Kathleen Wynne

Kathleen Wynne, born on May 21, 1953, is a distinguished former Canadian politician who made history as the first female premier of Ontario and the first openly gay premier in Canada. Her political journey began in 2000 when she was elected as a trustee for the Toronto District School Board, paving the way for her election to the Ontario Legislature in 2003 as the member of provincial parliament for Don Valley West.

Wynne's ascent in politics was marked by her tenure under Premier Dalton McGuinty, where she held various cabinet positions. In 2012, following McGuinty's resignation, she successfully ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party, becoming premier in 2013. Her leadership was characterized by significant policy initiatives, including the introduction of free prescription drug coverage for children, raising the minimum wage to fourteen dollars an hour, and providing free post-secondary tuition for families earning under fifty thousand dollars.

During her time in office, Wynne faced both praise and controversy. Her government implemented a reformed sex education curriculum, established a cap-and-trade pollution pricing regime in collaboration with Quebec and California, and partially privatized Hydro One. Despite these efforts, Wynne's government faced challenges in the 2018 provincial election, leading her to concede midway through the campaign and acknowledge that her party would not regain power.

Following the election, which resulted in the worst defeat of a governing party in Ontario's history, Wynne resigned as leader of the Liberal Party on election night and stepped down as premier on June 29, 2018. She continued to serve as an MPP until 2022, when she chose not to contest the provincial election, marking the end of her political career.