Gerald Wayne Joseph "Gerry" Mercier (born November 7, 1942 in
Claresholm
Claresholm is a town located within southern Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 2, approximately northwest of the City of Lethbridge and south of the City of Calgary.
One of the Famous Five involved in the Persons Case, Louise McKinne ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
) is a
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
in
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Winn ...
, Canada. He was a member of the
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (french: Assemblée législative du Manitoba) is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at provincial gen ...
Sterling Lyon
Sterling Rufus Lyon (January 30, 1927 – December 16, 2010) was a Canadian lawyer, cabinet minister, and the 17th premier of Manitoba from 1977 to 1981. His government introduced several fiscally-conservative measures, and was sometimes seen a ...
.
The son of Gerard Mercier, he was educated at St. Paul's College and the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Winnipeg City Council
The Winnipeg City Council (french: Conseil municipal de Winnipeg) is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Council is seated in the Council Building of Winnipeg City Hall.
In the 1977 provincial election, Mercier was elected in the central
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
New Democrat
New Democrats, also known as centrist Democrats, Clinton Democrats, or moderate Democrats, are a centrist ideological faction within the Democratic Party in the United States. As the Third Way faction of the party, they are seen as cultural ...
Ian Turnbull by 96 votes. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in this election, and on October 24, 1977, Mercier was appointed Attorney General, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Urban Affairs. The latter two positions were merged as one ministry on October 20, 1978, and were separated again on November 15, 1979 when Mercier was named Urban Affairs minister and Government House Leader. He also had responsibility for the Liquor Control Act between October 20, 1978 and 1981. Notwithstanding the changes in name, Mercier had essentially the same responsibilities through the entirety of the Lyon government.
Lyon's government was defeated in the 1981 election, although Mercier successfully sought re-election in the safe Tory seat of St. Norbert rather than in the marginal Osborne riding. He was re-elected in the 1986 election. Mercier held a unique position in caucus for the next few years, being one of the few individuals who was on friendly terms with supporters of party leader
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th premier of Manitoba from 1988 to 1999.
Political care ...
and potential challengers
Clayton Manness
Clayton Sidney Manness (born January 23, 1947) is a Manitoba politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1995. In 1983, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of M ...
and Don Orchard.
Mercier lost a narrow contest against
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon (born August 24, 1942) is Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th premier of Manitoba from 1988 to 1999.
Political care ...
.
He has not sought a return to provincial politics since his defeat. He was named to the Family Division of the
Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
The Court of King's Bench of Manitoba (french: Cour du Banc du Roi du Manitoba)—or the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba, depending on the monarch—is the superior court of the Canadian province of Manitoba.
The court is divided into two d ...
in 1989. From 1993 to 2009, Mercier served as Associate Chief Justice in the Family Division. In 2009, he elected to become a supernumerary judge.