10 −0.24 $0
  Natural Law Ian A.G. Campbell 109 0.55 −0.35 $131
  Marxist-Leninist Serge Lafortune 61 0.31 +0.02 $136
  Abolitionist John Turmel 46 0.23 +0.17 $0
Total valid votes 19,843 100.00
Total rejected ballots 201
Turnout 20,004 30.39 −32.04
Electors on the lists 65,824
1995 Ontario general election: Nepean
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
Progressive Conservative John Baird 17,510 49.66 $40,800.37
Liberal Hans Daigeler 13,575 38.50 $45,021.83
New Democratic John Sullivan 3,274 9.29 $15,380.57
Green Frank de Jong 390 1.11 $0.00
Natural Law Brian E. Jackson 259 0.73 $0.00
Freedom Cathy Frampton 252 0.71 $2,307.70
Total valid votes 35,260 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 363
Turnout 35,623 64.97
Electors on the lists 54,832
1997 Canadian federal election: Ottawa Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Mac Harb 25,987 45.19 -6.71
New Democratic Jamey Heath 13,646 23.73 +1.07
Progressive Conservative Peter Annis 9,391 16.33 +4.45
Reform John Perocchio 6,651 11.57 +2.03
Green Frank de Jong 855 1.49 +0.30
Canadian Action Howard Bertram 236 0.41
Natural Law Neil Paterson 211 0.37 -0.34
Independent Susan Cumby 190 0.33
Marxist–Leninist Hardial Bains 150 0.26 +0.07
Independent Malek Khouri 92 0.16
Independent Ray Joseph Cormier 91 0.16
Total valid votes 57,500 100
1999 Ontario general election: Parkdale—High Park
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Gerard Kennedy 23,022 54.92
Progressive Conservative Annamarie Castrilli 12,647 30.17
New Democratic Irene Atkinson 4,937 11.78
Green Frank de Jong 500 1.19
Libertarian Doug Burn 325 0.78
Family Coalition Stan Grzywna 289 0.69
Independent Jorge Van Schouwen 99 0.24
Natural Law Lynne Hea 99 0.24
Total valid votes 41,918 100
Source: Elections Ontario[10]
2003 Ontario general election: Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Ernie Eves 29,222 56.64 -8.12
Liberal Dan Yake 14,859 28.8 -0.03
Green Frank De Jong 3,161 6.13 3.68
New Democratic Mitchel Healey 3,148 6.1 +2.13
Family Coalition Dave Davies 1,202 2.33
2005 by-election: Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative John Tory 15,610 56.3 -
Liberal Bob Duncanson 4,625 16.7 -
New Democratic Lynda McDougall 3,881 14.0
Green Frank de Jong 2,767 10.0
Family Coalition Paul Micelli 479 1.7 -
Independent William Cook 163 0.6 -
Libertarian Philip Bender 135 0.5 -
Independent John Turmel 85 0.3 -
Ontario provincial by-election, September 14, 2006: Parkdale—High Park
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Cheri DiNovo 11,677 41.04 +25.27
Liberal Sylvia Watson 9,387 32.99 -24.84
Progressive Conservative David Hutcheon 4,921 17.29 +1.11
Green Frank De Jong 1,753 6.16 -0.77
Family Coalition Stan Grzywna 367 1.29 -0.2
Libertarian Jim McIntosh 162 0.57  
Freedom Silvio Ursomarzo 111 0.39 -0.02
Independent John Turmel 78 0.27  
Total valid votes 28,456 100
Source: Elections Ontario[11]
Ontario provincial by-election, January 12, 2007 by-election: Burlington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Joyce Savoline 11,143 48.98 +2.83
Liberal Joan Lougheed 9,365 41.17 -1.01
New Democratic Cory Judson 1,310 5.76 -2.46
Green Frank de Jong 734 3.23 +0.90
Freedom Barry Spruce 106 0.47
Independent John Turmel 90 0.40
Total valid votes 22,748 100
2007 Ontario general election: Davenport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Tony Ruprecht 12,467 41.82 -13.70
New Democratic Peter Ferreira 10,880 36.49 +7.12
Green Frank de Jong 3,047 10.22 *
Progressive Conservative Antonio Garcia 2,805 9.41 +2.11
Communist Dave McKee 191 0.64
Family Coalition Gustavo Valdez 157 0.53
Libertarian Nunzio Venuto 152 0.51 *
Independent Annette Kouri 114 0.38
Total valid votes 29,813 100
  Liberal hold Swing -10.41

2010 Toronto municipal election, Ward 18: Davenport

Ward 18
Candidate Votes %
Ana Bailão 6,277 43.75%
Kevin Beaulieu 4,911 34.23%
Frank de Jong 869 6.06%
Hema Vyas 776 5.41%
Joe MacDonald 669 4.66%
Kirk Russell 326 2.27%
Nha Le 154 1.07%
Ken Wood 106 0.74%
Mohammad Muhit 94 0.66%
Joanna Teliatnik 70 0.49%
Doug Carroll 52 0.36%
Abdirazak Elmi 42 0.29%
Total 14,346 100%
2011 Ontario general election: Davenport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Jonah Schein 14,367 45.93 +9.44
Liberal Cristina Martins 12,953 41.41 -0.41
Progressive Conservative Kirk Russell 2,480 7.93 -1.48
Green Frank de Jong 855 2.73 -7.49
Independent Mark Jagg 250 0.80
Communist Miguel Figueroa 163 0.52 -0.12
Freedom Franz Cauchi 96 0.31
Human Rights Alix Thompson 82 0.26
The Only Party Kiros Ghiwot 33 0.11
Total valid votes 31,279 100
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 178 0.57
Turnout 31,457 45.59
Eligible voters 68,998
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +4.93
Source: Elections Ontario[12]
2015 Canadian federal election: Yukon
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Larry Bagnell 10,887 53.65 +20.70 –
Conservative Ryan Leef 4,928 24.29 -9.48 –
New Democratic Melissa Atkinson 3,943 19.43 +5.06 –
Green Frank de Jong 533 2.63 -16.28 –
Total valid votes/expense limit 20,291 100.0     $210,779.30
Total rejected ballots 94 – –
Turnout 20,385 – –
Eligible voters 26,283
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +10.92
Source: Elections Canada[13][14]


2016 Yukon general election: Pelly-Nisutlin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Yukon Party Stacey Hassard 280 42.3% -7.1%
  NDP Ken Hodgins 207 31.2% -0.8%
  Liberal Carl Sidney 152 23.0% +9.9%
Green Frank de Jong 22 3.3% +3.3%
Total 661 100% –

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Cohen, Sidney (August 31, 2016). "Yukon Greens run record number of candidates". Whitehorse, Yukon: Whitehorse Daily Star. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  2. ^ "Ontario Greens | The Ontario you want. The leadership we need". Green Party of Ontario. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012.
  3. ^ "Green leader gets 71 per cent support". Toronto Star, November 26, 2007.
  4. ^ "Frank de Jong to step down as Green party leader". Toronto Star, May 23, 2009.
  5. ^ Davenport Green Party nominates de Jong, Green Party of Ontario news release, November 8, 2006.
  6. ^ Reynolds, Christopher (December 18, 2014). "Whitehorse Daily Star: Local man pursues NDP nomination". Whitehorsestar.com. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  7. ^ "Green Party's Frank de Jong asks Yukoners to follow their 'green conscience' | CBC News".
  8. ^ Forrest, Maura (September 2, 2016). "De Jong takes over Green Party leadership as candidates step forward". Yukon News. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  9. ^ Rudyk, Mike (November 2, 2016). "Yukon's Greens hope to boost the youth vote". www.cbc.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  10. ^ Chief Returning Officer of Ontario. "Parkdale–High Park General Election of June 3, 1999". Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate. Elections Ontario. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  11. ^ Chief Returning Officer. "Parkdale–High Park By-election 2006". Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for each Candidate. Toronto: Elections Ontario. Archived from the original on December 27, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  12. ^ "Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Davenport" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2014. [permanent dead link‍]
  13. ^ "Yukon - October 19, 2015 Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  14. ^ Elections Canada – Final Candidates Election Expenses Limits

See also

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Preceded by
Kristina Calhoun
 Leader of the Yukon Green Party
2016 - 2019 		Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by
Position established
 Leader of the Green Party of Ontario
1993 – November 2009 		Succeeded by
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