19 Facts About Claude Bennett

Claude Frederick Bennett was a politician in Ontario, Canada.

Claude Bennett served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1987, and as cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller.

Claude Bennett was educated at the High School of Commerce and worked as an insurance agent.

Claude Bennett served as director of the Central Canada Exhibition Association from 1965 to 1978 and was president of the Ottawa Sooner Jr.

Claude Bennett served as an alderman and city controller in Ottawa from 1961 to 1969, having first been elected to city council in 1960.

Claude Bennett was the city's acting mayor in the period from 1970 to 1972.

Claude Bennett served concurrently as MPP and on the Ottawa Board of Control before resigning as controller in August 1972 following the passing of a provincial law forbidding MPPs to serve on municipal councils at the same time.

Claude Bennett was appointed as a Minister without portfolio in Davis's government on September 28,1972, and was promoted to Minister of Industry and Tourism on January 15,1973.

Claude Bennett was re-elected by a reduced majority in the 1975 election, and again with a convincing majority in 1977.

Claude Bennett was again returned for Ottawa South, and was named Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Claude Bennett served in this position for the remainder of the Davis years.

Claude Bennett was on the right-wing of the Progressive Conservative party and was a prominent supporter of Frank Miller at the party's January 1985 leadership convention.

The PCs were reduced to a tenuous minority government under Miller's leadership in the 1985 provincial election, and Claude Bennett retained his seat by only 1,337 votes against Liberal Party challenger Andrew Caddell.

Claude Bennett continued to serve as Minister of Tourism and Recreation and was named Chair of Cabinet, but he accomplished little in this position before the Miller government was defeated in the house in June 1985.

In opposition, Claude Bennett served as his party's Critic for Industry and Trade.

Claude Bennett supported Larry Grossman for the party leadership in November 1985, and did not run for re-election in 1987.

From 1990 to 1995, Claude Bennett served as chairman of the board for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Claude Bennett was president of the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada since 1998 and served as chair of the Ottawa Transition Board and the Ottawa Airport Authority.

Claude Bennett died in the early morning of March 20,2020, from a heart attack.