Jim Rondeau  Jim Rondeau (born April 6, 1959) is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1999 to 2016, and served as cabinet minister in the provincial governments of Gary Doer and Greg Selinger from 2003 to 2013. Rondeau is a member of the New Democratic Party. Rondeau did not seek re-election in the 2016 Manitoba election. The son of Gaston Joseph Rondeau and Dorothy Jean Finch, he was born in Winnipeg, and was educated at John Taylor Collegiate. He holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Winnipeg and has completed post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Manitoba. He was a teacher at Norway House High School from 1981 to 1984 and later taught at Cranberry Portage, before becoming coordinator of the Frontier School Division at the University of Winnipeg. Rondeau helped establish several learning centres and libraries throughout the province, and founded a school-to-work transition program for young people from northern Manitoba. He also coached the Winnipeg Eagles Volleyball Club, and was coach and manager of the Manitoba Volleyball team in several North American Aboriginal Games. Rondeau was first elected to the Manitoba Legislature in the 1999 provincial election with a dramatic victory in the west-end Winnipeg riding of Assiniboia, previously regarded as safe for the Progressive Conservative Party. On election night, the final vote totals showed Progressive Conservative incumbent Linda McIntosh winning re-election by two votes. After the institutional ballots were counted, however, Rondeau was declared elected by six votes. A recount later reduced his majority to four, and a subsequent judicial ruling struck it down to three. Rondeau entered the legislature as a backbench supporter of Gary Doer's government, and soon became known as a strong constituency worker. He kept a strong interest in educational issues, and was a frequent participant in debates at the St. James-Assiniboia School Board. He represented the provincial government at Manitoba's 2001 Hire a Student Day event, and was appointed to the board of Junior Achievement of Manitoba in 2003 with responsibility for Government, Education and Labor Relations. Rondeau also played an important role in assuring passage of the provincial Canadian Forces Personnel Act. Rondeau is the first openly gay member of the Manitoba legislature, and was the keynote speaker of Winnipeg's 2000 Gay Pride Parade. He encouraged the Doer government to introduce full legal equality for gay and lesbian couples during its first term, and strongly supported 2002 legislation that ensured full equality for all common-law relationships.