Phil Edmonston
Encyclopedia
Louis-Phillip Edmonston (born May 26, 1944 in Washington, D.C.
) is a Canadian
consumer advocate, writer and former politician. He is one of the few politicians with dual American/Canadian citizenship to be elected to Canadian Parliament.
He is best known for his series of annual Lemon-Aid car guides. Edmonston now lives in Panama
.
from 1961 to 1964 and graduated from the Canal Zone College. He subsequently immigrated to Montreal
where he became known as a journalist and consumer advocate.
In journalism, Edmonston has worked as a television reporter, a syndicated newspaper columnist, and as a host of his own open-line show.
His work with the association led to the Lemon-Aid series of car manuals, issued annually since the 1970s.
Edmonston has served as a pro-bono witness on automobile defects and safety before numerous courts and government committees. In 1982, he testified on inadequate automobile quality and rust protection before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Technology and successfully pressured Ford
to become the first automaker to provide a corrosion compensation warranty.
He is the author of over 100 best-selling books on consumer rights
and the automobile industry.
as a candidate for the New Democratic Party
(NDP) in Chambly placing second. He won the riding in his second attempt, a 1990 by-election
in which he defeated former Quebec
cabinet
minister Clifford Lincoln
by almost 20,000 votes becoming the first-ever Member of Parliament from Quebec to be elected for the NDP. (Another Quebec MP, Robert Toupin
from Terrebonne, had previously crossed the floor
to the NDP in 1986.)
His relationship with the NDP was at times turbulent. During the party's 1989 leadership campaign, he threatened to resign from the party if Dave Barrett
became leader. A Quebec nationalist, Edmonston was offended by Barrett's view that western alienation
was more important than Quebec's grievances over the constitution. Edmonston's differences with the NDP over its position on Canadian federalism
and against decentralization and devolving powers to Quebec contributed to his decision not to run for re-election in the 1993 election
.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
) is a 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...
consumer advocate, writer and former politician. He is one of the few politicians with dual American/Canadian citizenship to be elected to Canadian Parliament.
He is best known for his series of annual Lemon-Aid car guides. Edmonston now lives in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
Background
Edmonston served as a United States Army infantry medic in PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
from 1961 to 1964 and graduated from the Canal Zone College. He subsequently immigrated to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
where he became known as a journalist and consumer advocate.
In journalism, Edmonston has worked as a television reporter, a syndicated newspaper columnist, and as a host of his own open-line show.
Consumer advocate
In 1968, he founded the Automobile Protection Association which uncovered and disseminated information about automobile defects and successfully pressured the auto industry for several recalls. Edmonston was president of the APA until 1987. As President of the APA, Edmonston worked on thousands of consumer claims against automobile manufacturers and won million dollar settlements and hundreds of lawsuits for consumers.His work with the association led to the Lemon-Aid series of car manuals, issued annually since the 1970s.
Edmonston has served as a pro-bono witness on automobile defects and safety before numerous courts and government committees. In 1982, he testified on inadequate automobile quality and rust protection before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Technology and successfully pressured Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
to become the first automaker to provide a corrosion compensation warranty.
He is the author of over 100 best-selling books on consumer rights
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
and the automobile industry.
Political career
Edmonston entered politics 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 ....
as a candidate 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...
(NDP) in Chambly placing second. He won the riding in his second attempt, a 1990 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in which he defeated former Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
minister Clifford Lincoln
Clifford Lincoln
Clifford Albert Lincoln is a retired Canadian politician who served as a Quebec cabinet minister prior to serving in the Canadian House of Commons....
by almost 20,000 votes becoming the first-ever Member of Parliament from Quebec to be elected for the NDP. (Another Quebec MP, Robert Toupin
Robert Toupin
Robert Toupin, LL.B , LL.M is a former Canadian Member of Parliament.Toupin had been a worker for the Quebec Liberal Party when he joined the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada following Brian Mulroney's election as party leader...
from Terrebonne, had previously crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
to the NDP in 1986.)
His relationship with the NDP was at times turbulent. During the party's 1989 leadership campaign, he threatened to resign from the party if Dave Barrett
Dave Barrett
David Barrett, OC , commonly known as Dave Barrett, is a retired politician and social worker in British Columbia, Canada...
became leader. A Quebec nationalist, Edmonston was offended by Barrett's view that western alienation
Western Alienation
In Canadian politics, Western alienation is a concept that the Western provinces - British Columbia , Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba - have been alienated, and in extreme cases excluded, from mainstream Canadian political affairs in favour of the provinces of Ontario and Quebec...
was more important than Quebec's grievances over the constitution. Edmonston's differences with the NDP over its position on Canadian federalism
Canadian federalism
Canada is a federation with two distinct jurisdictions of political authority: the country-wide federal government and the ten regionally-based provincial governments. It also has three territorial governments in the far north, though these are subject to the federal government...
and against decentralization and devolving powers to Quebec contributed to his decision not to run for re-election in the 1993 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...
.