John Nater
John Nater | |
|---|---|
Nater in 2020 | |
| Member of Parliament for Perth—Wellington | |
| Assumed office October 19, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Gary Schellenberger |
| West Perth Municipal Councillor | |
| In office December 1, 2010 – December 1, 2014 | |
| Constituency | Mitchell Ward |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 14, 1984 Logan Township, Ontario |
| Party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Justine Nater (m. 2013) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Carleton University (2007) Queen's University (2008) |
John Nater MP (born February 14, 1984) is a Canadian politician. He is currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Perth Wellington in the House of Commons of Canada.
Education and early life
Nater was born in Logan Township (now part of the Township of West Perth), and raised on a family pig farm. While attending Carleton University, he worked as a volunteer intern for MP Gary Schellenberger, and later became his special assistant.[1] He later became an executive assistant to MPP Randy Pettapiece.[2] He also worked as a grievance analyst with the Correctional Service of Canada and policy analyst at the Treasury Board of Canada.[3]
Nater became interested in legislative politics at a young age. At age 14 he purchased 160 bound copies of Ontario Hansard from former Perth MPP Hugh Edighoffer at an auction sale.[4]
Nater earned degrees as a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton in 2007,[5] as well as a Master of Public Administration from Queen's University in 2008.[3][6] From 2012 to 2014, he was a lecturer at King's University College. When nominated to run for MP in November 2014, he had been a PhD candidate at Western University in political science.[2]
Municipal politics
In the 2010 Ontario municipal election, Nater was elected to the West Perth council as a representative for the Mitchell Ward. During his time on municipal council Nater served as chair of the Environmental Services Committee. In 2014 the committee began a project to build a new water tower in Mitchell.[7]
He did not run for re-election in the subsequent municipal election, as he planned to seek the Conservative nomination for Perth—Wellington, vacated due to the impending retirement of long-serving MP Gary Schellenberger.
Federal politics
2015 election
Nater won the nomination,[2] and was elected in the 2015 Canadian federal election with 22,255 votes (42.9%).[8][9]
42nd Canadian Parliament
From February 17, 2016, to September 18, 2017, Nater served as Vice Chair of the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages.[10] During this time he was critical of the Liberal Government's decision to nominate Madeleine Meilleur as Official Languages Commissioner. Nater frequently called the nomination partisan and questioned the Liberal Government's appointments process.[11]
During the 42nd Canadian Parliament, Nater earned a reputation as an expert on parliamentary procedure.[12]
On March 23, 2017, Nater made an intervention in the House of Commons on the Question of Privilege raised a day earlier by his Conservative colleague Lisa Raitt. Nater argued there was sufficient grounds for a prima facie question of privilege. On April 6, Speaker Geoff Regan ruled there was. However, during debate on the motion following the ruling the Liberal MP Alexandra Mendès moved a motion to proceed to orders of the day, ending the debate and with it the opportunity to address a violation of Members' rights.[13]
On April 7, 2017, Nater made another intervention asking the Speaker to revive the previous motion. Citing extensively from previous speakers rulings and the rules of parliamentary procedure Nater argued that the Government's motion to move to orders of the day during a debate on a motion of privilege "is an extremely dangerous precedent that denies members their fundamental right to vote" [14]
On April 11, 2017, Regan ruled in favour of Nater and invited him to once again move a motion to refer the issue to the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.[15]
On August 30, 2017, Official Opposition leader Andrew Scheer named Nater to be Shadow Minister for Interprovincial Trade and the Sharing Economy.[16]
On September 19, 2017, Nater became a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
On January 28, 2019, Nater introduced a bill to amend the Criminal Code of Canada. Inspired by a criminal incident in Stratford, the intention of the bill was to better protect young people and people with disabilities from sexual exploitation.[17]
2019 election
In the 2019 Canadian federal election Nater was re-elected with 25,622 votes, finishing more than 10,000 votes ahead of the second-placed Liberal candidate.[18]
43rd Canadian Parliament
From November 28, 2019, Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer appointed Nater the Official Opposition Deputy House Leader to work under Opposition House Leader Candice Bergen.[19] Nater held the position until September 2, 2020 when new leader Erin O'Toole replaced him with Karen Vecchio.
On September 8, 2020, O'Toole named Nater to be Shadow Minister for Rural Economic Development.[20] During this time Nater was actively critical of the Liberal record on rural internet service.[21]
In late 2020 Nater opposed the potential construction of a factory by the Chinese company Xinyi Glass . Nater cited the loss of farmland, environmental damage, and the continued crackdown by Beijing on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong as his reasons for opposing the construction.[22] The plans for the factory with withdrawn in early 2021.[23]
2021 election
Nater won his second re-election campaign in the 2021 Canadian federal election, again increasing his share of the vote.
44th Canadian Parliament
On November 9, 2021, Nater was named Shadow Minister for Canadian Heritage.[24] During this time Nater was critical of the Liberal Government's Online Streaming Act. Nater was also involved in the Heritage Committee work on the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal.
During the 2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election, Nater endorsed Jean Charest, former premier of Quebec and cabinet minister during the premierships of Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell, and was among four Conservative MPs to sign an open letter asking Charest to run.[25] In the contest Charest came second to Pierre Poilievre. On October 12, 2022, when Poilievre named his new shadow cabinet, Nater was not included.[26]
In October 2022, Nater returned to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs and was elected Vice Chair. He was involved in the committee hearings on Chinese government interference in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections and the 2022 Canadian federal electoral redistribution.
In September 2023 Nater moved to Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts. During this time he focused on reviewing reports of the Auditor General of Canada including the critical ArriveCAN report.[27]
From March 2022 to May 2023, Nater worked with Ontario Senator Robert Black to pass Bill S-227, the Food Day Canada Act, in honour of Wellington County food activist Anita Stewart[28]
2025 election
Nater won his second re-election campaign in the 2025 Canadian federal election, increasing his share of the vote for the third consecutive election despite a resurgent Liberal Party vote.
45th Canadian Parliament
On May 29, 2025 Members of the House of Commons unanimously selected Nater to be Assistant Deputy Speaker and Assistant Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole succeeding Carol Hughes of the New Democratic Party of Canada who did not seek re-election to the House of Commons.[29]
Electoral record
| 2025 Canadian federal election: Perth—Wellington | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ** Preliminary results — Not yet official ** | ||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | John Nater | 33,972 | 53.00 | +4.45 | ||||
| Liberal | David Mackey | 26,150 | 40.80 | +16.19 | ||||
| New Democratic | Kevin Kruchkywich | 2,909 | 4.54 | –12.65 | ||||
| People's | Wayne Baker | 1,069 | 1.67 | –7.97 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | ||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 64,100 | 71.21 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 90,016 | |||||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | –5.87 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[30][31] | ||||||||
| 2021 Canadian federal election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | John Nater | 26,984 | 48.6 | +2.3 | ||||
| Liberal | Brendan Knight | 13,684 | 24.7 | -2.4 | ||||
| New Democratic | Kevin Kruchkywich | 9,552 | 17.2 | +2.6 | ||||
| People's | Wayne Baker | 5,357 | 9.5 | +7.9 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 55,577 | 99.3 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 380 | 0.7 | ||||||
| Turnout | 55,957 | 65.8 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 85,049 | |||||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +2.4 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[32] | ||||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election: Perth—Wellington | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | John Nater | 25,622 | 46.34 | +3.42 | $73,230.45 | |||
| Liberal | Pirie Mitchell | 15,002 | 27.13 | -10.44 | $48,553.60 | |||
| New Democratic | Geoff Krauter | 8,094 | 14.64 | -0.32 | $19,103.41 | |||
| Green | Collan Simmons | 4,949 | 8.95 | +6.35 | none listed | |||
| People's | Roger Fuhr | 894 | 1.62 | +1.19 | $583.54 | |||
| Christian Heritage | Irma DeVries | 733 | 1.33 | -0.21 | $9,547.05 | |||
| Total valid votes | 55,294 | 99.32 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 381 | 0.68 | +0.33 | |||||
| Turnout | 55,675 | 66.68 | -1.35 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 83,501 | |||||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | +6.93 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[33] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election: Perth—Wellington | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | John Nater | 22,255 | 42.9 | -11.5 | ||||
| Liberal | Stephen McCotter | 19,480 | 37.6 | +19.5 | ||||
| New Democratic | Ethan Rabidoux | 7,756 | 15.0 | -6.3 | ||||
| Green | Nicole Ramsdale | 1,347 | 2.6 | -2.0 | ||||
| Christian Heritage | Irma DeVries | 794 | 1.5 | -0.2 | ||||
| No affiliation | Roger Fuhr | 219 | 0.4 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 51,789 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | – | – | ||||||
| Turnout | 51,789 | 68.1% | +4.6% | |||||
| Eligible voters | 76,097 | |||||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -15.5% | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada | ||||||||
Further reading
Academic
- Brock, Kathy L.; Burbidge, Matthew P.J.; Nater, John L. (2010). "13: A Resilient State: The Federal Public Service, Challenges, Paradoxes, and a New Vision for the Twenty-First Century". In Dunn, Christopher (ed.). The Handbook of Canadian Public Administration (2nd ed.). Toronto: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19542983-1.
- Spicer, Zachary; Nater, John L. (2013). "Legislative Dissent without Reprisal? An Alternative View of Speaker Selection". The Journal of Legislative Studies. 19 (4): 505–525. doi:10.1080/13572334.2013.812356. S2CID 143769225.
References
- ^ Steve Rice (October 20, 2015). "Pupil takes over from teacher as local MP". Stratford Beacon-Herald.
- ^ a b c Laura Cudworth (November 9, 2014). "Mitchell's John Nater ready to build campaign team for next federal election". Stratford Beacon-Herald. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
- ^ a b "First off the mark". Stratford Beacon-Herald. September 29, 2014. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ "Former Speaker 'a model to everybody'". The London Free Press. July 4, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
- ^ "Remembering Arthur Kroeger, 1932-2008". Carleton University.
- ^ "Keeping in Touch" (PDF). Queen's Alumni Review. 89 (1). Kingston: Queen's University: 37. 2015.
- ^ Simmons, Galen (October 17, 2016). "Taps turned on at west end water tower". The Mitchell Advocate.
- ^ Rice, Steve. "Pupil takes over from teacher as local MP". Stratford Beacon-Herald. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ Rice, Steve. "Hard work won riding, Nater says". Stratford Beacon-Herald. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "LANG - Election of Vice-Chairs". Parl.gc.ca.
- ^ "Publication Search". Ourcommons.ca.
- ^ Aiello, Rachel (July 10, 2017). "How a farm boy from Logan Township became one of the biggest procedural nerds in the House". The Hill Times. Ottawa.
- ^ "Debates (Hansard) No. 161 - April 6, 2017 (42-1) - House of Commons of Canada". Parl.gc.ca.
- ^ "Debates (Hansard) No. 162 - April 7, 2017 (42-1) - House of Commons of Canada". Parl.gc.ca.
- ^ "Debates (Hansard) No. 164 - April 11, 2017 (42-1) - House of Commons of Canada". Parl.gc.ca.
- ^ "Team". Conservative.ca.
- ^ "Debates (Hansard) No. 372 - January 28, 2019 (42-1) - House of Commons of Canada". Ourcommons.ca. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "Election Night Results - Electoral Districts". Enr.elections.ca.
- ^ "Scheer maintains core parliamentary team, names new deputy leader". Ctvnews.ca. November 28, 2019.
- ^ "Perth-Wellington MP appointed shadow minister for rural economic development". Stratford Beacon-Herald.
- ^ "Trudeau promises to connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026". Cbc.ca. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "Stratford residents push back against proposed glass-making plant". Stratford Beacon-Herald.
- ^ "Citing delays and 'overt hostility', Xinyi suspends Stratford glass factory plans 'indefinitely'". CBC News.
- ^ "Experienced Tories return to key shadow-cabinet roles". Ipolitics.ca. November 9, 2021.
- ^ "Four Conservative MPs want Jean Charest to enter party's leadership race". Montreal. February 22, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ Raftis, Patrick (October 13, 2022). "Chong holds onto critic post; Nater replaced in shadow cabinet". Wellington Advertiser. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ "Former public servant linked to ArriveCan questioned by MPs about government contracts". cbc.ca. March 19, 2024.
- ^ "It's official — legislation establishes Food Day in Canada". May 12, 2023.
- ^ "Assistant Speakers' roster features two rookies, one veteran".
- ^ "Voter information service". Elections Canada. Retrieved April 18, 2025.
- ^ "Election Night Results - Electoral Districts". Elections Canada. April 29, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
External links
- John Nater – Parliament of Canada biography
- "John Nater, M.P." johnnater.ca.
- "Members of Parliament: John Nater". parl.gc.ca.
- "Phd Students: John Nater". WesternU.ca. Department of Political Science, Western University. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- "How it all started for John Nater (BPAPM '07)". carleton.ca. Arthur Kroeger College, Carleton University. July 18, 2017., drawing from Aiello, Rachel (July 10, 2017). "How a farm boy from Logan Township became one of the biggest procedural nerds in the House". The Hill Times. Ottawa.