{{Short description|Dutch politician (born 1964)}} {{Infobox officeholder |name=Gert-Jan Oplaat |image=GJOplaat.jpg |caption=Oplaat in 2005 |office=Member of the Senate |term_start=13 June 2023 |term_end= |office1=Member of the House of Representatives |term_start1=19 May 1998 |term_end1=23 May 2002 |term_start2=26 July 2002 |term_end2=30 November 2006 |birth_date={{birth date and age|1964|11|22|df=yes}} |birth_place=Markelo, Netherlands |party={{Unbulleted list|VVD (1989–2022)|BBB (2022–present)}} |occupation={{Unbulleted list|Entrepreneur|Consultant|Administrator}} }} '''Gert-Jan Oplaat''' (born 22 November 1964) is a Dutch politician.
==Career== After secondary education he became a member of an agricultural family business.<ref name=Parlement>{{Cite web|language=Dutch|url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vg09llk4j1zv/g_j_gert_jan_oplaat|publisher=Parlement.com|title=G.J. (Gert-Jan) Oplaat}}</ref> In 1994 he protested against the national manure and ammonia policies.<ref name=Parlement/>
In 1989 he joined the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).<ref name=Parlement/> Between 1994 and 1998 he was a municipal councillor in Markelo.
He was elected in the 1998 general election.<ref name=Parlement/> He was his party's spokesman for agriculture.<ref name=Parlement/> In 2004 he presented a pamphlet arguing for a more right-conservative course, together with Geert Wilders.<ref name=Parlement/> His place on the candidate list was too low to be re-elected in the 2006 general election.
After leaving parliament he became a consultant, administrator in branche organisations and chairman of the regional chamber of commerce.<ref name=Parlement/>
Until 2014 he was chairman of the VVD provincial branch in Overijssel.
In 2022 he left the VVD because of discontent about its policies during the nitrogen crisis.<ref>{{Cite news|publisher=RTV Oost|date=June 13, 2022|title=Oud-Kamerlid Gert-Jan Oplaat zegt VVD-lidmaatschap op om stikstofplannen|author=Pepijn van den Brink|url=https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/2110596/oud-kamerlid-gert-jan-oplaat-zegt-vvd-lidmaatschap-op-om-stikstofplannen|language=Dutch}}</ref> After being contacted by multiple parties, he joined the agrarian Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB).<ref>{{Cite news|language=Dutch|publisher=NOS|date=June 25, 2022|title=Oplaat (ex-VVD) stapt over naar BoerBurgerBeweging|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2434058-oplaat-ex-vvd-stapt-over-naar-boerburgerbeweging|access-date=July 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703134941/https://nos.nl/artikel/2434058-oplaat-ex-vvd-stapt-over-naar-boerburgerbeweging|archive-date=July 3, 2022}}</ref> Oplaat was placed third on the BBB's candidate list for the 2023 Senate election and was elected, taking office on 13 June 2023.
==Personal life== Oplaat is married. He performs as a cabaretier and singer.<ref name=Parlement/> He is a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau and a member of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.
==Electoral history== {{Incomplete list|date=September 2023}} {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:center;" |+ {{sronly|Electoral history of Gert-Jan Oplaat}} ! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Year ! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Body ! scope="col" colspan=2 rowspan=2 |Party ! scope="col" rowspan=2 |{{abbr|2=Position on the party list|Pos.}} ! scope="col" rowspan=2 |Votes ! scope="colgroup" colspan=2 |Result ! scope="col" rowspan=2 class="unsortable" |{{abbr|2=References|Ref}}. |- ! scope="col" |Party seats ! scope="col" |Individual |- ! scope="row" | 1998 | House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|People's Party for Freedom and Democracy}};"| | VVD | style=text-align:right | 36 | style=text-align:right | 3,712 | style=text-align:right | 38 | {{yes2|Won}} | |- ! scope="row" | 2002 | House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|People's Party for Freedom and Democracy}};"| | VVD | style=text-align:right | 27 | style=text-align:right | 2,672 | style=text-align:right | 24 | {{no2|Lost}} | |- ! scope="row" | 2003 | House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|People's Party for Freedom and Democracy}};"| | VVD | style=text-align:right | 23 | style=text-align:right | 3,219 | style=text-align:right | 28 | {{yes2|Won}} | |- ! scope="row" | 2006 | House of Representatives | style="background-color:{{party color|People's Party for Freedom and Democracy}};"| | VVD | style=text-align:right | 26 | style=text-align:right | 2,601 | style=text-align:right | 22 | {{no2|Lost}} | |- ! scope="row" | 2023 | Senate | style="background-color:{{party color|Farmer–Citizen Movement}};"| | BBB | style=text-align:right | 3 | style=text-align:right | | style=text-align:right | 16 | {{yes2|Won}} | |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Members of the Senate of the Netherlands, 2023–2027|state=collapsed}}
{{Portal bar|Netherlands|Politics|Agriculture}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Oplaat, Gert-Jan}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:People from Hof van Twente Category:People's Party for Freedom and Democracy politicians Category:Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Category:Dutch civil servants Category:Farmer–Citizen Movement politicians