Reuben Baetz

Reuben Conrad Baetz (May 9, 1923 – October 28, 1996) was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller. Baetz was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Reuben Baetz
Ontario MPP
In office
1977–1987
Preceded byDonald Morrow
Succeeded byBob Chiarelli
ConstituencyOttawa West
Personal details
Born(1923-05-09)May 9, 1923
Chesley, Ontario, Canada
DiedOctober 28, 1996(1996-10-28) (aged 73)
NationalityCanadian
Political partyProgressive Conservative
OccupationLawyer

Background

Baetz was born in Chesley, Ontario. His father was a Lutheran minister, and Baetz remained a Lutheran throughout his life. He was educated at Wilfrid Laurier University (then Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, affiliated with the University of Western Ontario),[1] Columbia University in New York, and the University of Toronto. He became a social worker and assisted in the reconstruction of Germany and Hungary after World War II. Before entering provincial politics, he was a member of the Ontario Economic Council, the Canada Manpower and Immigration Council and the Canadian Association of Social Workers. He led the Canadian Council of Social Development from 1963 to 1977.

Politics

He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1977 provincial election, defeating Liberal Bill Roberts by 5,373 votes in Ottawa West.[2] He entered Bill Davis's cabinet on January 21, 1978 as Minister of Energy,[3] and was named Minister of Culture and Recreation on August 18, 1978.[4]

Baetz was easily re-elected in the 1981 election,[5] and was named as Minister of Tourism and Recreation on February 13, 1982.[6] He supported Roy McMurtry to succeed Davis as party leader in January 1985. When Frank Miller replaced Davis a premier of Ontario on February 8, 1985, he named Baetz as Provincial Secretary for Justice.[7] He was again re-elected in the 1985 election, defeating Liberal candidate Alex Cullen by 2,948 votes.[8]

At the provincial level, Miller's Conservatives were reduced to a fragile minority government in the 1985 election. Baetz was appointed as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs on May 17, 1985, but accomplished little in this portfolio before the Conservatives were defeated in the house in June 1985.[9] In opposition, he served as his party's critic for Intergovernmental Affairs, Child Care and Social Policy. He did not seek re-election in 1987.

Cabinet positions
Ontario Provincial Government of Frank Miller
Cabinet posts (2)
Predecessor Office Successor
Frank Miller Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
1985 (May–June)		 David Peterson
Gordon Walker Provincial Secretary for Justice
1985 (February–May)		 Alan Pope
Ontario Provincial Government of Bill Davis
Cabinet posts (3)
Predecessor Office Successor
Larry Grossman Minister of Tourism and Recreation
1982–1985		 Claude Bennett
Bob Welch Minister of Culture and Recreation
1978–1982		 Bruce McCaffrey
James Taylor Minister of Energy
1978 (January–August)		 James Auld

Later life

Baetz died on October 28, 1996. The Ontario legislative paid tribute to Baetz on November 4, 1996. The members who spoke remembered him as having a dignified, gentlemanly presence in the assembly.[10]

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References
  1. Laurier Alumni Association, "Laurier 100: 100 Alumni of Distinction" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqHzh3k-cmA).
  2. "Ontario provincial election results riding by riding". The Globe and Mail. June 10, 1977. p. D9.
  3. Williamson, Robert (January 23, 1978). "Scrivener's removal from Cabinet, Baetz posting to cause most talk". The Globe and Mail. p. 5.
  4. Oziewicz, Stan; Yaffe, Barbara (August 19, 1978). "McCague, Baetz are demoted in cabinet shuffle". The Globe and Mail. pp. 1, 2.
  5. Canadian Press (1981-03-20). "Winds of change, sea of security". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario. p. 22. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  6. Stead, Sylvia; Speirs, Rosemary; Matas, Robert (February 13, 1982). "Grossman to Health Ontario Cabinet shuffled by Davis". The Globe and Mail. p. 1.
  7. "The Ontario Cabinet". The Globe and Mail. February 9, 1985. p. 4.
  8. "Results of vote in Ontario election". The Globe and Mail. May 3, 1985. p. 13.
  9. "The new Cabinet". The Globe and Mail. May 18, 1985. p. 11.
  10. "Tribute by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. November 4, 1996.
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