| Rick Borotsik |
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| 1950 births | |
| living people | |
| mayors of brandon, manitoba | |
| members of the canadian house of commons from manitoba | |
| progressive conservative party of canada mps | |
| manitoba mlas | |
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In the 1997 Federal Election , Borotsik was elected as a Progressive Conservative MP for the federal Riding of Brandon-Souris , defeating Reformer Ed Agnew by a narrow margin. He was the first Progressive Conservative MP to be elected in Western Canada after the party's near-destruction in 1993 , and his victory was regarded at the time as a significant upset. Unlike other prominent Manitoba Tories, such as Vic Toews and Brian Pallister , he opposed a merger with the Reform Party and supported Joe Clark for the leadership of the PC party in 1998 . Borotsik emerged as a popular local figure, and was supported by some constituents who might have voted for the Liberals or NDP under different circumstances. He was re-elected over a candidate of the Canadian Alliance in the Federal Election Of 2000 , this time joining Clark as one of only two Progressive Conservative MPs from the west (former Canadian Alliance Manitoba MP Inky Mark joined them in 2002 ). Borotsik held many opposition critic portfolios in the parliamentary PC caucus and served for a period as the party's deputy leader. He eventually gained a reputation as a Red Tory , supporting official bilingualism and opposing initiatives toward privatized health care. In 2003 , he surprised many political observers by announcing his support for federal recognition of Same-sex Marriage . Borotsik supported fellow westerner in the riding of Charleswood—St. James and Terry Duguid in the riding of Kildonan—St. Paul . In announcing his retirement from the Commons, Borotsik made the following statement: "I got involved with Jean Charest and Joe Clark because I knew what their vision of the country was. I knew that they actually understood the differences and diversity between Atlantic Canada and B.C. and Quebec and Manitoba. I don't believe that a regional party with the regional ideology of Stephen Harper can reflect that." In 2006, Borotsik accepted the nomination from the provincial Progressive Conservative Party Of Manitoba to run in the 2007 provincial election in the riding of Brandon West against Scott Smith . He was narrowly returned, as the New Democratic Party won its third consecutive majority government. Borotsik will be a member of the official opposition. ELECTORAL RECORD : Brandon-Souris
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