Michael Shawn Kerzner MPP is a Canadian politician who was in June 2022 was named Solicitor General of Ontario. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2022 provincial election. He represents the riding of York Centre as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.[1]

Michael Kerzner
Kerzner in 2024
Solicitor General of Ontario
Assumed office
June 24, 2022
PremierDoug Ford
Preceded bySylvia Jones
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for York Centre
Assumed office
June 2, 2022
Preceded byRoman Baber
Personal details
Born
Michael Shawn Kerzner
Political partyProgressive Conservative
SpouseRochelle Kerzner
Residence(s)Toronto, Ontario, Canada
EducationYork University
ProfessionPolitician, Businessman

Biography

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Kerzner is Jewish.[2] His parents are Max and Dolly Kerzner.[2] His father was a chartered accountant.[2] His father's parents, Sam and Sarah Kerzner, emigrated to Canada in 1930 from Stopnica, Poland.[2] Everyone in his grandfather's family was killed during the Holocaust.[2] His maternal grandfather, Murray Penwick, was born in Toronto where he opened a pharmacy.[2] His maternal grandmother, Tilly Penwick, is from England, and emigrated to Canada in her youth.[2]

Kerzner attended York University, graduating with a B.A. (Hons.) in 1986.[2] After university he worked in the construction business, building commercial buildings, and then in 2015 started doing genetic testing at DNALabs Canada.[2] He is a bioscience and technology entrepreneur.[3] He lives in York Centre.[4]

Kerzner succeeded to the seat of independent MPP Roman Baber. Baber had been elected as a Progressive Conservative but was expelled from the PC caucus on January 15, 2021, for his COVID-19 lockdown stances. It was expected that Baber would run against Kerzner in the general election, but Baber instead opted to run in the 2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership race.[5][6]

On June 24, 2022, Kerzner was named Solicitor General of Ontario by Premier Doug Ford.[7]

Electoral history

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2022 Ontario general election: York Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Progressive Conservative Michael Kerzner 12,947 46.03 −4.12 $79,866
Liberal Shelley Brown 8,984 31.94 +10.54 $74,566
New Democratic Frank Chu 3,935 13.99 −9.45 $16,511
Green Alison Lowney 799 2.84 +0.55 $0
Ontario Party Nick Balaskas 679 2.41   $988
New Blue Don Pincivero 411 1.46   $0
None of the Above Mark Dewdney 169 0.60 −0.67 $0
Special Needs Lionel Wayne Poizner 124 0.44   $0
Moderate Parviz Isgandarov 80 0.28 −0.09 $780
Total valid votes/expense limit 28,128 98.81 +0.30 $102,341
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 339 1.19 -0.30
Turnout 28,467 38.94 -13.98
Eligible voters 72,576
Progressive Conservative hold Swing −7.33
Source(s)
  • "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023.
  • "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023.

References

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