David Gregory Rickford (born September 24, 1967) is a Canadian politician. He is the Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs in the Executive Council of Ontario under Premier Doug Ford. He represents the Kenora—Rainy River riding in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Rickford previously served as the federal Minister of Natural Resources and as the Minister of State for Science and Technology in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2008 federal election and represented the electoral district of Kenora as a member of the Conservative Party until his defeat in the 2015 election.

Background

Rickford was born in Paris, Ontario, on September 24, 1967. He worked as a nurse and lawyer in the remote First Nations communities of the Kenora District.

Federal politics

Rickford was elected to represent the Ontario electoral district of Kenora in the 2008 federal election and re-elected in the 2011 election. A member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Rickford was the first Conservative MP elected in the Kenora riding and the first right-wing MP to represent the Kenora area since 1921. Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Rickford Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages on August 30, 2010. On January 30, 2011, Rickford was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. On July 15, 2013, he was appointed the Minister of State (Science and Technology, and Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario). On March 19, 2014, he was appointed to succeed Joe Oliver as Minister of Natural Resources. He was defeated in the October 19, 2015 Canadian federal election by Bob Nault. Nault had represented the predecessor riding of Kenora-Rainy River from 1988 until 2004, when he chose not to run in the 2004 Canadian federal election. Rickford was pushed into third place, behind Nault and former Ontario New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton.

Provincial politics

Rickford re-entered politics on November 18, 2017, when he was acclaimed as the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate in Kenora—Rainy River for the 2018 election. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the June 7, election and Rickford was elected in his riding. On June 29, 2018, Rickford was appointed Ministry of Energy, Mines, Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs in the cabinet of Premier Doug Ford.

Electoral record

Cabinet positions