Mike Schreiner

Mike Schreiner
Leader of the Green Party of Ontario
Incumbent
Assumed office November 15, 2009
Preceded by	Frank de Jong
Personal details
Born	June 9, 1969 (1969-06-09) Kansas, Missouri
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Green Party of Ontario
Occupation	Entrepreneur, Politician

Mike Schreiner (born June 9, 1969) is the leader of the Green Party of Ontario (GPO). Professionally, he is a small business advocate, entrepreneur and food policy expert. Schreiner was the party's candidate in the Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock by-election on March 5, 2009. He received over 97% approval from the party membership defeating the None of the Above ballot option, in the 2009 Ontario Green Party leadership election held on November 14, 2009. During the 2011 provincial election Schreiner ran in Simcoe—Grey losing to Progressive Conservative incumbent Jim Wilson.

Background

Born in Kansas, Missouri on June 9, 1969, Schreiner grew up as a farm-kid, helping his parents. This is where his interests in the environment began. He attended Indiana University-Bloomington as a graduate student where he met his future wife, Sandy Welsh, a sociology professor at University of Toronto. They have two children.

Schreiner and his wife became Canadian citizens in 2007.

Education

Schreiner earned bachelor's degrees in business administration and history from the University of Kansas (1992). He earned his master's degree in history from Indiana University-Bloomington in 1994.

Career

Schreiner started his career in Toronto operating his own food distribution business, specialized in delivering local and natural foods to homes in Toronto. He helped establish Local Food Plus, which worked to bring farmers and consumers together to promote financially, socially and environmentally sustainable local food systems.

Schreiner served on the steering committee for Green Enterprise Toronto, an association of over 350 small businesses, and on the Board of Directors of FarmStart, a non-profit that assists new farmers in Ontario, and he is a governor of the Canadian International Peace Project.

Political career

Schreiner has been actively involved in the GPO since 2005. He was the GPO candidate for the 2009 by-election in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. He co-chaired the 2007 election platform committee for the party and served as Policy Coordinator from 2008-2009.

Schreiner was elected leader of the GPO on November 14, 2009 and is the party's first full-time leader. He has acted as critic for the Premier’s Office and for agriculture and rural affairs.

Schreiner unsuccessfully ran in Simcoe-Grey during the 2011 provincial election.

Personal life

Schreiner lives with his wife Sandy and their two daughters in Toronto and in Dunedin, just outside Creemore, in Simcoe-Grey.

Electoral record

Ontario general election, 2011
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Jim Wilson	25,396	54.49	-
	Liberal	Donna Kenwell	10,386	22.49	-
	New Democrat	David Matthews	6,738	14.46	-
	Green	Mike Schreiner	4,084	8.76	-
Total valid votes				100.0

Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock by-election, March 5, 2009 resignation of Laurie Scott
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rick Johnson	15,482	43.73	+14.22
	Progressive Conservative	John Tory	14,576	41.17	-8.73
	Green	Mike Schreiner	2,352	6.64	-0.56
	New Democrat	Lyn Edwards	2,117	5.98	-5.92
	Independent	Jason Taylor	320	0.90
	Family Coalition	Jake Pothaar	258	0.73	-0.07
	Freedom	Bill Denby	140	0.40	-0.4
	Independent	John Turmel	92	0.26
	Libertarian	Paolo Fabrizio	71	0.20

External links

• Official site
• Green Party of Ontario 2011 Platform
• Candidate Profile