Sorbara, his campaign included both right-wing and left-wing elements. He supported tax reduction (including lower gasoline taxes, a reduction in the Provincial Sales Tax and a one-year moratorium on the federal Goods and Services Tax), and favoured open Sunday shopping and allowing corner stores to sell beer and wine. He also supported pay equity measures, and described himself as pro-choice on abortion. In the provincial elections of 1995 and 1999, Ramsay's primary opposition came not from the New Democrats but the Progressive Conservatives, whose leader Mike Harris represented a neighbouring riding. He won by a clear margin on both occasions. In 1996, he endorsed Dwight Duncan's bid to lead the Ontario Liberal Party. Ramsay served as caucus chair from 1993 to 1994 and again from 1999 to 2003. With the victory of the Liberals under the leadership of Dalton McGuinty in the 2003 election, Ramsay returned to cabinet as Minister of Natural Resources on 23 October 2003. He was also given responsibility for Aboriginal Affairs on 29 June 2005. In June 2007, Ramsay was appointed Ontario's first Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. In the 2007 provincial election, Ramsay won by 634 votes over NDP candidate John Vanthof. Ramsay expected to continue as a minister but was dropped from cabinet. Instead he was appointed as McGuinty's Parliamentary Assistant. In January 2011 he said that he was retiring from politics and would not run in the 2011 election. Cabinet positions References External links 1948 births 2020 deaths Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs Ontario Liberal Party MPPs Members of the Executive Council of Ontario Australian emigrants to Canada Canadian people of British descent Politicians from Sydney People from Oakville, Ontario People from Timiskaming District Concordia University alumni 21st-century Canadian politicians