MEDIA RELEASE
QUEEN’S PARK – Lisa Thompson, who is MPP for Huron-Bruce, is congratulating former Progressive Conservative MPP for Kitchener-Waterloo, Elizabeth Witmer, who announced her resignation Friday.
Witmer, who was raised in Exeter, served in the Ontario Legislature for the past 22 years. She is the first woman to serve as the deputy premier of Ontario, and the longest serving woman MPP in Ontario’s history. A long-standing pillar in the Ontario Legislature, Witmer has been a mentor to many newly elected female MPPs, including Thompson.
“Even though it was for a short period of time, I am proud to have served in the PC Caucus with Elizabeth Witmer,” Thompson said. “She is a huge supporter of increasing the number of women serving in public office, and has been an inspiration to me as I begin my political career.”
Witmer was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1990. She has held high-profile cabinet posts as: the minister of labour, where she restored labour relations in Ontario; the minister of health, where she reformed health care, created Telehealth, expanded community services and created over 22,000 new long-term care beds; minister of environment, where she was the only minister to close a coal-fired plant in Ontario; and as minister of education, where she committed record levels of funding to education.
“Her contributions to the Province of Ontario are unmatched by any woman in the political history of this province,” said Thompson. “Her steadfast dedication to not only her constituents of Kitchener-Waterloo but to all of Ontario is to be admired and emulated. I know her husband and children and very proud of her accomplishments, as are past and present members of the PC Caucus.”
“Elizabeth has been an inspiration to me even before I was elected to public office,” Thompson said. “When I was president of the Huron-Bruce PC Association, Elizabeth was a kind supporter and mentor. It has been a pleasure to work with her; I will miss her friendship on a day-to-day basis, and her guidance and wisdom in the Legislature and at the caucus table, but I know she will always be a supporter and friend. I wish her well in her new post.”
Witmer was named head of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board on Friday.
