Garfield Dunlop

Garfield Dunlop is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Simcoe North for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Dunlop was educated at the University of Waterloo. Before entering public life, he was involved with a family business, Glen Dunlop Plumbing, Heating and Supplies (which he first joined in 1971).

In 1980, Dunlop was elected a councillor in the village of Coldwater, Ontario. He served as reeve of the village from 1982 to 1994, and as deputy mayor of the township of Severn from 1994 to 1999. In 1998, he was named warden of Simcoe County.

Dunlop was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1999 provincial election. He won the Progressive Conservative nomination in Simcoe North following the resignation amid scandal of sitting Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Al McLean. The riding is generally regarded as safe for the Tories; Dunlop defeated his Liberal opponent George MacDonald by about 7000 votes.

Dunlop was appointed deputy government whip after his election, but was never given a cabinet position in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. He was one of only 24 Tories re-elected in the 2003 election, defeating Liberal Paul Sloan by 3680 votes.

Dunlop is known as one of the most socially conservative members of the Progressive Conservative caucus. While campaigning in 2003, he handed out literature against same-sex marriage, which he referred to as a sin (same-sex marriage is a federal and not a provincial matter). Dunlop is also known to support private prisons.

He now serves as chief opposition whip, and is the Progressive Conservative critic for community safety and correctional services.