Claude Bennett

Who is Claude Bennett?

Claude Frederick Bennett is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller. Bennett was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Bennett was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He was educated at the High School of Commerce, and worked as an insurance agent. He served as an alderman in Ottawa from 1960 to 1969, and was a city controller and was the city's acting mayor in the period from 1970 to 1972. He also served as director of the Central Canada Exhibition Association from 1965 to 1978, and was president of the Ottawa Sooner Jr. Football Club from 1965 to 1973.

Bennett was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1971 provincial election, winning a convincing victory in Ottawa South. He 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. He was re-elected by a reduced majority in the 1975 election, and again with a convincing majority in 1977. On January 21, 1978, he was named Minister of Housing.

After six years of governing in a minority parliament, Davis's PCs were returned with a majority government in the 1981 election. Bennett was again returned for Ottawa South, and was named Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on July 3 of that year. He served in this position for the remainder of the Davis years.