Mike Harris

Michael Deane Harris OOnt (born January 23, 1945) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. During his time as party leader, he heavily nudged the Ontario PC Party to Blue Toryism, advocating for the "Common Sense Revolution", his government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and budget cuts. Born in Toronto, Harris grew up in North Bay and worked as a ski instructor and schoolteacher before becoming a school board trustee in 1974. In 1981, he became a member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the riding of Nipissing. He became leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in the 1990 leadership election. That same year, a provincial election was called in which Harris carried the PCs to a modest boost in support, though t...