He was later succeeded by former Minister of National Defence John McCallum Jones was born in Warwick, Ontario, and received a degree in Business Administration from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in 1967.
In 2007 Jones pleaded guilty to assaulting a maid at a hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake, citing a momentary lapse in judgement.
He later became a supporter of the United Alternative movement, and in 2000 floated the idea of seeking re-election with co-endorsements from the Progressive Conservatives and the newly formed Canadian Alliance, a successor to the Reform Party.
Jones ultimately sought re-election in the 2000 campaign as a Canadian Alliance candidate, while David Scrymgeour was given the Progressive Conservative nomination.
On November 7, 2016, Jim Jones proposed amalgamating Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and part of King and Stouffville into one city.