Ron_Gray

Ron Gray

Ronald "Ron" O. Gray is a minor Canadian federal politician. He is currently serving as the leader of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada (CHP). Gray has been leader of the party since 1995.

Prior to his life as a politician, Gray worked as a journalist for the Vancouver Sun and later the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. and served the Government of Canada Canadian Consulate at Cleveland, Ohio as a Trade and Commerce Officer.

Early life

Born and educated in British Columbia, Gray has worked in journalism, public relations, and the federal public service.

He began his career at the The Vancouver Sun newspaper, and has also worked at community newspapers in BC and in Suva, Fiji; and the BC Report magazine. He was a public information officer for a major public utility in BC, and for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

He was a Trade and Commerce Officer attached to the Canadian Consulate in Cleveland, Ohio. He later managed store-front Federal government public information services in Winnipeg and Vancouver. He became Public Information Officer for one of BC's first community colleges, and later served 10 years in a similar capacity at Trinity Western University, an evangelical university.

He and his wife, Janet, have raised nine children, including adopted, step- and foster-children, and have 14 grandchildren.

Political career

First election

Gray began his long political career running for Member of Parliament in the 1988 federal election. He ran for his first election under the Christian Heritage Party banner in the electoral district of Fraser Valley East. On election night, Gray finished fourth place but finishing well behind Progressive Conservative incumbent Ross Belsher. Gray finished ahead of Reform candidate Ray Renwick. Overall Gray finished fourth out of six candidates taking over eight percent of the popular vote.

Gray has run for the CHP in every general election other than in 1993. He has also contested four byelections, including one in Calgary against Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper, who later was elected to serve as prime minister of Canada. In his 1999 byelection, he finished one vote ahead of the Reform Party candidate in Hull--Aylmer, Quebec.

Leadership

Gray became the party leader in 1995. In 2002 he ran against Stephen Harper in a Calgary Southwest by-election, campaign expenditures totaled over $27,000 and won 320 votes (less than 2 percent of the total vote). His leadership was confirmed at subsequent CHP conventions, most recently in 2005. Gray has since indicated his intent to step down with the next national convention in 2008.

Near the end of 2006, a human rights complaint was filed against Ron Gray for communicating via the Internet, messages likely to expose homosexuals to hatred or contempt. As of July 1, 2008, the complaint is still under investigation by the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Electoral record
Election	Division	Party	Votes	%	Place	Winner
1988 federal	Fraser Valley East	CHP	3,560	8.3%	4/6	Ross Belsher Prog. Cons.
March 1996 byelection	Etobicoke North	CHP	284	1.1%	5/7	Roy Cullen Liberal
November 1999 byelection	Hull--Aylmer	CHP	176	1.0%	6/9	Marcel Proulx Liberal
2000 federal	Hull--Aylmer	CHP	184	0.4%	8/10	Marcel Proulx Liberal
May 2002 byelection	Calgary Southwest	CHP	320	1.7%	5/5	Stephen Harper Canadian Alliance
May 2003 byelection	Perth-Middlesex	CHP	902	2.9%	5/5	Gary Schellenberger Prog. Cons.
2004 federal	Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon	CHP	1,147	2.6%	5/7	Chuck Strahl Conservative
2006 federal	Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon	CHP	935	1.95%	5/6	Chuck Strahl Conservative