{{Short description|Canadian lawyer and politician}} {{BLP sources|date=April 2011}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Gerald Hawranik | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = | office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Lac du Bonnet | term_start2 = March 12, 2002 | term_end2 = March 25, 2011 | predecessor2 = Darren Praznik | successor2 = Wayne Ewasko | party = Progressive Conservative | occupation = Lawyer, politician | alma_mater = University of Manitoba }} '''Gerald Hawranik''' is a lawyer and former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 2002 to 2011.<ref name=living>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/mla_bio_living.html#h |title=MLA Biographies - Living |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Manitoba}}</ref> Hawranik studied at the University of Manitoba, earning degrees in law, education and physical education.<ref name=parole/> He was a long-time resident of northeastern Manitoba. He has been a practicing lawyer for over 30 years,<ref name=lcb/> and has also been the co-owner of a general insurance agency and an automobile dealership in the area. During the early 1990s, he and his wife were responsible for opening the first rural food bank in Canada in the region.<ref name=lcb/> Hawranik is also the founder of ''Beauserve Homes, Inc.'', a learning facility for mentally challenged adults.
In 1993, he was named Queen's Counsel.<ref name=lcb/>
Hawranik was first elected to the legislature in a 2002 by-election in the riding of Lac du Bonnet (following the resignation of Darren Praznik). A Progressive Conservative, Hawranik narrowly defeated New Democrat Michael Hameluck by 3,398 votes to 3,234. He defeated Hameluck again by a slightly wider margin in the provincial election of 2003.<ref name=votes>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/manitobavotes2007/riding/022 |title=Lac du Bonnet |work=Manitoba Votes 2007 |publisher=CBC News}}</ref>
Hawranik maintains a personal web page, through which he has outlined his views on a variety of issues. He has spoken out in favour of reforming Canada's legal system, particularly in light of efforts by the Hells Angels to hire high-priced lawyers at public expense.
He was re-elected in the 2007 provincial election.<ref name=votes/>
In February 2011, Hawranik announced that he would not run for reelection to the assembly later that year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/provincial-politics-tory-mla-hawranik-says-hes-leaving-the-legislature-116525318.html |title=Tory MLA Hawranik says he's leaving the legislature |newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press |date=February 19, 2011}}</ref> Later in 2011, he moved to Alberta to join his wife who had been serving as dean of the faculty of graduate studies at Athabasca University for the previous two years. Also in 2011, he was named to the Parole Board of Canada.<ref name=parole>{{cite news |url=http://eedition.lacdubonnetleader.com/doc/Lac-du-Bonnet-Leader/LacduBonnetLeader/2011110401/3.html |title=Hawranik appointed to Parole Board |publisher=Lac du Bonnet Leader |date=November 3, 2011}}</ref> In July 2013, he was named chair and CEO of the Alberta Surface Rights and Land Compensation Board.<ref name=lcb>{{cite web |url=http://www.landcompensation.gov.ab.ca/aboutus/boardbiographies.aspx?id=1277 |title=Board Structure |publisher=Land Compensation Board |accessdate=2014-07-15}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.geraldhawranik.com}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawranik, Gerald}} Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs Category:Living people Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Category:Year of birth missing (living people)