Mel Swart
Encyclopedia
Melvin Leroy Swart was a Canadian
politician in Ontario
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as a New Democrat from 1975 to 1988.
Born in London, Ontario
, Swart was educated at Smithville
Secondary School, and worked as a foreman. He served as a councillor in Thorold
from 1948 to 1950, and was deputy reeve from 1951 to 1954 and reeve from 1955 to 1965. He became a warden for Welland County
in 1961, and was president of the Association of Ontario Mayors and Reeves in 1961-62. He later served temporarily as its part-time executive director around 1970.
Swart campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
five times, but was never successful. He was defeated in Welland
as a candidate of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in a 1950 by-election, and in the general elections of 1953
, 1957
and 1958
.
He ran again for the federal New Democratic Party
in the 1962 election
, and was again defeated. On all five occasions, he finished third against his Progressive Conservative
and Liberal
opponents.
His provincial career was initially no more successful. He challenged Progressive Conservative
incumbent Ellis Morningstar for the Welland provincial constituency in the 1967 election
, but lost by 260 votes. He ran again in the 1971 election
, and lost by a greater margin.
He had left the municipal council to concentrate on provincial politics, and stayed out of council until 1972, when he ran for Regional Councillor of Niagara Region and was elected, elected again in 1974. He served a two-year term as president of the New Democratic Party of Ontario beginning in 1974.
Morningstar retired at the 1975 election
, and Swart was able to defeat his successor, Allan Pietz
, by 1,115 votes. He defeated Pietz again in the 1977 election
, and won by much greater margins in the elections of 1981
, 1985
and 1987
. He retired in 1988, and was replaced in the legislature by Peter Kormos
, also of the NDP.
Two years after his retirement, the NDP unexpectedly won a majority government
under Bob Rae
. Despite having nominated Rae at the 1982 Ontario NDP leadership convention
, Swart became highly critical of Rae's leadership in government, and blamed the Premier for falling NDP membership and financial contributions in the early 1990s.
Swart had been the leading advocate of public auto insurance
in Ontario in the 1980s and was especially critical of the Rae government's decision to go back on its promise to introduce the program. In 1994, Swart publicly called on Rae to resign as NDP leader.
The Mel Swart Lake Gibson Conservation Area is in Thorold, Ontario
.
Swart was considered a political mentor to Peter Kormos
who inherited both his predecessor's seat in the legislature and his strong advocacy of public auto insurance.
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...
politician in 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....
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
as a New Democrat from 1975 to 1988.
Born in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Swart was educated at Smithville
Smithville, Ontario
Smithville is a community in the township of West Lincoln. It is located on Regional Road 20 between Hamilton and Niagara Falls in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada.-Annual events:...
Secondary School, and worked as a foreman. He served as a councillor in Thorold
Thorold
Thorold may refer to:Places* Thorold, Ontario* Thorold Tunnel, OntarioSport* Thorold Blackhawks, Canadian junior ice hockey teamAnimals*Thorold's deerPeople...
from 1948 to 1950, and was deputy reeve from 1951 to 1954 and reeve from 1955 to 1965. He became a warden for Welland County
Welland County, Ontario
Welland County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.The county was formed in 1851 from Lincoln County. The county was named from the Welland River. The river got its name from John Grave Simcoe who named it after a stream in Lincolnshire, England...
in 1961, and was president of the Association of Ontario Mayors and Reeves in 1961-62. He later served temporarily as its part-time executive director around 1970.
Swart campaigned 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...
five times, but was never successful. He was defeated in Welland
Welland (electoral district)
Welland is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988, and since 2004. Its population in 2006 was 112,875....
as a candidate of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation in a 1950 by-election, and in the general elections of 1953
Canadian federal election, 1953
The Canadian federal election of 1953 was held on August 10 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 22nd Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Louis St...
, 1957
Canadian federal election, 1957
The Canadian federal election of 1957 was held June 10, 1957, to select the 265 members of the House of Commons of Canada. In one of the great upsets in Canadian political history, the Progressive Conservative Party , led by John Diefenbaker, brought an end to 22 years of Liberal rule, as the...
and 1958
Canadian federal election, 1958
The Canadian federal election of 1958 was the 24th general election in Canada's history. It was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 24th Parliament of Canada on March 31, 1958, just nine months after the 23rd election...
.
He ran again for the federal 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...
in the 1962 election
Canadian federal election, 1962
The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 25th Parliament of Canada...
, and was again defeated. On all five occasions, he finished third against his Progressive Conservative
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....
and 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...
opponents.
His provincial career was initially no more successful. He challenged 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...
incumbent Ellis Morningstar for the Welland provincial constituency in the 1967 election
Ontario general election, 1967
The Ontario general election of 1967 was held on October 17, 1967, to elect the 117 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, but lost by 260 votes. He ran again in the 1971 election
Ontario general election, 1971
The Ontario general election of 1971 was held on October 21, 1971, to elect the 117 members of the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and lost by a greater margin.
He had left the municipal council to concentrate on provincial politics, and stayed out of council until 1972, when he ran for Regional Councillor of Niagara Region and was elected, elected again in 1974. He served a two-year term as president of the New Democratic Party of Ontario beginning in 1974.
Morningstar retired at the 1975 election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and Swart was able to defeat his successor, Allan Pietz
Allan Pietz
Allan Ernest Pietz was a Progressive Conservative party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was a businessman and dairy operator by career. He held a series of elected municipal offices in the former Crowland Township before he was elected mayor of Welland in 1965. He held office until...
, by 1,115 votes. He defeated Pietz again in the 1977 election
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and won by much greater margins in the elections of 1981
Ontario 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....
, 1985
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...
and 1987
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 retired in 1988, and was replaced in the legislature by Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos is a politician in Ontario, Canada. A former lawyer, he was first elected as an Ontario New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the Welland constituency in a 1988 provincial by-election. He replaced veteran NDP legislator Mel...
, also of the NDP.
Two years after his retirement, the NDP unexpectedly won a majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
under 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....
. Despite having nominated Rae at the 1982 Ontario NDP leadership convention
Leadership convention
In Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to choose a leader due to a vacancy or a challenge to the incumbent leader.- Overview :...
, Swart became highly critical of Rae's leadership in government, and blamed the Premier for falling NDP membership and financial contributions in the early 1990s.
Swart had been the leading advocate of public auto insurance
Public auto insurance
Public auto insurance is a government owned and operated system of automobile insurance operated in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec. According to studies by the Consumers' Association of Canada, rates charged for auto insurance in these four provinces...
in Ontario in the 1980s and was especially critical of the Rae government's decision to go back on its promise to introduce the program. In 1994, Swart publicly called on Rae to resign as NDP leader.
The Mel Swart Lake Gibson Conservation Area is in Thorold, Ontario
Thorold, Ontario
Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara....
.
Swart was considered a political mentor to Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos is a politician in Ontario, Canada. A former lawyer, he was first elected as an Ontario New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the Welland constituency in a 1988 provincial by-election. He replaced veteran NDP legislator Mel...
who inherited both his predecessor's seat in the legislature and his strong advocacy of public auto insurance.