Ian Scott
Encyclopedia
Ian Gilmour Scott, OC
(July 13, 1934 – October 10, 2006) was a politician
in the Canadian
province of Ontario
.
Scott was the Attorney-General of Ontario in the Liberal
government of David Peterson
from 1985 to 1990 and was with Robert Nixon
and Sean Conway
considered to be one of the three top ministers in and "the intellectual heart and soul" of the Peterson cabinet.
, was a prominent Canadian politician in the nineteenth century, and served for a time as government leader
in the Canadian Senate
. His other paternal great-grandfather was W.W. Sullivan, Premier of Prince Edward Island
from 1879 to 1889.
Moreover, one of his maternal great-grandfathers was Andrew G. Blair, who served as Premier of New Brunswick
from 1883 to 1896, when he joined Richard Scott in the federal Liberal cabinet. His father and paternal grandfather were also active supporters of the Liberal Party. In 1948, while still a schoolboy, Ian Scott co-wrote a number of speeches for Brooke Claxton
, Liberal
Minister of National Defence
. Scott's brother, David W. Scott Q.C. is a prominent lawyer in Ottawa
.
at the University of Toronto
, where his teachers included Marshall McLuhan
and Frank Underhill
. He served as president of the student council in his last year. After graduating, he earned a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School
at York University
and joined the firm of Cameron, Brewin, Weldon, McCallum and Skells, with the support of Andrew Brewin
(later a New Democratic Party
Member of Parliament
). The firm was subsequently renamed as Cameron, Brewin and Scott.
In addition to his courtroom work, Scott began teaching civil procedure at the University of Toronto Law School in 1968. One of his pupils was Bob Rae
, whom he canvassed for in a 1978 by-election
for the Canadian House of Commons
. In 1974, Scott worked for the Berger Commission, studying the impact of pipeline development on aboriginal Canadians in the Northwest Territories
.
. He once described his political views as "left of liberal" and had considered running for the Ontario New Democratic Party
, but was unimpressed with the leadership abilities of Michael Cassidy
. An opponent of the Progressive Conservative
party that had governed Ontario since 1943, Scott instead chose to run for the Ontario Liberal Party
under Stuart Smith
, in the downtown Toronto riding of St. David
. He lost to Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Margaret Scrivener
by 1,022 votes.
Scott was, by his own admission, disillusioned with the direction of the Liberal Party in the early 1980s. He was not initially a supporter of David Peterson
, who replaced Smith as Liberal leader in 1982 and whom Scott considered too far to the right. Scott had previously promised to run in the 1985 provincial election
, but planned to back out of this promise in 1984. However, while driving to Peterson's cottage in Pand, he reconsidered and remained the Liberal candidate in St. David.
, and the Liberals made considerable electoral inroads throughout the province. Scott was elected in St. David, defeating Tory candidate and personal friend Julian Porter
by about 3,500 votes. After the election, Scott was one of the Liberal envoys who negotiated an accord with the NDP which allowed the two parties to defeat the Tories in a motion of non-confidence, and then allowed the Liberals to form a minority government with NDP support for two years. He was appointed Attorney General and Minister responsible for Native Affairs
on June 26, 1985, and served in these positions throughout the Peterson administration. He was also the province's minister responsible for Women's Issues and Race Relations from 1985 to 1987, and was an acting Solicitor General on two occasions. In the 1987 provincial election
, he was easily re-elected in the redistributed riding of St. George—St. David
, defeating incumbent St. George Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Susan Fish
of the Progressive Conservatives.
Scott had been a renowned constitutional law
yer prior to entering politics, and as Attorney-General, he took the unusual step of appearing in court on several occasions to personally argue the government's case. He was considered an activist attorney-general, and instituted a number of reforms including the abolition of appointments as Queen's Counsel
, the introduction of Ontario's first Freedom of information legislation
, and the introduction of an independent panel to recommend judicial appointments (previously, the process had been seen as largely driven by patronage
). He also oversaw the introduction of pay equity in the public sector, and introduced an amendment to the Ontario Human Rights Code
to extend protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
that defeated the Peterson government. He was challenged by former Tory cabinet minister Keith Norton
, who had come out of the closet
by this point, and ran as an openly gay
politician. Scott was widely known to be gay, but declined to reveal it, and there were concerns in Scott's campaign that Norton would attempt to make an issue of this matter. While Scott was criticized for not being open about his sexuality, however, Norton was derided for opportunism, declaring himself openly gay only after he'd decided to run in a riding with a large gay population.
He was unhappy in opposition, and lost interest in the legislature after Murray Elston
, his choice to replace Peterson as party leader, was narrowly defeated at the Liberal Party's 1992 leadership convention. Scott resigned his seat in the legislature in 1992.
He accepted a teaching position at York University
, and remained in the public eye as a political panelist on television until a devastating stroke
in 1993 made speech difficult for him. He developed aphasia
following the stroke, and was forced to end his legal career.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
in 1996. In the same year, he supported Joseph Cordiano
's unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.
neighbourhood, home to Canada's largest gay and lesbian community. Although he was asked about his sexual orientation at all candidates meetings during the 1990 provincial election, particularly as Keith Norton
, the Tory candidate, was openly gay, Scott declined to comment, saying that it was a private matter.
After his retirement from politics, Scott publicly acknowledged his long term relationship for the first time in 1993, upon the death of his partner Kim Yakabuski (son of former Progressive Conservative MPP Paul Yakabuski
and the brother of current Progressive Conservative MPP John Yakabuski
).
Scott opposed same-sex marriage
for most of his life, on the grounds that it reflected the values of a society which for years treated homosexuals as pariahs. He later expressed regret that his government did not introduce spousal benefits for same-sex couples.
In the 2006 federal Liberal leadership campaign, Scott endorsed Gerard Kennedy
. A Toronto Star
article on Scott's endorsement also revealed that he remained influential in his last years, lunching regularly with Ontario finance minister Greg Sorbara
, health minister George Smitherman
and Attorney-General Michael Bryant
. Scott still suffered from the effects of his 1994 stroke but "gradually regained the ability to speak" according to the article. Scott was also involved in charity work as chair of the Aphasia Institute, and was also honorary counsel for the Toronto law firm of Paliare Roland lunching with lawyers from the firm once a week. Scott died in his sleep in Toronto
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(July 13, 1934 – October 10, 2006) was a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Scott was the Attorney-General of Ontario in the Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
government of David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
from 1985 to 1990 and was with Robert Nixon
Robert Nixon
Robert Fletcher Nixon is a retired politician in the province of Ontario, Canada. The son of former Premier of Ontario Harry Nixon, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in a 1962 by-election following his father's death...
and Sean Conway
Sean Conway
Sean Conway is a Canadian university professor and administrator. He served for 28 years as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, from 1975 to 2003, and was a high-profile cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson...
considered to be one of the three top ministers in and "the intellectual heart and soul" of the Peterson cabinet.
Family
Scott was born to a family with extensive political connections. One of his paternal great-grandfathers, Richard William ScottRichard William Scott
Sir Richard William Scott, PC, KC was a Canadian politician and cabinet minister.He was born in Prescott, Ontario in 1825. A lawyer by training, Scott was admitted to the bar in 1848 and established a practice in Bytown...
, was a prominent Canadian politician in the nineteenth century, and served for a time as government leader
Leader of the Government in the Senate (Canada)
The Leader of the Government in the Senate is a Canadian cabinet minister who leads the government side in the Canadian Senate and is chiefly responsible for promoting and defending the government's program in the Upper House. The government leader's counterpart on the Opposition benches is the...
in the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
. His other paternal great-grandfather was W.W. Sullivan, Premier of Prince Edward Island
Premier of Prince Edward Island
The Premier of Prince Edward Island is the first minister for the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive.The current Premier of Prince Edward Island is Robert Ghiz.-See also:...
from 1879 to 1889.
Moreover, one of his maternal great-grandfathers was Andrew G. Blair, who served as Premier of New Brunswick
Premier of New Brunswick
The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
from 1883 to 1896, when he joined Richard Scott in the federal Liberal cabinet. His father and paternal grandfather were also active supporters of the Liberal Party. In 1948, while still a schoolboy, Ian Scott co-wrote a number of speeches for Brooke Claxton
Brooke Claxton
Brooke Claxton, PC, DCM, KC was a Canadian veteran of World War I, federal Minister of National Health and Welfare and Minister of National Defence.-Early life:...
, 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...
Minister of National Defence
Minister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
. Scott's brother, David W. Scott Q.C. is a prominent lawyer in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
Early life and career
Scott was educated at St. Michael's CollegeUniversity of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, where his teachers included Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
and Frank Underhill
Frank Underhill
Frank Hawkins Underhill, was a Canadian historian, social critic and political thinker.Frank Underhill, born in Stouffville, Ontario, was educated at the University of Toronto and the University of Oxford where he was a member of the Fabian Society...
. He served as president of the student council in his last year. After graduating, he earned a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School is a Canadian law school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with York University. Named after the first Chief Justice of Ontario, William Osgoode, the law school was established by The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1889 and was the only accredited law...
at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
and joined the firm of Cameron, Brewin, Weldon, McCallum and Skells, with the support of Andrew Brewin
Andrew Brewin
Francis Andrew Brewin was a lawyer and Canadian politician.Brewin was a stalwart in the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and ran numerous times at the federal and provincial levels in the 1940 and 1950s...
(later a 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...
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,...
). The firm was subsequently renamed as Cameron, Brewin and Scott.
In addition to his courtroom work, Scott began teaching civil procedure at the University of Toronto Law School in 1968. One of his pupils was Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, whom he canvassed for in a 1978 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
for 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 1974, Scott worked for the Berger Commission, studying the impact of pipeline development on aboriginal Canadians in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
.
Early political career
Scott first ran for public office in the provincial election of 1981Ontario general election, 1981
The Ontario general election of 1981 was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. He once described his political views as "left of liberal" and had considered running for the Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
, but was unimpressed with the leadership abilities of Michael Cassidy
Michael Cassidy
Michael Morris Cassidy is a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1984, and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 1988...
. An opponent of the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
party that had governed Ontario since 1943, Scott instead chose to run for the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
under Stuart Smith
Stuart Smith
Stuart Smith may refer to:*Stuart Lyon Smith , politician, psychiatrist, academic and public servant in Ontario, Canada*Stuart Saunders Smith , American composer and percussionist*Stuart Tyson Smith, American Egyptologist...
, in the downtown Toronto riding of St. David
St. David (electoral district)
St. David was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that returned Members of Provincial Parliament to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario at Queen's Park. It was created in downtown Toronto in 1926 and was merged into the riding of St. George—St. David in 1987.-MPPs for St...
. He lost to Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Margaret Scrivener
Margaret Scrivener
Margaret Mary Scrivener was a politician in Ontario, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1985, and was a cabinet minister in the government of William Davis. Scrivener was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.Scrivener was born in Toronto, and was...
by 1,022 votes.
Scott was, by his own admission, disillusioned with the direction of the Liberal Party in the early 1980s. He was not initially a supporter of David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
, who replaced Smith as Liberal leader in 1982 and whom Scott considered too far to the right. Scott had previously promised to run in the 1985 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
, but planned to back out of this promise in 1984. However, while driving to Peterson's cottage in Pand, he reconsidered and remained the Liberal candidate in St. David.
Attorney-General
The 1985 election was a watershed moment in Ontario politics. The Progressive Conservatives were reduced to a minority governmentMinority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
, and the Liberals made considerable electoral inroads throughout the province. Scott was elected in St. David, defeating Tory candidate and personal friend Julian Porter
Julian Porter
Julian Harris Porter, QC , is a Canadian lawyer.The son of Canadian lawyer and former Attorney-General of Ontario Dana Porter, he is a graduate of the University of Toronto, and the Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the bar in 1964, and appointed Queen's Counsel in 1976...
by about 3,500 votes. After the election, Scott was one of the Liberal envoys who negotiated an accord with the NDP which allowed the two parties to defeat the Tories in a motion of non-confidence, and then allowed the Liberals to form a minority government with NDP support for two years. He was appointed Attorney General and Minister responsible for Native Affairs
Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs (Ontario)
The Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs is the Government of Ontario ministry responsible for issues relating to First Nations, Métis and Inuit in Ontario. The current Minister of Aboriginal Affairs is Kathleen Wynne who sits in the Executive Council of Ontario or cabinet...
on June 26, 1985, and served in these positions throughout the Peterson administration. He was also the province's minister responsible for Women's Issues and Race Relations from 1985 to 1987, and was an acting Solicitor General on two occasions. In the 1987 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, he was easily re-elected in the redistributed riding of St. George—St. David
St. George—St. David
St. George—St. David was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that returned Members of Provincial Parliament to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario at Queen's Park....
, defeating incumbent St. George Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Susan Fish
Susan Fish
Susan Fish is a former Canadian politician. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller....
of the Progressive Conservatives.
Scott had been a renowned constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
yer prior to entering politics, and as Attorney-General, he took the unusual step of appearing in court on several occasions to personally argue the government's case. He was considered an activist attorney-general, and instituted a number of reforms including the abolition of appointments as Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, the introduction of Ontario's first Freedom of information legislation
Freedom of information legislation
Freedom of information legislation comprises laws that guarantee access to data held by the state. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring standard exceptions...
, and the introduction of an independent panel to recommend judicial appointments (previously, the process had been seen as largely driven by patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
). He also oversaw the introduction of pay equity in the public sector, and introduced an amendment to the Ontario Human Rights Code
Ontario Human Rights Code
The Human Rights Code of Ontario is a provincial law in the province of Ontario, Canada that gives all people equal rights and opportunities without discrimination in specific areas such as jobs, housing and services...
to extend protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Out of government
Scott was narrowly re-elected in the 1990 electionOntario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
that defeated the Peterson government. He was challenged by former Tory cabinet minister Keith Norton
Keith Norton
Keith Calder Norton was a Canadian politician and public servant. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1985, and was until 2005 the chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.-Education and early career:Norton was...
, who had come out of the closet
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
by this point, and ran as an openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
politician. Scott was widely known to be gay, but declined to reveal it, and there were concerns in Scott's campaign that Norton would attempt to make an issue of this matter. While Scott was criticized for not being open about his sexuality, however, Norton was derided for opportunism, declaring himself openly gay only after he'd decided to run in a riding with a large gay population.
He was unhappy in opposition, and lost interest in the legislature after Murray Elston
Murray Elston
Murray John Elston is an executive and former Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1994, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson...
, his choice to replace Peterson as party leader, was narrowly defeated at the Liberal Party's 1992 leadership convention. Scott resigned his seat in the legislature in 1992.
He accepted a teaching position at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, and remained in the public eye as a political panelist on television until a devastating stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 1993 made speech difficult for him. He developed aphasia
Aphasia
Aphasia is an impairment of language ability. This class of language disorder ranges from having difficulty remembering words to being completely unable to speak, read, or write....
following the stroke, and was forced to end his legal career.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1996. In the same year, he supported Joseph Cordiano
Joseph Cordiano
Joseph Cordiano is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was formerly a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and a cabinet minister in the government of Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Early life:...
's unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.
Sexual orientation
Scott's sexual orientation was an open secret during his time in politics, although the media respected his privacy and did not report the fact that he was gay or in a long term same-sex relationship. He came under increasing pressure to come out of the closet, particularly from many of his constituents in St. George—St. David, which includes the Church and WellesleyChurch and Wellesley
Church and Wellesley is an LGBT-oriented community located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is roughly bounded by Gerrard Street to the south, Yonge Street to the west, Charles Street to the north, and Jarvis Street to the east, with the core commercial strip located along Church Street from...
neighbourhood, home to Canada's largest gay and lesbian community. Although he was asked about his sexual orientation at all candidates meetings during the 1990 provincial election, particularly as Keith Norton
Keith Norton
Keith Calder Norton was a Canadian politician and public servant. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1985, and was until 2005 the chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.-Education and early career:Norton was...
, the Tory candidate, was openly gay, Scott declined to comment, saying that it was a private matter.
After his retirement from politics, Scott publicly acknowledged his long term relationship for the first time in 1993, upon the death of his partner Kim Yakabuski (son of former Progressive Conservative MPP Paul Yakabuski
Paul Yakabuski
Paul Joseph Yakabuski was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1987, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party....
and the brother of current Progressive Conservative MPP John Yakabuski
John Yakabuski
John Yakabuski is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the eastern Ontario riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke for the Progressive Conservative Party...
).
Scott opposed same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
for most of his life, on the grounds that it reflected the values of a society which for years treated homosexuals as pariahs. He later expressed regret that his government did not introduce spousal benefits for same-sex couples.
Final years
In 2001, he published his memoirs, To Make A Difference, co-written with Neil McCormick.In the 2006 federal Liberal leadership campaign, Scott endorsed Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
. A Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
article on Scott's endorsement also revealed that he remained influential in his last years, lunching regularly with Ontario finance minister Greg Sorbara
Greg Sorbara
Gregory Sam "Greg" Sorbara, MPP a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Vaughan. Sorbara served as the Minister of Finance in the Ontario Liberal Party government of Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 to 2007.He resigned on October 11, 2005, following a police investigation involving...
, health minister George Smitherman
George Smitherman
George Smitherman is a Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election...
and Attorney-General Michael Bryant
Michael Bryant (politician)
Michael J. Bryant is former public administrator and former politician in Ontario, Canada. A Harvard-trained lawyer, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the electoral district of St. Paul's for the Ontario Liberal Party from 1999 until 2009...
. Scott still suffered from the effects of his 1994 stroke but "gradually regained the ability to speak" according to the article. Scott was also involved in charity work as chair of the Aphasia Institute, and was also honorary counsel for the Toronto law firm of Paliare Roland lunching with lawyers from the firm once a week. Scott died in his sleep in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.