The Honourable Liz Sandals MPP |
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Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Guelph Guelph—Wellington (2003-2007) |
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Assumed office October 2, 2003 |
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Preceded by | Brenda Elliott |
Personal details | |
Born |
Liz MacNaughton Guelph, Ontario |
Political party | Liberal |
Spouse(s) | David Sandals |
Children | 2 |
Residence | Guelph, Ontario |
Occupation | Teacher |
Liz Sandals is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in 2003. She represents the riding of Guelph. She serves in cabinet as the President of the Treasury Board and previously served for three years as Minister of Education in the government of Kathleen Wynne.
Sandals was born and raised in the Guelph, Ontario area as Liz MacNaughton. Her father, Earl MacNaughton was the founding dean of the College of Physics at the University of Guelph. She graduated from Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute in 1966, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph in 1969 as well as a Master of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo in 1971. She taught computer science at the University of Guelph. Sandals lives in Guelph with her husband David where they raised two children.
Sandals was elected to her local public school board in 1988, and was re-elected four times. From 1998 to 2002, she served as President of the Ontario Public School Boards Association. Sandals was the recipient of the first Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, granted by the Ontario Principals' Council.
In 2003, she ran for the Ontario Liberal Party nomination in the riding of Guelph, and defeated two long-time Liberals. While she was a past supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party and worked for the 1995 campaign of rival Tory MPP Brenda Elliott, Sandals defeated Elliott in the Ontario provincial election of 2003 by 2,872 votes in the riding of Guelph—Wellington. During the 2003-2007 session she served as parliamentary assistant for several portfolios including Education. After being re-elected in 2007 in the redistributed riding of Guelph, she was again appointed as parliamentary assistant to portfolios including education and transportation. She was re-elected again in the 2011 election. On February 11, 2013, Sandals was appointed as the Minister of Education by Premier Kathleen Wynne. She was re-elected in 2014. On June 13, 2016, she was appointed as President of the Treasury Board.