David Dingwall
Encyclopedia
David Charles Dingwall, PC
(born June 29, 1952) is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and civil servant.
A lawyer
by training, Dingwall was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1980 Canadian federal election
as the Liberal
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Cape Breton—East Richmond
in Nova Scotia
. He was re-elected in three subsequent elections, and served as Opposition House Leader
from 1991 to 1993.
under Jean Chrétien
, Dingwall was appointed to Cabinet as Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Minister of Public Works
and Minister of Supply and Services. In 1996, he was moved to the position of Minister of Health
. Dingwall, one of Chrétien's strongest allies, was the Liberals' senior minister in Nova Scotia was responsible for patronage projects; one example being an infamous rock wall surrounding the campus of the then-UCCB (now CBU
) as part of a beautification project - it was promptly labelled "the Ding Wall". As minister of Public Works, Dingwall hired Chuck Guité and set in motion changes to the advertisement procurement system that evolved into the Sponsorship Scandal.
Dingwall, however, was soon viewed as "out of touch" with his riding, and a disenchantment in the Atlantic Provinces with the government's changes to Unemployment Insurance and cuts in fish quotas made him vulnerable. The government's decision to withdraw federal subsidies to coal mines in Cape Breton Island
(although not formalized until 1999), and Dingwall's apparent arrogance when confronted by miners in an embarrassing televised forum further alienated the public from him. Combined with Nova Scotian Alexa McDonough
's NDP gaining favour in the province, Dingwall lost his riding by 1400 votes in the 1997 election
to Michelle Dockrill
.
and MD Life. On February 27, 2003, the federal government appointed him to the position of president and Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Canadian Mint
. His leadership led that organization to increased profitability and posting its first surplus in several years http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2005/10/05/1249860-cp.html. He resigned in late September 2005, in the midst of a controversy arising out of allegations concerning his failure to register as a lobbyist on behalf of a pharmaceutical company, his receipt of contingent lobbying fees contrary to government rules, and expenses claimed in connection with his employment at the Mint.
Having been public works minister in the mid-1990s, Dingwall has been called to testify in relationship to the Sponsorship Scandal
, and contracts given out during his time in the department have come under scrutiny.
Those documents showed that Dingwall and his top aides accumulated office expenses of more than $740,000 in 2004. That total included $130,000 in foreign and domestic travel, $14,000 in meals and $11,000 in hospitality.http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060412/dingwall_report_060412/20060412?hub=Canada Among the items charged were $1,400 for his membership in the Rivermead Golf Club, $5,900 in automobile expenses, and $1,500 in membership fees in the Nova Scotia Barristers Society.
In the midst of these allegations, Dingwall resigned from his position with the Mint on September 28, 2005.http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050928/dingwall_spending_050928/20050928?hub=TopStories When questioned while giving testimony before Parliament as to why he felt he should receive a severance package after the voluntary resignation, he remarked "I'm entitled to my entitlements." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051020/DINGWALL20/TPNational/Canada
The statement would be used by the Conservatives
in a television advertisement
during the 2006 federal election
that featured that part of Dingwall's testimony.
On October 26, 2005, a CBC story reported that an independent audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers
"found the expenses fell within the guidelines", but it added that "judging those guidelines wasn't part of its mandate." A second independent review by law firm Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt found that the Mint's process for monitoring expenses was stricter than that of most private corporations. The twin reports completely exonerated Dingwall.
On February 4, 2006, it was released that the government was following its binding arbitration ruling by paying Dingwall $417,780 along with associated pension benefits. It was also discovered that Dingwall had been forced to resign from his position at the Canadian mint. The Liberal government had knowledge of this settlement on January 20, 2006, but did not inform the public. This drew harsh words from members of the Conservative and New Democratic Parties, who accused the Liberals of hiding the information to not affect the January 23 election.
Dingwall testified that he resigned voluntarily after the controversy erupted over his expense account claims. Former prime minister Paul Martin
and former revenue minister John McCallum also insisted that was the case. However, a report from retired Superior Court Judge, George Adams found the government essentially forced out Dingwall.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born June 29, 1952) is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and civil servant.
A lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
by training, Dingwall was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1980 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Cape Breton—East Richmond
Cape Breton—East Richmond
Cape Breton—East Richmond was a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997....
in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. He was re-elected in three subsequent elections, and served as Opposition House Leader
House Leader
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament and an expert in parliamentary procedure...
from 1991 to 1993.
Cabinet Minister
After the Liberals won the 1993 Canadian electionCanadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
under Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
, Dingwall was appointed to Cabinet as Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Minister of Public Works
Minister of Public Works (Canada)
The position of Minister of Public Works existed as part of the Cabinet of Canada from Confederation to 1995.As part of substantial governmental reorganization, the position was merged with that of the Minister of Supply and Services to create the position of Minister of Public Works and Government...
and Minister of Supply and Services. In 1996, he was moved to the position of Minister of Health
Minister of Health (Canada)
The Minister of Health is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health department and the enforcing the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Health Act, the law governing Medicare...
. Dingwall, one of Chrétien's strongest allies, was the Liberals' senior minister in Nova Scotia was responsible for patronage projects; one example being an infamous rock wall surrounding the campus of the then-UCCB (now CBU
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
) as part of a beautification project - it was promptly labelled "the Ding Wall". As minister of Public Works, Dingwall hired Chuck Guité and set in motion changes to the advertisement procurement system that evolved into the Sponsorship Scandal.
Dingwall, however, was soon viewed as "out of touch" with his riding, and a disenchantment in the Atlantic Provinces with the government's changes to Unemployment Insurance and cuts in fish quotas made him vulnerable. The government's decision to withdraw federal subsidies to coal mines in Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
(although not formalized until 1999), and Dingwall's apparent arrogance when confronted by miners in an embarrassing televised forum further alienated the public from him. Combined with Nova Scotian Alexa McDonough
Alexa McDonough
Alexa Ann Shaw McDonough OC is a Canadian politician who became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada, when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's leader in 1980...
's NDP gaining favour in the province, Dingwall lost his riding by 1400 votes in the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
to Michelle Dockrill
Michelle Dockrill
Michelle Dockrill is a former politician from Nova Scotia, Canada, who represented the riding of Bras d'Or in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2000.-Early life:...
.
After politics
Following his defeat, Dingwall served as the president of his lobbying firm Wallding International Inc., as well as on several corporate boards of directors, including Rogers Sugar Income FundRogers Sugar Income Fund
Rogers Sugar Income Fund is the income trust that was established in October 1997 to act as a holding company for Lantic Sugar Limited that operates in Eastern Canada and Rogers Sugar Ltd. that is based in Western Canada...
and MD Life. On February 27, 2003, the federal government appointed him to the position of president and Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Canadian Mint
Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins; medals, as well as medallions and...
. His leadership led that organization to increased profitability and posting its first surplus in several years http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2005/10/05/1249860-cp.html. He resigned in late September 2005, in the midst of a controversy arising out of allegations concerning his failure to register as a lobbyist on behalf of a pharmaceutical company, his receipt of contingent lobbying fees contrary to government rules, and expenses claimed in connection with his employment at the Mint.
Having been public works minister in the mid-1990s, Dingwall has been called to testify in relationship to the Sponsorship Scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
, and contracts given out during his time in the department have come under scrutiny.
Royal Canadian Mint scandal
In the fall of 2005, Dingwall came under scrutiny for having allegedly made excessive expense claims while he was president of the Canadian Mint. Conservative MP Brian Pallister had received documents on Mint expenses and made them public.Those documents showed that Dingwall and his top aides accumulated office expenses of more than $740,000 in 2004. That total included $130,000 in foreign and domestic travel, $14,000 in meals and $11,000 in hospitality.http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060412/dingwall_report_060412/20060412?hub=Canada Among the items charged were $1,400 for his membership in the Rivermead Golf Club, $5,900 in automobile expenses, and $1,500 in membership fees in the Nova Scotia Barristers Society.
In the midst of these allegations, Dingwall resigned from his position with the Mint on September 28, 2005.http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050928/dingwall_spending_050928/20050928?hub=TopStories When questioned while giving testimony before Parliament as to why he felt he should receive a severance package after the voluntary resignation, he remarked "I'm entitled to my entitlements." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051020/DINGWALL20/TPNational/Canada
The statement would be used by the Conservatives
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
in a television advertisement
Attack ad
In political campaigns, an attack ad is an advertisement whose message is meant as a personal attack against another candidate or political party...
during the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
that featured that part of Dingwall's testimony.
On October 26, 2005, a CBC story reported that an independent audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
"found the expenses fell within the guidelines", but it added that "judging those guidelines wasn't part of its mandate." A second independent review by law firm Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt found that the Mint's process for monitoring expenses was stricter than that of most private corporations. The twin reports completely exonerated Dingwall.
On February 4, 2006, it was released that the government was following its binding arbitration ruling by paying Dingwall $417,780 along with associated pension benefits. It was also discovered that Dingwall had been forced to resign from his position at the Canadian mint. The Liberal government had knowledge of this settlement on January 20, 2006, but did not inform the public. This drew harsh words from members of the Conservative and New Democratic Parties, who accused the Liberals of hiding the information to not affect the January 23 election.
Dingwall testified that he resigned voluntarily after the controversy erupted over his expense account claims. Former prime minister Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
and former revenue minister John McCallum also insisted that was the case. However, a report from retired Superior Court Judge, George Adams found the government essentially forced out Dingwall.