Helena Guergis

Helena C. Guergis, PC, MP (pronounced /ˈdʒɔərdʒɪs/; born February 19, 1969) is a Canadian politician. She has represented Simcoe—Grey in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, and was appointed Minister of State (Status of Women) on October 30, 2008, following the October 14, 2008 Canadian federal election. Guergis was forced to resign from Cabinet on April 9, 2010 pending a Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigation into allegations regarding her conduct. Guergis was elected as a Conservative, but will sit as an independent pending the results of the investigation.

Early life and career

Guergis was born in Barrie, Ontario; and raised in nearby Angus, part of Essa Township, where her family has a history of political work. Her cousins David and Tony Guergis are respectively the current mayors of Essa and Springwater, her sister Christine Brayford is a municipal councillor in New Tecumseth, their uncle Edward was a municipal councillor in Essa from 1978 to 1985, and their grandfather George was a reeve of Essa from 1971 to 1974.
Guergis attended Georgian College, where she completed an Ontario Real Estate program. After her graduation, she opened a bed and bath gift shop called "Final Touch" at the Rainbow Mall in Angus. She also worked as a fundraising volunteer for the Angus Food Bank and the Barrie Literacy Council, and was a Crisis Intervention volunteer for the Barrie and District Rape Crisis Centre for seven years. Guergis was a constituency assistant and executive assistant to Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Joe Tascona in this period.
In 1992, Guergis won the title "Miss Huronia" in the Miss Huronia Pageant, which was owned and operated by Sylvia Stark, and participated as Huronia's representative in the year's "Miss Oktoberfest Pageant", and the Canadian Search for Miss Universe. She later alleged financial irregularities against the pageant, and sued Stark for $3,000 as well as the cost of her flight and gown. In 2003, she informed the National Post newspaper that her suit was successful but that she could not collect because Stark had filed for bankruptcy.
The Canadian television program The Fifth Estate profiled Sylvia Stark in January 2000, and included interviews with Guergis and other former contestants. Stark alleged that Guergis made death threats against her, and added that she had lost a child from the resulting stress and was unable to conceive again. Guergis responded by questioning the state of Stark's mental health.
Provincial politics

Guergis closed her consumer retail business after six and a half years to accept a position as a political advisor to Janet Ecker, who was then Minister of Education and Finance in the Ontario government. She held this position for three and a half years, and also served three terms as a vice-president on the Progressive Conservative Party's provincial executive.
She was the Progressive Conservative candidate for the downtown Toronto riding of Trinity—Spadina in the 2003 provincial election. The PCs did not target this riding as winnable and Guergis agreed to be a "sacrificial lamb" candidate in order to gain experience. She finished a distant third against New Democratic Party incumbent Rosario Marchese. In 2004, Guergis endorsed Frank Klees for the leadership of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.
Member of Parliament

Guergis defeated Liberal incumbent Paul Bonwick by 100 votes in the 2004 election to win the riding of Simcoe—Grey. The Liberals formed a minority government after the election, and Guergis was appointed to the Conservative shadow cabinet as critic for International Co-operation. On January 24, 2005, she was appointed deputy critic for seniors' issues.
When running for provincial office in 2003 in the socially liberal riding of Trinity—Spadina, Guergis said that she would vote in favour of same-sex marriage if given the opportunity. Responding to a question on same-sex marriage at an all-candidates debate, she said, "I believe in the right to choose, so I would be voting in favour of it."
Campaigning the following year in the socially conservative riding of Simcoe—Grey, Guergis said that she would vote against the federal government's proposed legalization of same-sex marriage. She argued that the majority of her constituents opposed the initiative, and that she was committed to supporting their views. Guergis did in fact vote against Bill C-38, which granted legal sanction to same-sex marriage, in 2005. In the same year, she tabled a private member's bill restricting MPs from crossing parties after their election.
Guergis was re-elected with 49.8% of the vote in the 2006 election, substantially increasing her margin of victory as the Conservatives won a minority government nationally. On February 7, 2006, she was named by Prime Minister Stephen Harper as parliamentary secretary to David Emerson, the Minister of International Trade and the Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver—Whistler Olympics.
Cabinet Minister

On January 4, 2007, Guergis was promoted to Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and Secretary of State for Sport. In February, she rejected opposition calls for a travel advisory for Mexico. (Opposition members made the request after four Canadian tourists were killed in Mexico over the course of a year.)
On February 19, 2007, Guergis and Health Minister Tony Clement announced that Canada was reviving its dormant ParticipACTION program to encourage personal fitness.
The Conservative government was criticized in April and May 2007, over its handling of reports on the alleged mistreatment of prisoners captured by Canadian soldiers and turned over to local authorities in Afghanistan. At one stage, Guergis indicated in response to an opposition question that "there are no specific details or sp.
In January 2008, Guergis revealed that opposition leader Stephane Dion was going to Kandahar, Afghanistan, to visit a reconstruction project. The visit was supposed to be kept secret for Dion's protection. After his return to Canada, Dion angrily criticized Guergis' action, saying that she put him at risk for being attacked by the Taliban. In a letter to Harper, Dion demanded Guergis' resignation or firing, saying that Guergis committed a "gross breach of Canadian security" that raised doubts about her fitness for Cabinet.
Re-elected, remains in Cabinet

She was re-elected in the 2008 federal election, winning 55% of the popular vote,following which she was appointed Minister of State (Status of Women).
Remarriage
On October 15, 2008, Guergis married her former caucus colleague Rahim Jaffer; this was her second marriage and his first. Jaffer and Guergis became engaged in October 2007 and decided on the morning after the election to scrap their planned wedding date and to get married immediately. Their wedding was presided over by Ian McClelland, a former Member of Parliament and a licensed marriage commissioner, later that same day at McClelland's home. The marriage was witnessed by the couple's parliamentary colleague James Rajotte, and by one of Jaffer's cousins.
Charlottetown airport incident
On February 19, 2010 Guergis is alleged to have had a verbal confrontation with Air Canada and Charlottetown Airport security staff while attempting to board an Air Canada Jazz flight to Montreal.
According to an anonymous letter allegedly from an airport employee,Guergis arrived with an aide very late for her flight to Montreal and publicly berated airport staff and security. During pre-boarding airport screening, Guergis reportedly refused to remove her footwear, which set off the alarm as she walked through the metal detector. When Guergis was asked again to take off her footwear Guergis was allegedly rude and uncooperative.
On February 25, Guergis issued an apology by news release. During the week of March 15, 2010, Guergis indicated that she had grounds for legal action against Air Canada for violation of her privacy. Guergis was criticized by members of the Federal Conservative party who felt her actions hurt the party.
Resignation from cabinet

On April 9, 2010, Guergis resigned her post as Minister of State for Status of Women amid scandal. In announcing the resignation, Harper also said that he had asked both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Commons ethics commissioner Mary Dawson to investigate allegations surrounding Guergis. Harper stated that pending the results of the investigation, Guergis would leave the Conservative caucus and sit as an independent.
According to CTV News, the RCMP is investigating allegations that Guergis allowed Jaffer to conduct commercial business out of her office unrelated to her parliamentary work, and also accompanied Jaffer to his business meetings.On April 13, Guergis' former chauffeur told The Globe and Mail that Guergis frequently let Jaffer use her government-issued car for personal use. The Toronto Star reported that Jaffer accompanied Guergis on an official trip to Belize, according to pictures posted on a Canadian government Website.
The Globe and Mail reported that Guergis and Jaffer had dinner in September 2009 with Nazim Gillani, a Toronto financier. A few days earlier, Gillani and Jaffer had gone to dinner together--but without Guergis--and Gillani subsequently boasted that Jaffer had "opened the Prime Minister's Office to us." Later that night, Jaffer was picked up for speeding by the Ontario Provincial Police near his wife's riding, arrested, and charged with drunk driving and cocaine possession; he subsequently pleaded guilty to careless driving. The cocaine and drunk driving charges were dropped.
CTV News reported that Harper forced Guergis to resign from Cabinet and suspended her from caucus after private investigator Derek Snowdy, who was investigating Gilliani on an unrelated matter, claimed that Gillani had made some verbal accusations about Guergis and Jaffer. Guergis denied the allegations against her; her lawyer stated that she "vigorously denies all of this man's bizarre claims, and looks forward to helping the RCMP demonstrate that they are completely false".Gillani also denied Snowdy's claim in testimony before the Commons committee investigating the issue, while the Globe and Mail reported that Snowdy filed for bankruptcy in 2009 to cover over $13-million of debt, incluing $2 million of taxes owed.
Opposition MPs have pressed the government for more details about the allegations surrounding Guergis, citing Harper's previous willingness to defend her. At Question Period on April 12, Michael Ignatieff, leader of the Official Opposition Liberals, wondered how soon the government would "tell Canadians the truth." His sentiments were echoed by NDP leader Jack Layton, who called for Harper to "come clean" about why Harper went so far as to call in the RCMP because he was ultimately responsible for his ministers. Transport Minister John Baird, speaking for the government, was reticent with further details, saying only that Harper "acted quickly and appropriately" after being tipped off by an unknown "third party."  Ignatieff has also linked the events to organized crime due to the reports of cocaine being present: "I don’t want to make false accusations but you don’t get cocaine at a corner drug store, right? You have to get it from somewhere, from someone and usually that means organized crime".
Some people have expressed concern that Guergis's right to due process (innocent until proven guilty) has been infringed upon. On the The Michael Coren Show, commentator Akaash Maharaj, former Independent M.P. John Nunziata, and Coren himself voiced opposition to the way Guergis is being treated. "Whatever happened to due process in this country?" Nunziata said.
Conservatives drop Guergis as candidate
On May 5, 2010 the Conservative Party's National Council removed Guergis as their nominated candidate for Simcoe-Grey. Earlier in the week local Conservatives in the riding wrote a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper asking that he not interfere with the local Conservative riding association to choose a candidate. Executives of the association stated "head office personnel have deliberately interfered with, obstructed and circumvented our autonomy as an association, and our right to freely express our opinions" if Harper took action to remove Guergis.
Table of offices held

28th Ministry - Government of Stephen Harper
Cabinet Posts (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Josée Verner (*) Minister responsible for the Status of Women
2008-2010
Rona Ambrose
Sub-Cabinet Posts (2)
Predecessor Title Successor
position created in 2007 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(2007-2008)
position abolished in 2008
Peter Van Loan (*) Secretary of State (Sport)
(2007–2008)
Gary Lunn

Verner's full official title was Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women and Minister for la Francophonie.
Van Loan's official title was Minister for Sport.
Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Helena Guergis 30,897 55.0% +5.2% $71,239
Liberal Andrea Matrosovs 12,099 21.6% -9.3% $36,810
New Democrat Katy Austin 6,288 11.2% 0.0% $6,077
Green Peter Ellis 5,685 10.1% +4.5% $9,015
Christian Heritage Peter Vander Zaag 1,018 1.8% -0.6% $4,175
Libertarian Caley McKibbin 143 0.3% $20
Total valid votes/Expense limit 56,130 100.0% $94,127
Total rejected ballots 189
Turnout 56,319 %

2006 federal election : Simcoe—Grey edit
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
Conservative (x)Helena Guergis 30,135 49.76 $84,181.76
Liberal Elizabeth Kirley 18,689 30.86 $92,500.47
New Democratic Party Katy Austin 6,784 11.20 $10,776.74
Green Peter Ellis 3,372 5.57 $2,361.42
Christian Heritage Peter Vander Zaag 1,585 2.62 $14,301.65
Total valid votes 60,565 100.00
Total rejected ballots 172
Turnout 60,737 67.60
Electors on the lists 89,841

2004 federal election : Simcoe—Grey edit
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
Conservative Helena Guergis 22,496 40.62 $81,760.75
Liberal (x)Paul Bonwick 22,396 40.44 $75,249.79
New Democratic Party Colin Mackinnon 5,532 9.99 $6,796.70
Green Peter Ellis 2,668 4.82 $654.47
Christian Heritage Peter Vander Zaag 2,285 4.13 $10,167.48
Total valid votes 55,377 100.00
Total rejected ballots 248
Turnout 55,625 63.15
Electors on the lists 88,083

2003 Ontario provincial election : Trinity—Spadina edit
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
New Democratic Party (x)Rosario Marchese 19,268 47.51 $64,058.75
Liberal Nellie Pedro 12,927 31.88 $131,631.40
Progressive Conservative Helena Guergis 4,985 12.29 $23,485.00
Green Greg Laxton 2,362 5.82 $5,594.40
Libertarian Judson Glober 756 1.86 $0.00
Ind. (Independent Renewal) Nick Lin 256 0.63 $626.66
Total valid votes 40,554 100.00
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 453
Turnout 41,007 52.05
Electors on the lists 78,790
All federal electoral information is taken from Elections Canada, and all provincial electoral information is taken from Elections Ontario. Provincial expenditures refer to the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
Some biographical information is taken from Guergis's website. Hence, it should not be considered as absolutely true.

Source:wikipedia