John Oostrom
Encyclopedia
John Martin Oostrom is a former business executive and Canadian
parliamentarian
. He was the first Dutch
-born Canadian elected to the Canadian House of Commons
. Oostrom moved to Toronto
in 1955 to study at the University of Toronto
, and graduated in 1959 with a BA
. He subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration
degree and entered the business world as a financial analyst. By the late 1970s, was an executive with the electronics firm Phillips Canada.
He was a member of Paul Hellyer
's short-lived Action Canada Party in 1971, and followed Hellyer into the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
when Action Canada dissolved prior to the 1972 federal election
. In that election, Oostrom was the Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate in the working-class Toronto riding of York South
. He placed third behind New Democratic Party
leader David Lewis
and the Liberal
candidate.
, Oostrom tried again in what had become York South—Weston
. This time he came in second, only 3,500 votes behind Liberal incumbent Ursula Appolloni
. A third attempt in the 1980 election
was less successful: Oostrom came third with only half as many votes as the Liberal victor.
Oostrom was successful in his fourth campaign, in the 1984 federal election
when he moved to the more affluent riding of Willowdale
in North York
. This time, Oostrom won, edging Liberal Member of Parliament
Jim Peterson
by just over 400 votes.
As a Progressive Conservative backbencher in the Canadian House of Commons
, Oostrom was a social conservative, opposing abortion
and favouring capital punishment
and a hard law and order
stance. As vice-chairman of the House of Common's committee responsible for immigration, Oostrom also expressed criticism of what he saw as lax policies towards refugee
claimants. Oostrom is also a fervent anti-Communist
and was involved with the far-right World Anti-Communist League
.
In the 1988 federal election
, Oostrom again faced Peterson, who beat him by fewer than 2,000 votes. Oostrom returned to the private sector as a consultant before trying to regain his Willowdale seat as a PC Party candidate in the 1993 federal election
. He was unsuccessful, garnering only 7,733 votes against Peterson's 28,000 and winning only 700 votes more than the third place Reform Party
candidate.
Oostrom attempted another comeback in the 2000 federal election
, this time in the suburb
an 905 riding of Oak Ridges
north of Toronto. Running again as a Progressive Conservative, he came in a poor third.
In 2003, Oostrom added his voice to those Tories opposing the Progressive Conservative Party's merger with the Canadian Alliance
.
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...
parliamentarian
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
. He was the first Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-born Canadian 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...
Life
Oostrom was the eldest of thirteen children and immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands in 1952 with his entire family. They settled on a farm near Kemptville, OntarioKemptville, Ontario
Kemptville is a community located in the Municipality of North Grenville in Southern Ontario, Canada in the northernmost part of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville...
. Oostrom moved to 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...
in 1955 to study 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...
, and graduated in 1959 with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. He subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree and entered the business world as a financial analyst. By the late 1970s, was an executive with the electronics firm Phillips Canada.
He was a member of Paul Hellyer
Paul Hellyer
Paul Theodore Hellyer, PC is a Canadian engineer, politician, writer and commentator who has had a long and varied career. He is the longest serving current member of the Privy Council, just ahead of Prince Philip.-Early life:...
's short-lived Action Canada Party in 1971, and followed Hellyer into the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
when Action Canada dissolved prior to the 1972 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
. In that election, Oostrom was the Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate in the working-class Toronto riding of York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
. He placed third behind 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...
leader David Lewis
David Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
and 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...
candidate.
Career
In the 1979 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
, Oostrom tried again in what had become York South—Weston
York South—Weston
York South—Weston is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Electoral district:It is in the west-end of Toronto. The riding has a largely working class and immigrant population...
. This time he came in second, only 3,500 votes behind Liberal incumbent Ursula Appolloni
Ursula Appolloni
Ursula Appolloni was a Canadian Member of Parliament .-Background:Appolloni was born in Ireland as Ursula Carroll, and she served in Britain's Women's Royal Air Force from 1948 to 1950. In 1954 she met her husband when she went to the Italian consulate looking for an Italian tutor...
. A third attempt in the 1980 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...
was less successful: Oostrom came third with only half as many votes as the Liberal victor.
Oostrom was successful in his fourth campaign, in the 1984 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
when he moved to the more affluent riding of Willowdale
Willowdale (electoral district)
Willowdale is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.The riding was created in 1976 from part of Eglinton....
in North York
North York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
. This time, Oostrom won, edging Liberal 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,...
Jim Peterson
Jim Peterson
James Scott "Jim" Peterson, PC is a retired Canadian politician and former Minister of International Trade.Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he has a DCL from McGill University, a Master of Laws from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Ontario...
by just over 400 votes.
As a Progressive Conservative backbencher in 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...
, Oostrom was a social conservative, opposing abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and favouring capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and a hard law and order
Law and order (politics)
In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
stance. As vice-chairman of the House of Common's committee responsible for immigration, Oostrom also expressed criticism of what he saw as lax policies towards refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
claimants. Oostrom is also a fervent anti-Communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
and was involved with the far-right World Anti-Communist League
World Anti-Communist League
The World League for Freedom and Democracy is an international anti-communist political organization founded in 1966 in Taipei, Republic of China , under the initiative of Chiang Kai-shek. It was founded with the aim of opposing Communism around the world through "unconventional" methods...
.
In the 1988 federal election
Canadian 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 ....
, Oostrom again faced Peterson, who beat him by fewer than 2,000 votes. Oostrom returned to the private sector as a consultant before trying to regain his Willowdale seat as a PC Party candidate 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...
. He was unsuccessful, garnering only 7,733 votes against Peterson's 28,000 and winning only 700 votes more than the third place 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....
candidate.
Oostrom attempted another comeback in the 2000 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, this time in the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an 905 riding of Oak Ridges
Oak Ridges (electoral district)
Oak Ridges was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2003 and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2007...
north of Toronto. Running again as a Progressive Conservative, he came in a poor third.
In 2003, Oostrom added his voice to those Tories opposing the Progressive Conservative Party's merger with the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
.