Reform Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election
Encyclopedia
The Reform Party of Canada
fielded several candidates in the 1997 federal election
, and won 60 seats out of 301 to form the Official Opposition. Many of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.
Eglinton—Lawrence
Van Tuinen was born on August 12, 1953 in Oakville, Ontario
. He has a college-level education, and was a millwright
with AFG glass in Scarborough
during the 1990s. He was once vice-president and steward of his union. Van Tuinen campaigned for the Reform Party in 1993 and 1997, campaigning against high taxes, and promised to create jobs through investment. When the Liberal Party won a majority government in the 1993 election, Van Tuinen suggested that the party would inflate the country's money supply.
Parry Sound—Muskoka
Peter Spadzinski was born in Poland
and moved to Canada in 1953. He graduated from Laurentian University
in history and French and took further studies at the University of Waterloo
. At the time of the 1997 election, he was a vice-principal and French immersion teacher in the West Parry Sound Board of Education. Spadzinski was elected to the McDougall
council in 1985
, became the community's reeve in 1988, and served in the latter position until 2003.
Spadzinski received 10,909 votes (25.56%) in 1997, finishing third against Liberal
incumbent Andy Mitchell.
St. Catharines
Hesp was born on April 3, 1962. He graduated from Wheaton College
in Wheaton
, Illinois
, USA
in 1985, served as an officer with The Royal Canadian Regiment in the Canadian Regular Force and the Lincoln & Welland Regiment, and completed a Canadian Securities Course at the Canadian Securities Institute in 1993. He became an investment adviser, and leads the Hesp Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities.
Hesp joined the Reform Party on the day he left the Canadian Regular Force in 1991, and ran under its banner in two federal elections. He ran for the Niagara Regional Council
in the 2006 St. Catharines municipal election
, but was unsuccessful.
Scarborough Southwest
Ambas was born in Greece
on June 12, 1951, and came to Canada in 1959. He became a businessman, working as the owner and operator of Tom Houston Boots, selling western boots, clothing and leather goods.http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/election97/ridings/203.html After his brother was murdered in 1995, he started the Kid Brother Campaign calling for changes to the Young Offenders Act
.http://www.ontla.on.ca/hansard/house_debates/36_parl/session1/L052.htm His brother George Ambas ran as an independent candidate in a 1996 by-election against federal cabinet minister Sheila Copps
.
Ambas was not politically active until the spring of 1997, when he joined the Reform Party and won its nomination for Scarborough Southwest. He had previously voted for the Liberal Party
(Toronto Star, 30 May 1997). He received 7,918 votes (20.45%), finishing second against Liberal incumbent Tom Wappel
.
Sudbury
Jim Rollo studied for a Bachelor of Arts
degree at Laurentian University
. He identified as a salesman of water conservation products at the time of the election, and indicated that he was moving into the field of automotive products. He received 5,198 votes (12.96%), finishing third against Liberal
incumbent Diane Marleau
. He later supported the Reform Party's reconstitution as the Canadian Alliance
.
, and holds a degree in International Relations from Yale University
. He worked in the financial sector in Europe
and the United States for over two decades, and was the chief accountant and corporate secretary of a major bank in Toronto at the time of the 1997 election.http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/election97/ridings/205.html
He campaigned in the 1993 election
in Hamilton East against prominent Liberal
incumbent Sheila Copps
, and finished a distant second.
Stewart ran on a platform of "lower taxes, a balanced budget, increased health spending and decentralized federal powers" in the 1997, and also called for changes to the Young Offenders Act
(Toronto Star, 30 May 1997). He was accused by one major newspaper of taking a "vehement anti-French stand" during the campaign (Toronto Star, 3 June 1997), following an all-candidates' meeting where he blamed the Liberal government for "making a conscious decision to set up multiculturalism
and putting French on cereal
boxes" (Toronto Star, 24 May 1997). He was also criticized for blaming child poverty on alcoholic parents, saying "If a family unit is receiving a certain amount of income and the husband or wife goes out, buys a bottle of booze and drinks it and because of that the children don't have enough to eat, I mean, how can governments control such things?" (Toronto Star, 24 May 1997). He finished a distant fourth.
Whitby—Ajax
Serjeantson (born June 24, 1960) has a Bachelor of Science
degree (Natural Sciences, 1982) and a Bachelor of Engineering
degree (Electrical, 1986) from the University of Western Ontario
. He became a senior engineer in Milltronics in 1996. Prior to the 1997 election, Serjeantson had held executive positions with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
association in Durham West
, and with the Reform Party of Canada associations in Carleton—Gloucester, Whitby—Ajax and Ontario
. He claimed that tax cuts, crime control and jobs were the three main issues of the campaign (Toronto Star, 30 May 1997).
Serjeantson received 11,977 votes (24.25%) in the 1997 election, finishing second against Liberal candidate Judi Longfield. He later worked as Intelligent Water Systems manager for the Delcan corporation.http://www.delcan.net/prod/index.php?id=14
Edward George Agnew (Brandon—Souris
Agnew is a dentist, Amway
distributor and political activist. He postponed a vacation to Hawaii
in February 1990, to organize a protest against the planned federal Goods and Services Tax
during a visit to Manitoba by Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
. He later ran for the Reform Party in the 1993
and 1997 federal elections. Agnew has said that he joined the Reform Party because of its support for democratic populism. He joined the newly-formed Conservative Party of Canada
in 2004.
Corky Peterson (Churchill
Peterson is a professional outdoorsman. He is a veteran trapper, and has frequently defended the industry against complaints from animal rights activists. Peterson has lectured to young students on ethical methods of trapping, and has argued that animals would die of starvation and disease without trapping (Globe and Mail, 22 February 1990). He also owns and operates a lodge in northern Manitoba.
In 1994, Peterson was listed as director of the Manitoba Registered Trappers Association (Winnipeg Free Press, 10 January 1994). He has also been a board member of the Manitoba Professional Guides Association, the Fur Institute of Canada, the Northwest Wild Rice Growers Co-op and the Grass River Corridor Tourism Association (Winnipeg Free Press, 29 May 1997).
Peterson joined the Reform Party in 1991. During the 1997 campaign, he argued against the federal government's gun registry and in favour of native self-government "based on the laws of Canada". He also called for individual ownership of land by band members. He received 4,438 votes (19.00%), finishing third against New Democratic Party
candidate Bev Desjarlais
.
Peterson was still listed as leader of the Manitoba Trappers Association as of 2004 (Winnipeg Free Press, 19 January 2004). He was listed as 69 years old in 1999.http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:_4Sy9GsVhHYJ:doughall.com/writings/northpole.asp%3Farticle%3Dtelegram13+%22Corky+Peterson%22&hl=en
Larry Tardiff (Provencher
Larry Tardiff is a commercial real estate
agent in Ste. Agathe
. He is a vocal opponent of gun control
legislation in Canada, and wrote several editorials on the issue during the 1990s Among other things, Tardiff argued that gun control legislation does not lead to a reduction in violent crime. He was secretary-treasurer of the Council for Responsible Firearms Ownership in Manitoba in 1995, and organized a protest against Justice Minister
Allan Rock
's proposed gun control legislation in January of that year. He supported John Nunziata
's decision to leave the Liberal Party of Canada
in 1996, after the Liberal government broke a campaign promise to eliminate Canada's Goods and Service Tax.
Tardiff was acclaimed as the Reform Party's candidate for Provencher in the 1997 federal election, and received 12,798 votes (35.08%) for a second-place finish against Liberal
incumbent David Iftody
. He ran a "traditional family values
" campaign centered on support for the heterosexual family unit, and also reiterated his opposition to gun control.
Greg Yost (Winnipeg South
Yost (born March 3, 1948) is a Canadian lawyer. He holds a Bachelor of Arts
degree in History
(1970), a Master of Arts
degree in History (1972), and a Bachelor of Laws
(1975), all from the University of Manitoba
. Yost operated a private practice from 1976 to 1980, and began working with the Manitoba Department of Justice in 1980. He was involved in behind-the-scenes discussions involving the patriation of the Canadian Constitution, the Meech Lake Accord
, and the Charlottetown Accord
(Winnipeg Free Press, 10 May 1998). Initially a supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party
, he voted for the Liberals
in the 1993 election
, out of frustration with Brian Mulroney
's failed handling of the Meech Lake Accord
. He joined the Reform Party in 1996 (Winnipeg Free Press, 10 May 1998).
At the time of the 1997 election, he was Director of Policy and Planning in the Manitoba provincial civil service, responsible for aboriginal justice, crime prevention, constitutional negotiations and other matters.http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/election97/ridings/222.html Unlike others in his party, Yost argued that the Notwithstanding Clause
of Canada's constitution cannot apply to Supreme Court
decisions involved aboriginal matters.http://www.ammsa.com/windspeaker/WINDNEWSAPRIL2000.html
Yost won the Reform Party nomination over rival candidate Gary Hollingshead (Winnipeg Free Press, 5 March 1997). He received 7,510 votes (19.80%) in the general election, finishing second against Liberal
incumbent Reg Alcock
. He continued working for the Reform Party on justice issues after the election (Toronto Star, 6 May 1999). Yost opposes special status for Quebec
, and has called for more powers to be devolved to Canada's provinces (Winnipeg Free Press, 10 May 1998).
The 1997 election was called during a major flood in Winnipeg
. Yost, who was forced to evacuate his own home, described the election timing as a "callous disregard for the people of southern Manitoba" (Winnipeg Free Press, 23 May 1997). Alcock's victory was due in part to his decision to turn his election headquarters into a flood relief centre (Winnipeg Free Press, 3 June 1997).
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....
fielded several candidates in the 1997 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, and won 60 seats out of 301 to form the Official Opposition. Many of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.
Eglinton—LawrenceEglinton—LawrenceEglinton—Lawrence is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999....
: Charles Van Tuinen
Van Tuinen was born on August 12, 1953 in Oakville, OntarioOakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
. He has a college-level education, and was a millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
with AFG glass in Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
during the 1990s. He was once vice-president and steward of his union. Van Tuinen campaigned for the Reform Party in 1993 and 1997, campaigning against high taxes, and promised to create jobs through investment. When the Liberal Party won a majority government in the 1993 election, Van Tuinen suggested that the party would inflate the country's money supply.
| Election | Division | Party | Votes | % | Place | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 federal 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... |
Eglinton—Lawrence Eglinton—Lawrence Eglinton—Lawrence is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999.... |
Reform | 4,347 | 10.87 | 2/7 | Joe Volpe Joe Volpe Giuseppe Joseph "Joe" Volpe, PC, was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until the 2011 federal election, being surpassed by the conservative member Joe Oliver Joe Oliver, and held two senior positions in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Cabinet... , 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... |
| 1997 federal Canadian federal election, 1997 The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government... |
Eglinton—Lawrence Eglinton—Lawrence Eglinton—Lawrence is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999.... |
Reform | 3,547 | 8.09 | 4/5 | Joe Volpe Joe Volpe Giuseppe Joseph "Joe" Volpe, PC, was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until the 2011 federal election, being surpassed by the conservative member Joe Oliver Joe Oliver, and held two senior positions in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Cabinet... , 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... |
Parry Sound—MuskokaParry Sound—MuskokaParry Sound—Muskoka is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949....
: Peter Spadzinski
Peter Spadzinski was born in PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and moved to Canada in 1953. He graduated from Laurentian University
Laurentian University
Laurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
in history and French and took further studies at the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
. At the time of the 1997 election, he was a vice-principal and French immersion teacher in the West Parry Sound Board of Education. Spadzinski was elected to the McDougall
McDougall, Ontario
McDougall is a township in central Ontario, Canada, on the Parry Sound in the District of Parry Sound. It was named after William McDougall, one of the Fathers of Confederation....
council in 1985
Ontario municipal elections, 1985
The 1985 Ontario municipal elections were held on November 12, 1985 to elect mayors, municipal councils, school boards, and hydro commissions in cities, towns and other incorporated communities throughout the Canadian province of Ontario....
, became the community's reeve in 1988, and served in the latter position until 2003.
Spadzinski received 10,909 votes (25.56%) in 1997, finishing third against 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...
incumbent Andy Mitchell.
St. CatharinesSt. Catharines (electoral district)St. Catharines is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.It consists of the part of the City of St. Catharines lying north of a line drawn from west to east along St. Paul Street West, St...
: Robert Hesp
Hesp was born on April 3, 1962. He graduated from Wheaton CollegeWheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
in Wheaton
Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1985, served as an officer with The Royal Canadian Regiment in the Canadian Regular Force and the Lincoln & Welland Regiment, and completed a Canadian Securities Course at the Canadian Securities Institute in 1993. He became an investment adviser, and leads the Hesp Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities.
Hesp joined the Reform Party on the day he left the Canadian Regular Force in 1991, and ran under its banner in two federal elections. He ran for the Niagara Regional Council
Niagara Regional Council
The Niagara Regional Council is the governing body of the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada.The council consists of a Regional Chair, the Mayors of all twelve Niagara Regional municipalities, and eighteen additional regional councillors elected to represent the various...
in the 2006 St. Catharines municipal election
St. Catharines municipal election, 2006
The 2006 St. Catharines municipal election took place on 13 November 2006 to determine a mayor, regional and city councillors and school trustees in the city of St. Catharines, Ontario...
, but was unsuccessful.
| Election | Division | Party | Votes | % | Place | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 federal 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... |
St. Catharines St. Catharines (electoral district) St. Catharines is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.It consists of the part of the City of St. Catharines lying north of a line drawn from west to east along St. Paul Street West, St... |
Reform | 14,011 | 28.69 | 2/6 | Walt Lastewka Walt Lastewka Walter Thomas "Walt" Lastewka, PC is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006, representing the Ontario riding of St... , 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... |
| 1997 federal Canadian federal election, 1997 The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government... |
St. Catharines St. Catharines (electoral district) St. Catharines is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.It consists of the part of the City of St. Catharines lying north of a line drawn from west to east along St. Paul Street West, St... |
Reform | 15,029 | 30.98 | 2/7 | Walt Lastewka Walt Lastewka Walter Thomas "Walt" Lastewka, PC is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006, representing the Ontario riding of St... , 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... |
| 2006 St. Catharines municipal St. Catharines municipal election, 2006 The 2006 St. Catharines municipal election took place on 13 November 2006 to determine a mayor, regional and city councillors and school trustees in the city of St. Catharines, Ontario... |
Niagara Regional Council Niagara Regional Council The Niagara Regional Council is the governing body of the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada.The council consists of a Regional Chair, the Mayors of all twelve Niagara Regional municipalities, and eighteen additional regional councillors elected to represent the various... |
n/a | 8,145 | 5.98 | 9/10 | Six candidates elected |
Scarborough SouthwestScarborough SouthwestScarborough Southwest is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons.On Toronto City Council, the southeast portion is represented by Gary Crawford. The northwest section is represented by Michelle Berardinetti.-Geography:It covers the...
: Tom Ambas
Ambas was born in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
on June 12, 1951, and came to Canada in 1959. He became a businessman, working as the owner and operator of Tom Houston Boots, selling western boots, clothing and leather goods.http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/election97/ridings/203.html After his brother was murdered in 1995, he started the Kid Brother Campaign calling for changes to the Young Offenders Act
Young Offenders Act
The Young Offenders Act was an act of the Parliament of Canada, granted Royal Assent in 1984, that regulated the criminal prosecution of Canadian youths...
.http://www.ontla.on.ca/hansard/house_debates/36_parl/session1/L052.htm His brother George Ambas ran as an independent candidate in a 1996 by-election against federal cabinet minister Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
.
Ambas was not politically active until the spring of 1997, when he joined the Reform Party and won its nomination for Scarborough Southwest. He had previously voted for the Liberal Party
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...
(Toronto Star, 30 May 1997). He received 7,918 votes (20.45%), finishing second against Liberal incumbent Tom Wappel
Tom Wappel
Thomas William "Tom" Wappel is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, representing the Toronto riding of Scarborough West and its successor riding of Scarborough Southwest. He did not seek re-election in the 2008 general election.Wappel is a...
.
SudburySudbury (electoral district)Sudbury is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949.Its population in 2001 was 89,443. The district is one of two serving the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario....
: Jim Rollo
Jim Rollo studied for a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor 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...
degree at Laurentian University
Laurentian University
Laurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
. He identified as a salesman of water conservation products at the time of the election, and indicated that he was moving into the field of automotive products. He received 5,198 votes (12.96%), finishing third against 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...
incumbent Diane Marleau
Diane Marleau
Diane Marleau, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Sudbury in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien...
. He later supported the Reform Party's reconstitution as 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...
.
Toronto Centre—Rosedale: John Stewart
Stewart was born in TorontoToronto
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...
, and holds a degree in International Relations from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He worked in the financial sector in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States for over two decades, and was the chief accountant and corporate secretary of a major bank in Toronto at the time of the 1997 election.http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/election97/ridings/205.html
He campaigned 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...
in Hamilton East against prominent 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...
incumbent Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
, and finished a distant second.
Stewart ran on a platform of "lower taxes, a balanced budget, increased health spending and decentralized federal powers" in the 1997, and also called for changes to the Young Offenders Act
Young Offenders Act
The Young Offenders Act was an act of the Parliament of Canada, granted Royal Assent in 1984, that regulated the criminal prosecution of Canadian youths...
(Toronto Star, 30 May 1997). He was accused by one major newspaper of taking a "vehement anti-French stand" during the campaign (Toronto Star, 3 June 1997), following an all-candidates' meeting where he blamed the Liberal government for "making a conscious decision to set up multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
and putting French on cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
boxes" (Toronto Star, 24 May 1997). He was also criticized for blaming child poverty on alcoholic parents, saying "If a family unit is receiving a certain amount of income and the husband or wife goes out, buys a bottle of booze and drinks it and because of that the children don't have enough to eat, I mean, how can governments control such things?" (Toronto Star, 24 May 1997). He finished a distant fourth.
| Election | Division | Party | Votes | % | Place | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 federal 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... |
Hamilton East | Reform | 5,814 | 2/9 | Sheila Copps Sheila Copps Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997.... , 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... |
|
| 1997 federal Canadian federal election, 1997 The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government... |
Toronto Centre—Rosedale | Reform | 3,646 | 7.82 | 4/9 | Bill Graham, 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... |
Whitby—AjaxWhitby—AjaxWhitby—Ajax was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2003, and the in Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2007...
: Bill Serjeantson
Serjeantson (born June 24, 1960) has a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree (Natural Sciences, 1982) and a Bachelor of Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
degree (Electrical, 1986) from the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
. He became a senior engineer in Milltronics in 1996. Prior to the 1997 election, Serjeantson had held executive positions with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
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...
association in Durham West
Durham West
Durham West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904. It was located in the province of Ontario...
, and with the Reform Party of Canada associations in Carleton—Gloucester, Whitby—Ajax and Ontario
Ontario (electoral district)
Ontario was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1924 from Ontario South riding....
. He claimed that tax cuts, crime control and jobs were the three main issues of the campaign (Toronto Star, 30 May 1997).
Serjeantson received 11,977 votes (24.25%) in the 1997 election, finishing second against Liberal candidate Judi Longfield. He later worked as Intelligent Water Systems manager for the Delcan corporation.http://www.delcan.net/prod/index.php?id=14
Edward George Agnew (Brandon—SourisBrandon—SourisBrandon—Souris is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.-Demographics:-Geography:The district is in the southwestern corner of the Province of Manitoba...
)
Agnew is a dentist, AmwayAmway
Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses network marketing to sell a variety of products, primarily in the health, beauty, and home care markets. Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...
distributor and political activist. He postponed a vacation to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in February 1990, to organize a protest against the planned federal Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
during a visit to Manitoba by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. He later ran for the Reform Party in the 1993
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...
and 1997 federal elections. Agnew has said that he joined the Reform Party because of its support for democratic populism. He joined the newly-formed Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
in 2004.
| Election | Division | Party | Votes | % | Place | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 federal 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... |
Brandon—Souris Brandon—Souris Brandon—Souris is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.-Demographics:-Geography:The district is in the southwestern corner of the Province of Manitoba... |
Reform 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.... |
11,163 | 30.37 | 2/8 | Glen McKinnon Glen McKinnon Glen McKinnon is a Canadian educator and politician from Manitoba. He represented the federal electoral district of Brandon—Souris in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993-1997 as a member of the Liberal Party... , 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... |
| 1997 federal Canadian federal election, 1997 The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government... |
Brandon—Souris Brandon—Souris Brandon—Souris is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.-Demographics:-Geography:The district is in the southwestern corner of the Province of Manitoba... |
Reform 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.... |
11,883 | 32.00 | 2/6 | Rick Borotsik Rick Borotsik Rick Borotsik is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as Mayor of Brandon from 1989 to 1997, was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 2007... , 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.... |
Corky Peterson (ChurchillChurchill (electoral district)Churchill is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935. It covers northern Manitoba, a vast wilderness area dotted with small municipalities and First Nations reserves...
)
Peterson is a professional outdoorsman. He is a veteran trapper, and has frequently defended the industry against complaints from animal rights activists. Peterson has lectured to young students on ethical methods of trapping, and has argued that animals would die of starvation and disease without trapping (Globe and Mail, 22 February 1990). He also owns and operates a lodge in northern Manitoba.In 1994, Peterson was listed as director of the Manitoba Registered Trappers Association (Winnipeg Free Press, 10 January 1994). He has also been a board member of the Manitoba Professional Guides Association, the Fur Institute of Canada, the Northwest Wild Rice Growers Co-op and the Grass River Corridor Tourism Association (Winnipeg Free Press, 29 May 1997).
Peterson joined the Reform Party in 1991. During the 1997 campaign, he argued against the federal government's gun registry and in favour of native self-government "based on the laws of Canada". He also called for individual ownership of land by band members. He received 4,438 votes (19.00%), finishing third against 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...
candidate Bev Desjarlais
Bev Desjarlais
Bev Desjarlais is a retired Canadian politician. She represented Churchill in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006, initially as a New Democrat and later as an Independent after losing her party nomination in late 2005...
.
Peterson was still listed as leader of the Manitoba Trappers Association as of 2004 (Winnipeg Free Press, 19 January 2004). He was listed as 69 years old in 1999.http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:_4Sy9GsVhHYJ:doughall.com/writings/northpole.asp%3Farticle%3Dtelegram13+%22Corky+Peterson%22&hl=en
Larry Tardiff (ProvencherProvencher (electoral district)Provencher is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1871. It is largely a rural district, the largest community being the city of Steinbach, Manitoba.-Demographics:-History:...
)
Larry Tardiff is a commercial real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
agent in Ste. Agathe
Ste. Agathe, Manitoba
Ste. Agathe is a primarily francophone community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located along the Red River in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot....
. He is a vocal opponent of gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
legislation in Canada, and wrote several editorials on the issue during the 1990s Among other things, Tardiff argued that gun control legislation does not lead to a reduction in violent crime. He was secretary-treasurer of the Council for Responsible Firearms Ownership in Manitoba in 1995, and organized a protest against Justice Minister
Minister of Justice (Canada)
The Minister of Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice and is also Attorney General of Canada .This cabinet position is usually reserved for someone with formal legal training...
Allan Rock
Allan Rock
Allan Michael Rock, PC is a lawyer, former Canadian politician, diplomat and now the President of University of Ottawa. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister and Health Minister .Rock was...
's proposed gun control legislation in January of that year. He supported John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
's decision to leave the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
in 1996, after the Liberal government broke a campaign promise to eliminate Canada's Goods and Service Tax.
Tardiff was acclaimed as the Reform Party's candidate for Provencher in the 1997 federal election, and received 12,798 votes (35.08%) for a second-place finish against 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...
incumbent David Iftody
David Iftody
David Iftody was a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2000, representing the Manitoba riding of Provencher. Iftody was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Early life and career:...
. He ran a "traditional family values
Family values
Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....
" campaign centered on support for the heterosexual family unit, and also reiterated his opposition to gun control.
Greg Yost (Winnipeg SouthWinnipeg SouthWinnipeg South is a Canadian federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1979, and since 1988. It covers the south of the city of Winnipeg...
)
Yost (born March 3, 1948) is a Canadian lawyer. He holds a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor 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...
degree in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
(1970), a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in History (1972), and a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(1975), all from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. Yost operated a private practice from 1976 to 1980, and began working with the Manitoba Department of Justice in 1980. He was involved in behind-the-scenes discussions involving the patriation of the Canadian Constitution, the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
, and the Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
(Winnipeg Free Press, 10 May 1998). Initially a supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party
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....
, he voted for the Liberals
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...
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...
, out of frustration with Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
's failed handling of the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
. He joined the Reform Party in 1996 (Winnipeg Free Press, 10 May 1998).
At the time of the 1997 election, he was Director of Policy and Planning in the Manitoba provincial civil service, responsible for aboriginal justice, crime prevention, constitutional negotiations and other matters.http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/election97/ridings/222.html Unlike others in his party, Yost argued that the Notwithstanding Clause
Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Constitution of Canada. It is commonly known as the notwithstanding clause , or as the override power, and it allows Parliament or provincial legislatures to override certain portions of the Charter...
of Canada's constitution cannot apply to Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
decisions involved aboriginal matters.http://www.ammsa.com/windspeaker/WINDNEWSAPRIL2000.html
Yost won the Reform Party nomination over rival candidate Gary Hollingshead (Winnipeg Free Press, 5 March 1997). He received 7,510 votes (19.80%) in the general election, finishing second against 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...
incumbent Reg Alcock
Reg Alcock
Reginald B. Alcock, PC was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Alcock was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Early life and...
. He continued working for the Reform Party on justice issues after the election (Toronto Star, 6 May 1999). Yost opposes special status for 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....
, and has called for more powers to be devolved to Canada's provinces (Winnipeg Free Press, 10 May 1998).
The 1997 election was called during a major flood in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. Yost, who was forced to evacuate his own home, described the election timing as a "callous disregard for the people of southern Manitoba" (Winnipeg Free Press, 23 May 1997). Alcock's victory was due in part to his decision to turn his election headquarters into a flood relief centre (Winnipeg Free Press, 3 June 1997).