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14 Facts About Dianne Cunningham

1.

Dianne Esther Cunningham was born on December 5,1939 and is a former politician in Ontario, Canada.

2.

Dianne Cunningham was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1988 to 2003, and a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves.

3.

Dianne Cunningham retained that position for fifteen years, and served as a Planning Officer for the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services.

4.

Dianne Cunningham was elected to the Ontario legislature for the riding of London North in a 1988 by-election.

5.

The riding had previously been Liberal, and bordered on the seat belonging to Liberal Premier David Peterson; Dianne Cunningham's victory made her a rising star in the small Tory caucus.

6.

Dianne Cunningham ran for the leadership of the then third-place Conservatives in 1990, losing to Mike Harris in the party's first one member, one vote election for leader.

7.

Dianne Cunningham was considered a Red Tory, but was hurt by comparisons to Brian Mulroney, Canada's unpopular Progressive Conservative Prime Minister.

8.

Dianne Cunningham was re-elected in the 1990 provincial election, which was won by the New Democratic Party.

9.

Dianne Cunningham did serve as her party's Deputy Leader and Caucus Whip from 1990 to 1995.

10.

Dianne Cunningham was easily re-elected in the 1995 provincial election, which the Tories won.

11.

Dianne Cunningham retained these positions throughout the Harris government's first term.

12.

Dianne Cunningham was re-appointed as Minister responsible for Women's Issues on February 8,2001.

13.

Dianne Cunningham was often criticized for the way her department managed the elimination of OAC levels from Ontario's high-school system.

14.

Dianne Cunningham ran for re-election in the 2003 election, but lost to Deb Matthews by over 6,000 votes in the landslide victory that brought the Ontario Liberal Party to power.