Rick Borotsik (born September 8, 1950 in Brandon, Manitoba) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. His school years were spent in Brandon, and he graduated from Brandon University in 1972. In 1978, Borotsik was elected as a Brandon city councilor. He was elected mayor of the city in 1989 (defeating incumbent Ken Burgess), and served in this position until 1997. In his time in office, Borotsik brought the Canada Games and the World Curling Championships to the city of Brandon, attracting a substantial amount of tourism and interest to the quiet city. September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Brandon, known as the Wheat City, is a city in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English (some French services are provided, but French does not have official status at the provincial level) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total... A politician is an individual involved in politics to the extent of holding or running for public office. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Official languages English (some French services are provided, but French does not have official status at the provincial level) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 14 6 Area Total... Brandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba with an enrolment of 3383 (2005) full-time and part-time students. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the 1997 federal election, Borotsik was elected as a Progressive Conservative MP for the federal riding of Brandon-Souris, defeating Reformer Ed Agnew by a narrow margin. He was the first Progressive Conservative MP to be elected in western Canada after the party's near-destruction in 1993, and his victory was regarded at the time as a significant upset. Unlike other prominent Manitoba Tories, such as Vic Toews and Brian Pallister, he opposed a merger with the Reform Party and supported Joe Clark for the leadership of the PC party in 1998. 36th Parliament The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC) was a Canadian centre-right conservative political party that existed from 1867 to 2003. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... In the British Isles since Anglo-Saxon times, a riding is traditionally a sub-division (especially in three) of a county, in Australia analogous. ... Brandon—Souris is the name of a federal electoral district in Canada. ... The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party founded in 1987. ... Western Canada is a geographic region of Canada, also known as simply the West, generally considered to be west of the province of Ontario. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Hon. ... Brian William Pallister (born July 6, 1954) is a Canadian politician. ... The Right Honourable Charles Joseph Clark, PC , CC , AOE , MA , LL.D (born June 5, 1939) was the sixteenth prime minister of Canada from June 4, 1979, to March 2, 1980. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Borotsik emerged as a popular local figure, and was supported by some constituents who might have voted for the Liberals or NDP under different circumstances. He was re-elected over a candidate of the Canadian Alliance in the federal election of 2000, this time joining Clark as one of only two Progressive Conservative MPs from the west (former Canadian Alliance Manitoba MP Inky Mark joined them in 2002). The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party positioned around the centre of the political spectrum, combining a generally progressive social policy with moderate economics. ... The New Democratic Party (NDP) is a political party in Canada with a social democratic philosophy and moderate democratic socialist tendencies. ... The Canadian Alliance (in full, the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance) was a Canadian right-of-centre conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. ... The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000. ... Inky Mark (麥鼎鴻, pinyin: Mài Dǐnghóng) (born November 17, 1947) is a Canadian politician and a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, sitting for the Manitoba riding of Dauphin-Swan River. ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ...

Borotsik held many opposition critic portfolios in the parliamentary PC caucus and served for a period as the party's deputy leader. He eventually gained a reputation as a Red Tory, supporting official bilingualism and opposing initiatives toward privatized health care. In 2003, he surprised many political observers by announcing his support for federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Red Tory is an appellation given to a political tradition in Canadas conservative political parties. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Same-sex marriage is marriage between two people who are of the same characteristic sex. ...

Borotsik supported fellow westerner Jim Prentice in the Progressive Conservative party's leadership convention of 2003. After the convention, he was openly critical of the manner in which newly-elected leader Peter MacKay brought about a merger between the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives, and openly mused about joining the Liberals after the merger was finalized (he was also in attendance when Scott Brison announced his own defection to the Liberals). Ultimately, Borotsik chose to sit with the newly-formed Conservative Party of Canada, but made no secret of his opposition to party leader Stephen Harper and the party's social conservatism. He declined to run in the 2004 election, and was succeeded by Conservative candidate Merv Tweed. He publicly endorsed two Winnipeg-area Liberal candidates in the 2004 election: former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray in the riding of Charleswood—St. James and Terry Duguid in the riding of Kildonan—St. Paul. Jim Prentice, MP (born July 20, 1956, in South Porcupine, Timmins, Ontario) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. ... In Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader. ... Hon. ... Scott A. Brison, PC, MP, BComm (born May 10, 1967, Windsor, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian politician. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a right-of-centre political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... Stephen Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ... Social conservatism is a belief in traditional or natural law-based morality and social mores and the desire to preserve these in present day society, often through civil law or regulation. ... The Canadian federal election, 2004 (more formally, the 38th general election), was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... Mervin Tweed, MP (born August 6, 1955 in Medora, Manitoba) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Unum Cum Virtute Multorum (One With the Strength of Many) Established: {{{Established}}} Area: 465. ... Glen Murray (born October 27, 1957) is a politician who was formerly the mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... Charleswood—St. ... Terry Duguid is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. ... Kildonan—St. ...

In announcing his retirement, Borotsik made the following statement: "I got involved with Jean Charest and Joe Clark because I knew what their vision of the country was. I knew that they actually understood the differences and diversity between Atlantic Canada and B.C. and Quebec and Manitoba. I don't believe that a regional party with the regional ideology of Stephen Harper can reflect that." The Honourable John James Jean Charest (sha-ræ), PC, MNA (born June 24, 1958) is a Quebecois lawyer and politician. ...

Borotsik remains active behind the scenes of the new party, encouraging party members and officials to adopt more moderate policies.