▁of ▁Gu el ph . ▁He ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁ins urance ▁manager ▁for ▁K . W . ▁In sur ance ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁and ▁as ▁an ▁ins urance ▁inspect or ▁for ▁Water lo o ▁Mut ual ▁and ▁G ore ▁Mut ual , ▁Ott awa ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁corpor ate ▁market ing ▁manager ▁with ▁G ore ▁Mut ual , ▁Cambridge ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁partner ▁in ▁the ▁firm ▁of ▁W ett lau fer , ▁Collins , ▁Rank in ▁In sur ance ▁Bro k ers ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁ ▁He ▁remained ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁this ▁firm ▁until ▁winning ▁political ▁office ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁ ▁Polit ics ▁W ett lau fer ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Ontario ▁legisl ature ▁for ▁the ▁r iding ▁of ▁K itch ener ▁in ▁the ▁provincial ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁defe ating ▁Liberal ▁candidate ▁Bry an ▁St ort z ▁by ▁over ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁votes . ▁ ▁The ▁Progress ive ▁Conserv atives ▁won ▁a ▁majority ▁government ▁in ▁this ▁election ▁and ▁W ett lau fer ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁back ben ch ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁Mike ▁Harris ▁government . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁the ▁Harris ▁government ▁reduced ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁rid ings ▁from ▁ 1 3 0 ▁to ▁ 1 0 3 . ▁ ▁This ▁change ▁meant ▁that ▁sitting ▁MP P s ▁had ▁to ▁comp ete