David Stupich
Encyclopedia
David Daniel Stupich was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
for most years from the 1960s to the 1980s, and a member of the Canadian House of Commons
from 1988 to 1993. Stupich was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia
to a coal miner.
He served five years in the Royal Canadian Air Force
. After the war he used his veteran's grant to get a degree in agriculture at the University of British Columbia
He then became a chicken farmer and studied at night to become a Chartered Accountant
. He donated his spare time to doing books for local service clubs.
in 1949. He was the provincial CCF
party candidate for the Nanaimo and the Islands
riding.
He entered provincial politics by winning the Nanaimo and the Islands
riding in the 1963 British Columbia election
. He was re-elected in the 1966 provincial election
when the riding name changed to simply Nanaimo, but lost the riding to Social Credit candidate Frank Ney in the 1969 election
. In the 1972 provincial election
, Stupich defeated Ney and returned to the Legislature in the 1972 election, and remained a member until 1988. He introduced the Agricultural Land Reserve bill, which saved thousands of acres of farm land from the paver.
at the Nanaimo—Cowichan
electoral district
for the New Democratic Party
. He served in the 34th Canadian Parliament
but lost to Bob Ringma
of the Reform Party
in the 1993 federal election
.
But after a tip that something was amiss from the head of the Nanaimo Commonwealth Bingo Association, RCMP launched an investigation. It found Stupich ran kickback schemes in which donations to charities were refunded to NCHS. In 1999, Stupich, then 77, faced 64 charges, including theft, fraud, forgery and breach of trust. He pleaded guilty that year to fraud and running an illegal lottery, involving the misappropriation of about $1 million from the NCHS. He was sentenced to two years, serving it on electronic monitoring at his daughter's home in Nanaimo.
Even though he was personally uninvolved, then-Premier Mike Harcourt
resigned as a result of the scandal.
Stupich died in 2006 at Dufferin Place, a long-term care facility in Nanaimo.
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
for most years from the 1960s to the 1980s, and a member of 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...
from 1988 to 1993. Stupich was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to a coal miner.
He served five years in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
. After the war he used his veteran's grant to get a degree in agriculture at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
He then became a chicken farmer and studied at night to become a Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
. He donated his spare time to doing books for local service clubs.
Provincial politics
His first political campaign was an unsuccessful bid to become a member of the Legislative Assembly of British ColumbiaLegislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
in 1949. He was the provincial CCF
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
party candidate for the Nanaimo and the Islands
Nanaimo and the Islands
Nanaimo and the Islands was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1941 to 1963. It was formed of parts of the former ridings of Nanaimo and The Islands. In the 1966 election the Nanaimo riding name was restored and the southern part of the riding became...
riding.
He entered provincial politics by winning the Nanaimo and the Islands
Nanaimo and the Islands
Nanaimo and the Islands was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1941 to 1963. It was formed of parts of the former ridings of Nanaimo and The Islands. In the 1966 election the Nanaimo riding name was restored and the southern part of the riding became...
riding in the 1963 British Columbia election
British Columbia general election, 1963
The British Columbia general election of 1963 was the 27th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 22, 1963, and held on September 30, 1963...
. He was re-elected in the 1966 provincial election
British Columbia general election, 1966
The British Columbia general election of 1966 was the 28th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 5, 1966 and held on September 12, 1966...
when the riding name changed to simply Nanaimo, but lost the riding to Social Credit candidate Frank Ney in the 1969 election
British Columbia general election, 1969
The British Columbia general election of 1969 was the 29th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 21, 1969, and held on August 27, 1969...
. In the 1972 provincial election
British Columbia general election, 1972
The 30th general election for the Canadian province of British Columbia was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 24, 1972, and held on August 30, 1972...
, Stupich defeated Ney and returned to the Legislature in the 1972 election, and remained a member until 1988. He introduced the Agricultural Land Reserve bill, which saved thousands of acres of farm land from the paver.
Federal politics
Stupich then entered federal politics and was elected in the 1988 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
at the Nanaimo—Cowichan
Nanaimo—Cowichan
Nanaimo—Cowichan is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988...
electoral district
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
for the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
. He served in the 34th Canadian Parliament
34th Canadian Parliament
The 34th Canadian Parliament was in session from December 12, 1988 until September 8, 1993. The membership was set by the 1988 federal election on November 21, 1988, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1993 election.It was...
but lost to Bob Ringma
Bob Ringma
MGen Robert "Bob" Ringma was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1997. By career, he was a soldier for the Canadian Forces....
of the Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
in the 1993 federal election
Canadian 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...
.
Bingogate
Stupich was the central figure in a scandal since known as Bingogate. In the late 1950s, Stupich set up and controlled the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society (NCHS), which raised funds on behalf of the NDP.But after a tip that something was amiss from the head of the Nanaimo Commonwealth Bingo Association, RCMP launched an investigation. It found Stupich ran kickback schemes in which donations to charities were refunded to NCHS. In 1999, Stupich, then 77, faced 64 charges, including theft, fraud, forgery and breach of trust. He pleaded guilty that year to fraud and running an illegal lottery, involving the misappropriation of about $1 million from the NCHS. He was sentenced to two years, serving it on electronic monitoring at his daughter's home in Nanaimo.
Even though he was personally uninvolved, then-Premier Mike Harcourt
Mike Harcourt
Michael Franklin Harcourt served as the 30th Premier of the province of British Columbia in Canada from 1991 to 1996, and before that as the 34th mayor of BC's major city, Vancouver from 1980 to 1986....
resigned as a result of the scandal.
Stupich died in 2006 at Dufferin Place, a long-term care facility in Nanaimo.