View source for Ron Schuler

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2010}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = 
| name                = Ron Schuler
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MLAMB|size=100%}}
| image               = Ron Schuler - 2017 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize           = 
| caption             = Schuler in 2017
| office              = [[Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation (Manitoba)|Minister of Infrastructure]]
| term_start          = August 17, 2017
| term_end            = December 30, 2021
| premier             = [[Brian Pallister]]<br>[[Kelvin Goertzen]]<br>[[Heather Stefanson]]
| predecessor         = [[Blaine Pedersen]]
| successor           = [[Reg Helwer]]
| office2             = [[Manitoba Crown Services|Minister of Crown Services]]
| term_start2         = May 3, 2016
| term_end2           = August 17, 2017
| premier2            = [[Brian Pallister]]
| predecessor2        = [[Greg Dewar]]
| successor2          = [[Cliff Cullen]]
| office3             = Member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Manitoba]] for [[Springfield-Ritchot]]<br><small>[[Springfield (provincial electoral district)|Springfield]] (1999–2011)<br>[[St. Paul (Manitoba electoral district)|St. Paul]] (2011–2019)</small>
| term_start3         = September 21, 1999
| term_end3           = 
| predecessor3        = [[Glen Findlay]]
| successor3          = 
| party               = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba|Progressive Conservative]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1963|2|12}}
| birth_place         = [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]], Canada
| nationality         = 
| occupation          = 
| alma_mater          = [[University of Manitoba]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
}}
'''Ronald Reinhold Schuler''' is a Canadian politician. He is currently a member of the [[Manitoba Legislature]] and a representative of the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba|Progressive Conservative Party]] (PCs). He was first elected in the 1999 provincial election. and was re-elected in the 2003, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2019 and 2023 elections.

After the PCs won control of the Manitoba government in the 2016 election, [[Premier of Manitoba]] [[Brian Pallister]] appointed Schuler Minister of Crown Services. On August 17, 2017 he was named Minister of Infrastructure. On December 30, 2021, Premier [[Heather Stefanson]] removed Schuler from cabinet for persistently refusing to reveal whether he was vaccinated against COVID-19.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pallister adds new face, new department in cabinet shuffle|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/cabinet-shuffle-manitoba-1.4251238|accessdate=29 August 2017|work=CBC|date=17 August 2017}}</ref>

==Personal life and education==
Schuler was born in [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba. He attended John M. King Elementary School, before moving to [[Benton Harbor, Michigan|Benton Harbor]], [[Michigan]], where he attended Millburg Elementary School in [[Berrien County, Michigan|Berrien County]]. In 1976, he moved back to Winnipeg, where he attended Elmwood Junior High and graduated from Elmwood High School in 1981. He is the youngest son of Wanda and Reinhold Schuler, with four sisters and one brother.<ref name="ronschuler1">{{cite web |url=http://www.ronschuler.com/about-ron.php |title=About Ron }}</ref>

Schuler obtained a [[Bachelor of Arts]] from the [[University of Manitoba]] in 1987, with a major in international relations and a minor in sociology. He was a junior executive at the [[Eaton's|T. Eaton Company]] from 1979 to 1984. Schuler went on to become a small business owner, co-owning Christmas Traditions, Espresso Junction Inc., and Gingerbread World Inc. He also served as Chair of the [[Manitoba Intercultural Council]] from 1991 to 1993.<ref name="ronschuler1"/>

==School board service==
On October 25, 1995, Schuler began his political career when he was elected as a school trustee for Ward Three in the [[River East School Division]].

<big>'''1995 River East School Division Ward Three school trustee results'''</big>

{|border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Candidate
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Total Votes
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Result
|-
|'''Ron Schuler'''
|5745
|Elected
|-
|'''Brian Olynik'''
|4525
|Elected
|-
|'''Peter Kotyk'''
|3957
|Elected
|-
|Bill Dueck
|3726
|
|-
|Leni Hamm-Lousier
|2591
|
|}<ref>[http://www.winnipeg.ca/clerks/election/history.htm#hist_19 - 1995 Results]</ref>

In his first term on the River East School Board, Schuler served as Chairman of the Education and Policy Committee. He advocated a [[zero tolerance|zero violence tolerance]] policy on issues affecting the safety of students and staff. Schuler strongly supported increased technology funding and division-wide upgrades to classroom computers and also strongly supported heritage language programs offered in the divisions.<ref name="ronschuler1"/>

He was re-elected on October 28 as a school trustee for the River East School Division, Ward Three in the 1998 election. Schuler’s re-election led him to being appointed to serve as Chairman of the Board of Trustees in November 1998. He resigned from his position as school trustee on September 23, 1999 to pursue his career in provincial politics with the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba]].<ref name="ronschuler1"/>

<big>'''1998 River East School Division Ward Three school trustee results'''</big>

{|border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Candidate
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Total Votes
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Result
|-
| '''Ron Schuler'''
|  5772
|  Elected
|-
| '''Peter Kotyk'''
| 5173
| Elected
|-
| '''Brian Olynik'''
| 5136
| Elected
|-
| Con Lynch
| 4416
| 
|-
|Al Penner
|4005
|
|}<ref>[http://winnipeg.ca/clerks/election/result.htm#res_3 - 1998 Results]</ref>

==Legislative service==
Schuler was elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of Manitoba]] in the provincial election held on [[1999 Manitoba general election|September 21, 1999]], defeating [[New Democratic Party of Manitoba|New Democrat]] [[Leonard Kimakovich]] by 4969 votes to 4058 in the constituency of [[Springfield (provincial electoral district)|Springfield]].

{{1999 Manitoba general election/Springfield}}<ref>[http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/apps/results/37gen/pbp.asp?ED=41 - 1999 Results]</ref>

During Schuler’s first term as a [[Member of the Legislative Assembly]] (MLA), [[Gary Filmon]], Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, appointed Schuler as the PC Caucus Labour & Immigration Critic.<ref name="ronschuler1"/>

The voters of Springfield re-elected Schuler as their MLA on [[2003 Manitoba general election|June 3, 2003]] by a much greater margin, though the PCs incurred a net loss of four seats across Manitoba. [[Stuart Murray]] appointed Schuler as the PC Caucus Critic for Energy, Science and Technology, and the Chief Critic for the [[Kyoto Accord]], the Civil Service Commission, and Lotteries and Gaming.<ref name="ronschuler1"/>

<big>'''2003 Manitoba provincial election: Springfield'''</big>

{|border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Candidate Name
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Party
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Votes
|-
|'''Ron Schuler'''
|PC
|4,917 – 60.3%
|-
|Georgine Spooner
|NDP
|2,512 – 30.8%
|-
|Vince Boileau
|Lib
|682 – 8.9%
|-
|rejected
|
|20
|-
|declined
|
|14
|-
|total votes cast
|
|8,145
|-
|registered voters
|
|14,599
|-
|turnout
|
|55.79%
|}<ref>[http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/en/Results/38_division_results/38_springfield_summary_results.html - 2003 Results]</ref>

On February 24, 2006, Schuler announced that he would seek the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba. [[Hugh McFadyen]] won the leadership election on April 29, 2006.

<big>'''2006 Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership election'''</big>

{|border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Candidate Votes
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Votes
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Vote %
|-
| '''Hugh McFadyen'''
| 6,091
| 67%
|-
| Ron Schuler
| 1,953
| 21%
|-
| Ken Waddell
|1099
|12%
|}<ref>[[2006 Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership election|- 2006 Results]]</ref>

For a third consecutive term, Schuler was re-elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Springfield on [[2007 Manitoba general election|May 22, 2007]].

{{2007 Manitoba general election/Springfield}}<ref>[http://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/en/Results/39_division_results/39_springfield_summary_results.html - 2007 Results]</ref>

In September 2007, Schuler was appointed Critic for Education, Citizenship and Youth, as well as [[Caucus Whip]] by Leader Hugh McFadyen. As of February 4, 2010, Schuler is the Critic for Housing and Community Development and Sports.

Schuler held several critic portfolios during his time in Opposition, including Labour and Immigration, Energy, Science and Technology, Kyoto Accord, the Civil Service Commission, Lotteries and Gaming, Education, Citizenship & Youth, Community Economic Development Fund, Housing and Community Development and Sports, as well as Caucus Whip.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pcmanitoba.com/profiles.asp?ID=21 |title=Ron Schuler |work=PC Team |publisher=PC Manitoba |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127144705/http://pcmanitoba.com/profiles.asp?ID=21 |archivedate=2013-11-27 }}</ref>

Schuler was re-nominated to represent the Progressive Conservative Party in the [[2011 Manitoba general election|2011 Manitoba provincial election]], held on October 4, in the newly created constituency of [[St. Paul (Manitoba electoral district)|St. Paul]] and won re-election.<ref name="ronschuler1"/>

{{2011 Manitoba general election/St. Paul}}
{{2016 Manitoba general election/St. Paul}}
{{2019 Manitoba general election/Springfield-Ritchot}}
{{2023 Manitoba general election/Springfield-Ritchot}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.ronschuler.com}}

{{Manitoba MLAs}}
{{Pallister ministry}}
{{Goertzen ministry}}{{Stefanson ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuler, Ron}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Politicians from Winnipeg]]
[[Category:Canadian people of German descent]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Manitoba]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs]]
[[Category:University of Manitoba alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba]]