Many people throughout Newfoundland and Labrador recognize Gerry as a champion of the people.
Since 1996, he has gone to the people a total of six times seeking re-election and each and every time he has been returned to office with bigger and bigger majorities.
The biggest political firestorm ever raised against him was that he was a politician who was doing just too darn much for his own riding.
Gerry was born and raised in Corner Brook, was first elected on March 25, 1996 and was re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, and again in 2006 with some of the highest majority of victories of any Member of Parliament in Canada.
From January 16, 2002 until December 12, 2004 Gerry served in the federal cabinet as Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest Member of Parliament from Newfoundland and Labrador ever to serve in the Federal Cabinet and, at the age of 35, was also the twelfth youngest in Canadian history.
Gerry has held several senior parliamentary positions and has been called upon to help draft his party's policy on the environment and the economy.
Gerry completed post-secondary studies at Dalhousie University graduating in environmental science. He has several years of field work throughout the Northern Peninsula and he has been involved in numerous projects in both renewal and non-renewal resource sectors.
Gerry is married to Denise Gibbons and they have one son, Gerald, or Gerry Stephen.
