Photo: Balcer · CC BY 2.5Fewer of Palmerston voted in 2022 than in most of Ontario: 28%, behind 77% of municipalities
Palmerston has no council of its own: it belongs to Minto, a town. Voters in Minto chose Dave Turton as mayor in October 2022, for a 7-seat council. These names are from the 2022–26 term: Ontario’s municipalities voted on 26 October 2026, but the province’s open list of the results isn’t out. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Palmerston votes in Perth—Wellington; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is. John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Perth—Wellington, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Palmerston.
What stands out in how Palmerston is governed
Turnout below the norm
Minto council drew fewer of its electors to the polls in 2022 than the typical Ontario municipality (35%). How Palmerston voted ↓
High federal turnout
Federal turnout in Perth—Wellington beat 69% of Canada’s ridings in 2021. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Palmerston, a town in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Spends most on social services and child care, then social housing (2024 return).
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
ola.org ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
Wellington County is the upper tier over Minto, a lower-tier municipality.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Palmerston, from the most recent elections.
- 1Minto councilelected October 2022Dave Turton
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioPerth—Wellington
- 3House of CommonsPerth—Wellington
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
Who was elected to Minto council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Dave Turton
- Jean Anderson
- Judy Dirksen
- Ron B. Elliott
- Geoff Gunson
- Paul Zimmerman
- Ed Podniewicz
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Turton | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Jean Anderson | Deputy Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Judy Dirksen | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Ron B. Elliott | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Geoff Gunson | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Paul Zimmerman | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
| Ed Podniewicz | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
There are no wards on Minto council: the whole electorate votes for every seat, the mayor too. Dave Turton was acclaimed mayor, with no one on the ballot against them.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Palmerston voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
On 24 October 2022, only 28% of electors voted for Minto council, a weaker showing than most of Ontario. The nearest places to Palmerston with figures are 20–30 km away.
How Palmerston voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Palmerston votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Minto council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
No open copy of the 2025 counts exists, and Elections Canada’s own terms rule out commercial reuse, so 2021 is the last vote shown. The next council election in Minto falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Palmerston votes in Perth—Wellington for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗Palmerston is in Perth—Wellington, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
John Nater represents Perth—Wellington in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Perth—Wellington · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Of the 122 seats from Ontario, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 71, and John Nater’s Conservative Party of Canada has 50.
The MP’s record
The current Parliament is John Nater’s 4th, counting from a first win in 2015. Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Perth—Wellington puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 49%; John Nater held it for the party in 2025.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
Perth—Wellington returned John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
These are the 2019 and 2021 results on the 2013 map of Perth—Wellington; its boundaries changed for the 2025 election.
13,300 votes separated John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) from Brendan Knight (Liberal Party of Canada) in Perth—Wellington in 2021, when the winner took 49%. John Nater already held it after the 2019 election, won with 46%.
All 4 candidates in Perth—Wellington, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Nater | Conservative Party of Canada | 26,984 | 48.6% |
| Brendan Knight | Liberal Party of Canada | 13,684 | 24.6% |
| Kevin Kruchkywich | New Democratic Party | 9,552 | 17.2% |
| Wayne Baker | People's Party of Canada | 5,357 | 9.6% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Minto council spends less per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Debt Minto council owes over the long term came to $8.3M, $851 a resident, higher than the median of $440. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 35% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. 51 full-time positions are funded, 5.2 per thousand residents. More goes to water, sewers and waste than to anything else: $419 a resident, 24% of all spending. Each resident’s share of Minto council’s 2024 spending came to $1,713, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. Residents are also served by Wellington County, which spent $2,797 each across its area, chiefly on social services and child care.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $4.1M | $419 | 24% |
| Roads and transit | $3.9M | $398 | 23% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.7M | $380 | 22% |
| Police, fire and protection | $3.5M | $356 | 21% |
| Planning and development | $927K | $95 | 6% |
| General government | $338K | $35 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $292K | $30 | 2% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
One seat for every 1,430 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
At 1,430 residents a seat, Minto council is more closely spread than 52% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Palmerston is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.on.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Council size. The council size includes the head of council; the population is the 2021 Census, the whole city’s for a neighbourhood.
- Council money. Figures are the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals after adjustments, per resident on the return’s population. Lower tiers stand beside lower tiers only: their county or region spends on top.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Who holds each seat. MPs come from Wikidata’s records of the 45th Parliament, which can lag a resignation or a by-election by some days.
- Which riding. Each place is put in its ridings by where its 2021 Census residents live; a riding holding 5% or more of them is listed.
- Election results. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
Questions about how Palmerston is run
Who is the MP for Palmerston?
Perth—Wellington’s MP, John Nater of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Palmerston.
Which party won Palmerston in the 2021 federal election?
John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) took Perth—Wellington in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MPP for Palmerston?
Palmerston votes in Perth—Wellington; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Palmerston?
In October 2022, Dave Turton won the post of mayor for Minto council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Minto council spend?
Minto council spent $16.7M in 2024 for about 9,770 residents; its largest service line was water, sewers and waste, at $4.1M.
Which regional body is Minto part of?
The council of Wellington County, made up of members from its municipalities, Minto among them, is the upper tier.
How is Minto council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Minto council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Palmerston?
Turnout for Minto council reached 27.7% in October 2022 (Ontario median: 35.5%).
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada · Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario) · Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).