PREMIER DALTON McGUINTY

Dalton McGuinty led his party to a second-consecutive majority government in October 2007. He is Ontario's 24th Premier. He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 1990 in Ottawa South and has been re-elected four times.

During his years as a backbench MPP, he served as a critic for energy, colleges and universities, native affairs and the environment. In 1996, Dalton McGuinty was elected leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. His first election campaign as leader was in 1999, when the Liberal party received 40 per cent of the popular vote, winning 35 seats and adding nine new caucus members.

In the general election of 2003, Dalton McGuinty's Liberals formed the government, taking 72 seats with 47 per cent of the vote. Premier McGuinty's campaign to build a stronger Ontario for a stronger Canada led the country's leading newsmagazine, Maclean's, to call him "Mr. Ontario."

Dalton McGuinty was born on July 19, 1955, and raised in Ottawa's Alta Vista neighbourhood. He credits his parents with teaching him the values and ethics that guide him as Premier. They passed on their commitment to education, family and community service to each of their 10 children. McGuinty's mother, Elizabeth, is a retired nurse living in Ottawa. His father, Dalton Sr., was a teacher and professor who served as the Ottawa South MPP until he passed away in 1990. McGuinty shares his father's deep belief in democracy, integrity and accountability in government.

Before entering politics, Dalton McGuinty practised law in Ottawa. He has a law degree from the University of Ottawa and a science degree from McMaster University in Hamilton. He met his wife Terri, an elementary school teacher, when they were both still high school students in Ottawa. They have been married 27 years and have four children. Carleen has completed university and is working for an international aid organization in Ottawa while the three boys — Dalton Jr., Liam and Connor — are studying at Ontario universities.

DEPUTY PREMIER GEORGE SMITHERMAN

Inspired by the life and politics of Pierre Trudeau, George Smitherman gained experience at all three levels of government, working in support of several senior political leaders. He was first elected into the Ontario legislature in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and again in 2007. George Smitherman was appointed Minister of Energy and Infrastructure in June 2008 and worked quickly with his many colleagues in the Ontario government to shape a new future for Ontario’s energy system. Within weeks of taking on his new portfolio, he set out on a tour of leading renewable energy and conservation jurisdictions such as Spain, Germany, Denmark and California to learn how Ontario can realize higher ambitions for a greener, cleaner energy supply. The introduction of the Green Energy Act is a signifcant milestone in the McGuinty government’s quest to create Ontario’s green economy. George Smitherman is the longest-serving Ontario Minister of Health in the last quarter century. Characterized by his relentless dedication to serving the people of Ontario and his drive to challenge the status quo where improvement was needed, helped George lead key McGuinty government initiatives, including the effort to reduce wait times and enhance access to nurses and doctors. In the community, Smitherman is well known for his advocacy in areas such as housing, heritage preservation, community economic development, protection of pension rights, efforts to combat guns and drugs, and human rights issues.
George lives in downtown Toronto and is active in numerous community initiatives and charitable causes. He also holds the distinction of being Ontario's first openly gay MPP and cabinet minister. He married his partner, Christopher, in the summer of 2007 north of Elliot Lake, Ontario.