Godfrey-Milliken Bill
Encyclopedia
The Godfrey-Milliken Bill, officially Bill C-339: The American Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Loyalty) Act was a Private Member's Bill
introduced in the Canadian parliament by Liberal
MPs
Peter Milliken
and John Godfrey
. The bill has been viewed as a parody of the American Helms-Burton Act
.
The Helms-Burton Act set up stringent punishments on any business or person that profited from property of American businesses and people that had been seized in the Cuban Revolution
. The bill included a policy of punishing foreign nations and companies who had profited from this seized property (which in practice means trading with Cuba
at all, since everything in Cuba is in some way connected to such property). This included a number of Canadian companies.
The 1996 bill responded by calling for descendants of United Empire Loyalists
who fled the American Revolution
to be able to reclaim land and property that was confiscated by the American government. The bill would have also allowed the Canadian government to exclude corporate officers, or controlling shareholders of companies that possess property formerly owned by Loyalists, as well as the spouse and minor child of such persons from entering Canada. In total some three million Canadians are descendants of United Empire Loyalists, including Milliken and Godfrey. The current value of the land and property seized during the American Revolution is many billions of dollars.
The bill received widespread attention in Canada, and also some publicity south of the border including a feature on 60 Minutes
.
The Godfrey-Milliken Bill did not become law; however, a more serious piece of legislation sponsored by Milliken called "An Act to amend the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act" did pass. Bill C-54 contained no reference to Loyalist property claims, but it did serve to neutralize the Helms-Burton Act within Canada.
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
introduced in the Canadian parliament by 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...
MPs
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,...
Peter Milliken
Peter Milliken
Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken, UE is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until his retirement in 2011 and served as Speaker of the House for 10 years beginning in 2001. Milliken represented the Ontario riding of Kingston and the Islands as a...
and John Godfrey
John Godfrey
John Ferguson Godfrey, PC is a Canadian educator, journalist and former Member of Parliament.- Education :He was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Senator John Morrow Godfrey , was a Canadian pilot, lawyer and politician. John Godfrey graduated from Upper Canada College in 1960...
. The bill has been viewed as a parody of the American Helms-Burton Act
Helms-Burton Act
The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996 is a United States federal law which strengthens and continues the United States embargo against Cuba...
.
The Helms-Burton Act set up stringent punishments on any business or person that profited from property of American businesses and people that had been seized in the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
. The bill included a policy of punishing foreign nations and companies who had profited from this seized property (which in practice means trading with Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
at all, since everything in Cuba is in some way connected to such property). This included a number of Canadian companies.
The 1996 bill responded by calling for descendants of United Empire Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists
The name United Empire Loyalists is an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War and prior to the Treaty of Paris...
who fled the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
to be able to reclaim land and property that was confiscated by the American government. The bill would have also allowed the Canadian government to exclude corporate officers, or controlling shareholders of companies that possess property formerly owned by Loyalists, as well as the spouse and minor child of such persons from entering Canada. In total some three million Canadians are descendants of United Empire Loyalists, including Milliken and Godfrey. The current value of the land and property seized during the American Revolution is many billions of dollars.
The bill received widespread attention in Canada, and also some publicity south of the border including a feature on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
.
The Godfrey-Milliken Bill did not become law; however, a more serious piece of legislation sponsored by Milliken called "An Act to amend the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act" did pass. Bill C-54 contained no reference to Loyalist property claims, but it did serve to neutralize the Helms-Burton Act within Canada.
See also
- U.S. embargo against Cuba
- Jacob Purdy House - formerly property of United Empire Loyalists