Robert Nixon
Encyclopedia
Robert Fletcher Nixon is a retired politician in the province of Ontario
, Canada
. The son of former Premier of Ontario
Harry Nixon
, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
in a 1962 by-election
following his father's death. Robert Nixon quickly became a leading member of the Ontario Liberal Party
, and was elected its leader in 1967. He remained in this position until 1976, when he was replaced by Stuart Smith
. Nixon remained a member of the Liberal caucus after standing down as leader, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson
from 1985 to 1990.
(receiving a Bachelor of Science
degree in Chemistry & Biology in 1950) and the University of Toronto
's Ontario College of Education, and worked as a farmer before entering political life. When his father, who had been a member of the legislature since the 1919 provincial election
, died on October 22, 1961, Nixon was chosen to run under the Liberal banner as his replacement. On January 18, 1962, he was elected without difficulty as the member for the rural, southwestern Ontario riding of Brant
. He is a Protestant and a Freemason.
, then led by John Robarts
. The PC party had won 71 of 98 seats in the previous general election, and had governed the province since 1943. Nixon quickly emerged as a leading figure in the opposition, and was returned easily in the 1963 provincial election
.
, who had earlier ran against Thompson for the leadership, but he declined to run. When no other candidates came forward, Nixon was acclaimed as party leader and Leader of the Opposition
on January 7, 1967.
With little experience, Nixon led the Liberal Party into the 1967 provincial election
, held in October of that year. His campaign attempted to draw attention to water pollution and the high cost of housing in the province, though his efforts on the latter front were undercut by the federal Liberal
government's decision to increase interest payments on the National Housing Act in mid-campaign. Nixon achieved only modest success, increasing the party's caucus in the Legislative Assembly from 23 to 28 seats (it may be noted that the total number of MPPs was increased from 108 to 117 in this election, and that the third-place New Democratic Party
increased its representation from seven MPPs to twenty).
Though Nixon was a pragmatic and moderate individual, his party was largely rural and conservative, and the Liberals had trouble relating to an increasingly urban population. The party's direction was seen by many as ambiguous in the 1967-71 parliament, although Nixon took a strong position in favour of extending funding for Catholic
Separate school
s to grade 13.
. Davis was able to exploit long-standing sectarian differences in Ontario on the separate school question, and led the Tories to an increased majority in the 1971 provincial election
. Nixon's Liberals were reduced to 20 seats, only one more than the NDP, and the party's share of the popular vote sank to its lowest level in nearly fifty years. Nixon had previously predicted 40 seats for his party, and decided to step down as leader after the election's disappointing conclusion. He formally resigned in 1972, remaining as interim leader until a permanent successor could be chosen. After much wrangling, the convention was scheduled for October 1973.
It was in 1972-73, however, that the Liberal Party's fortunes began to change. The Davis government was weakened by a series of corruption scandals, and Nixon emerged as a powerful critic within the legislature. Buoyed by increased popularity, Nixon changed his mind about retirement and entered the leadership contest to succeed himself. He defeated Norman Cafik
on the third ballot, and resumed his official duties as party leader and leader of the opposition.
, the Tories had been in power for thirty-two years, and many thought they had grown arrogant in power. Nixon and the Liberals, along with Stephen Lewis
and the Ontario New Democratic Party
, led aggressive campaigns against Davis, with Nixon and Davis personally trading barbs. Polls taken shortly before the election showed the Liberals with a provincial lead, and many predicted that Nixon would emerge as the province's Premier.
Viewed against these expectations, the results were a disappointment for the Liberal Party. The Tories were reduced to a minority government
for the first time since 1945. While the Liberals increased their caucus from 20 to 35 seats, however, the NDP caucus increased from 19 to 38 seats, and became the Official Opposition for the first time since 1951. Due to the almost even split between opposition parties and the fact that both the Liberals and the NDP hoped to win the next election, the two opposition parties were unable and unwilling to form a coalition to replace the Conservatives, and the Davis government was able to survive. For the next two years, the NDP offered unofficial support to the Davis government on several issues.
Many observers felt that the Liberals had narrowly missed an opportunity to win the election outright, and that they had been hurt by three things:
As against which, it may be noted that the 1975 Ontario election fundamentally changed the position of the Liberal Party in Ontario politics. The party was politically marginalized between 1943 and 1975, and the party caucus did not reach the thirty seat level at any time during this period. Since 1975, the Liberals have never fallen below thirty seats in a provincial election and have consistently been serious contenders for government. While Nixon was unable to lead the party to power, he was credited with strengthening its position, making him one of the more successful Liberal leaders between Mitchell Hepburn
and David Peterson
.
Having lost official opposition status despite making gains, Nixon resigned as leader for a second time and was replaced by Stuart Smith
in 1976.
, Nixon briefly returned as interim leader of the opposition from January 25 to February 21, 1982, when David Peterson
was chosen as Smith's replacement.
There are reports that Nixon wanted to resign from provincial politics in 1984, and that he was actively seeking an appointment to the Canadian Senate
. He was eventually talked out of this by Liberal organizer Keith Davey
, who emphasized that Peterson needed his experience and argued that the Liberals could win the next provincial election. Nixon remained, and surprised some reporters prior to the 1985 provincial election
by openly speculating about a future Liberal-NDP coalition.
, were again reduced to a minority government, winning 52 seats out of 125. Unlike the situation in 1975, however, the Liberals clearly emerged as the dominant opposition party with 48 seats and a narrow victory over the Tories in the popular vote. Nixon took part in post-election negotiations with the third-place NDP, and helped bring about a two-year accord between the two parties, in which the NDP gave support to the Liberals in return for progressive legislation in certain fields.
The Progressive Conservative government was defeated in the house on June 26, 1985, and Nixon was sworn in as Peterson's Treasurer, Minister of Economics, Minister of Revenue and Government House Leader
in the first Ontario Liberal administration in forty-two years. From June 17, 1986 until the 1987 provincial election
, he also served as interim Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet.
The Liberals won a landslide majority in the 1987 election, and Nixon was appointed as Deputy Premier
on September 29 of that year, also retaining the positions of Treasure, Minister of Economics and Minister of Financial Institutions. He remained in these positions for the remainder of Peterson's time in government, earning a reputation for careful fiscal management and cautious social reform. His government produced balanced budgets in 1989 and 1990, although some opposition members later criticized the methodology used to calculate revenues and expenditures in this period. In 1989, Nixon eliminated individual Ontario Health Insurance Plan premium charges.
Some ministers within the Liberal government criticized Nixon for restricting or paring back projects under their watch. Environment Minister Jim Bradley, in particular, was often regarded as being constrained by Nixon's decisions, despite the fact that allocations to the Environment Ministry doubled under Nixon's watch.
, as Peterson's Liberals were upset by the NDP under Bob Rae
. The Liberals were widely criticized for running a poor campaign, and Nixon was personally criticized for approving the announcement of a 1% sales tax cut in mid-campaign (most political analysts thought the promise was irresponsible, and gave the appearance of desperation). Peterson lost his seat, and Nixon fell below 50% support in his own riding for the only time in his career (he defeated an NDP challenger by about 1,500 votes).
Peterson resigned as Liberal leader immediately after the election, and Nixon once again became his party's interim leader on September 13, 1990 (he also became leader of the opposition again in November, when parliament returned to sit). There were some calls for him to contest the party's 1992 leadership race, but he declined.
government to conduct a review of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
(Nixon later served as chair of this crown corporation from 1994 to 2001). He and his father had represented the riding
of Brant continuously from 1919 until 1991. In the 1993 federal election
, the riding elected Nixon's daughter, Jane Stewart to the Canadian House of Commons
, where she served in the Cabinet
of Jean Chrétien
.
Nixon supported Gerard Kennedy
for the leadership of the provincial Liberal Party in 1996.
He supported former Ontario New Democratic Party
leader and Premier Bob Rae
for the federal Liberal leadershiphttp://www.bobrae.ca/en/news.php#16 in the 2006 leadership race.
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....
, Canada
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...
. The son of former Premier of Ontario
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Harry Nixon
Harry Nixon
Harry Corwin Nixon was a Canadian politician and briefly the 13th Premier of Ontario.He was born on a farm near St...
, he was first elected to 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...
in a 1962 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
following his father's death. Robert Nixon quickly became a leading member of the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
, and was elected its leader in 1967. He remained in this position until 1976, when he was replaced by Stuart Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith is a politician, psychiatrist, academic and public servant in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1982, and led the Ontario Liberal Party for most of this period....
. Nixon remained a member of the Liberal caucus after standing down as leader, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
from 1985 to 1990.
Background
Nixon was educated at McMaster UniversityMcMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
(receiving a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor 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 in Chemistry & Biology in 1950) and 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...
's Ontario College of Education, and worked as a farmer before entering political life. When his father, who had been a member of the legislature since the 1919 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1919
The Ontario general election, 1919 was the 15th general election held in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on October 20, 1919, to elect the 111 Members of the 15th Legislative Assembly of Ontario ....
, died on October 22, 1961, Nixon was chosen to run under the Liberal banner as his replacement. On January 18, 1962, he was elected without difficulty as the member for the rural, southwestern Ontario riding of Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
. He is a Protestant and a Freemason.
Ontario legislature
At this time, Ontario was dominated by the Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive 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...
, then led by John Robarts
John Robarts
John Parmenter Robarts, PC, CC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and statesman, and the 17th Premier of Ontario.-Early life:...
. The PC party had won 71 of 98 seats in the previous general election, and had governed the province since 1943. Nixon quickly emerged as a leading figure in the opposition, and was returned easily in the 1963 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1963
The Ontario general election of 1963 was held on September 25, 1963, to elect the 108 members of the 27th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
.
Leadership
Notwithstanding his political background, Nixon's initial selection as Liberal Party leader was largely unplanned. The party had previously chosen Andy Thompson as its leader in September 1964, with the expectation that he would lead the party in the next provincial election. Thompson suffered a physical breakdown in late 1966, however, and withdrew from the position on the advice of his doctors. Nixon was chosen as the party's interim leader on November 16, 1966, and soon declared his candidacy to become the party's full-time leader. It was initially believed he would be challenged by Charles TempletonCharles Templeton
Charles Bradley Templeton was a Canadian cartoonist, evangelist, agnostic, politician, newspaper editor, inventor, broadcaster and author. He was born and died in the same city, Toronto, Canada...
, who had earlier ran against Thompson for the leadership, but he declined to run. When no other candidates came forward, Nixon was acclaimed as party leader and Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Ontario)
The Leader of the Opposition in Ontario is usually leader of the largest party in the Ontario legislature which is not the government. The current official opposition is formed by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, and Tim Hudak is the current Leader of the Opposition.Ontario's first...
on January 7, 1967.
With little experience, Nixon led the Liberal Party into the 1967 provincial 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....
, held in October of that year. His campaign attempted to draw attention to water pollution and the high cost of housing in the province, though his efforts on the latter front were undercut by the federal 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...
government's decision to increase interest payments on the National Housing Act in mid-campaign. Nixon achieved only modest success, increasing the party's caucus in the Legislative Assembly from 23 to 28 seats (it may be noted that the total number of MPPs was increased from 108 to 117 in this election, and that the third-place New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
increased its representation from seven MPPs to twenty).
Though Nixon was a pragmatic and moderate individual, his party was largely rural and conservative, and the Liberals had trouble relating to an increasingly urban population. The party's direction was seen by many as ambiguous in the 1967-71 parliament, although Nixon took a strong position in favour of extending funding for Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Separate school
Separate school
In Canada, separate school refers to a particular type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces and statutory status in three territories...
s to grade 13.
1970s
John Robarts stepped down as Tory leader and Premier in 1971, and was replaced by William DavisBill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
. Davis was able to exploit long-standing sectarian differences in Ontario on the separate school question, and led the Tories to an increased majority in the 1971 provincial 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....
. Nixon's Liberals were reduced to 20 seats, only one more than the NDP, and the party's share of the popular vote sank to its lowest level in nearly fifty years. Nixon had previously predicted 40 seats for his party, and decided to step down as leader after the election's disappointing conclusion. He formally resigned in 1972, remaining as interim leader until a permanent successor could be chosen. After much wrangling, the convention was scheduled for October 1973.
It was in 1972-73, however, that the Liberal Party's fortunes began to change. The Davis government was weakened by a series of corruption scandals, and Nixon emerged as a powerful critic within the legislature. Buoyed by increased popularity, Nixon changed his mind about retirement and entered the leadership contest to succeed himself. He defeated Norman Cafik
Norman Cafik
Norman Augustine Cafik, PC is a former Canadian politician.Born in Toronto, Ontario of a Ukrainian-Polish father and a Scottish-Irish mother, Cafik was unsuccessful in his attempts to win a seat in the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 and 1963 elections, but was elected as the Liberal Member...
on the third ballot, and resumed his official duties as party leader and leader of the opposition.
1975 election
By the 1975 electionOntario 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....
, the Tories had been in power for thirty-two years, and many thought they had grown arrogant in power. Nixon and the Liberals, along with Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party...
and the Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
, led aggressive campaigns against Davis, with Nixon and Davis personally trading barbs. Polls taken shortly before the election showed the Liberals with a provincial lead, and many predicted that Nixon would emerge as the province's Premier.
Viewed against these expectations, the results were a disappointment for the Liberal Party. The Tories were reduced to a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
for the first time since 1945. While the Liberals increased their caucus from 20 to 35 seats, however, the NDP caucus increased from 19 to 38 seats, and became the Official Opposition for the first time since 1951. Due to the almost even split between opposition parties and the fact that both the Liberals and the NDP hoped to win the next election, the two opposition parties were unable and unwilling to form a coalition to replace the Conservatives, and the Davis government was able to survive. For the next two years, the NDP offered unofficial support to the Davis government on several issues.
Many observers felt that the Liberals had narrowly missed an opportunity to win the election outright, and that they had been hurt by three things:
- the dynamic campaign by the NDP and its charismatic leader, Stephen Lewis, led many voters looking for a change to go to the social democratic party instead of the Liberals who still had not overcome their rural image;
- at a time when politics was still rather formal in Ontario, Nixon offended some people during a televised debate by referring to Davis by his first name, Bill, rather than calling him Mr. Davis or PremierPremierPremier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
; and - in the midst of the campaign, federal LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe 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...
Finance Minister John TurnerJohn TurnerJohn Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
resigned from the TrudeauPierre TrudeauJoseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
government in protest over its economic policies - reflecting badly on the Ontario Liberals by association.
As against which, it may be noted that the 1975 Ontario election fundamentally changed the position of the Liberal Party in Ontario politics. The party was politically marginalized between 1943 and 1975, and the party caucus did not reach the thirty seat level at any time during this period. Since 1975, the Liberals have never fallen below thirty seats in a provincial election and have consistently been serious contenders for government. While Nixon was unable to lead the party to power, he was credited with strengthening its position, making him one of the more successful Liberal leaders between Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Frederick Hepburn was the 11th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest Premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37....
and David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
.
Having lost official opposition status despite making gains, Nixon resigned as leader for a second time and was replaced by Stuart Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith is a politician, psychiatrist, academic and public servant in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1982, and led the Ontario Liberal Party for most of this period....
in 1976.
Remaining in politics
Nixon remained in the legislature, however, and while he did not have any official parliamentary duties from 1976 to 1982, he remained a prominent voice within the Liberal Party. When Smith resigned as leader following a poor performance in the 1981 provincial electionOntario 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....
, Nixon briefly returned as interim leader of the opposition from January 25 to February 21, 1982, when David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
was chosen as Smith's replacement.
There are reports that Nixon wanted to resign from provincial politics in 1984, and that he was actively seeking an appointment to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
. He was eventually talked out of this by Liberal organizer Keith Davey
Keith Davey
Keith Douglas Davey, was a Canadian politician, Senator, and campaign organizer.Born in Toronto to Charles Minto Davey and Grace Viola , Keith Davey attended high school at North Toronto Collegiate Institute...
, who emphasized that Peterson needed his experience and argued that the Liberals could win the next provincial election. Nixon remained, and surprised some reporters prior to the 1985 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
by openly speculating about a future Liberal-NDP coalition.
Provincial Treasurer
The election itself produced no clear winner. The Progressive Conservatives, now under Frank MillerFrank Miller (politician)
Frank Stuart Miller, was a Canadian politician, who served as the 19th Premier of Ontario for four months in 1985.-Early life and political career:...
, were again reduced to a minority government, winning 52 seats out of 125. Unlike the situation in 1975, however, the Liberals clearly emerged as the dominant opposition party with 48 seats and a narrow victory over the Tories in the popular vote. Nixon took part in post-election negotiations with the third-place NDP, and helped bring about a two-year accord between the two parties, in which the NDP gave support to the Liberals in return for progressive legislation in certain fields.
The Progressive Conservative government was defeated in the house on June 26, 1985, and Nixon was sworn in as Peterson's Treasurer, Minister of Economics, Minister of Revenue and Government House Leader
Government House Leader (Ontario)
The Ontario Government House Leader is the provincial cabinet minister responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
in the first Ontario Liberal administration in forty-two years. From June 17, 1986 until the 1987 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, he also served as interim Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet.
The Liberals won a landslide majority in the 1987 election, and Nixon was appointed as Deputy Premier
Deputy Premier of Ontario
The Deputy Premier of Ontario is the representative of the Premier of Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario when the current Premier is unable to attend functions executed by the Premier...
on September 29 of that year, also retaining the positions of Treasure, Minister of Economics and Minister of Financial Institutions. He remained in these positions for the remainder of Peterson's time in government, earning a reputation for careful fiscal management and cautious social reform. His government produced balanced budgets in 1989 and 1990, although some opposition members later criticized the methodology used to calculate revenues and expenditures in this period. In 1989, Nixon eliminated individual Ontario Health Insurance Plan premium charges.
Some ministers within the Liberal government criticized Nixon for restricting or paring back projects under their watch. Environment Minister Jim Bradley, in particular, was often regarded as being constrained by Nixon's decisions, despite the fact that allocations to the Environment Ministry doubled under Nixon's watch.
Back to Opposition
Nixon's tenure in office ended with the provincial election of 1990Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, as Peterson's Liberals were upset by the NDP 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....
. The Liberals were widely criticized for running a poor campaign, and Nixon was personally criticized for approving the announcement of a 1% sales tax cut in mid-campaign (most political analysts thought the promise was irresponsible, and gave the appearance of desperation). Peterson lost his seat, and Nixon fell below 50% support in his own riding for the only time in his career (he defeated an NDP challenger by about 1,500 votes).
Peterson resigned as Liberal leader immediately after the election, and Nixon once again became his party's interim leader on September 13, 1990 (he also became leader of the opposition again in November, when parliament returned to sit). There were some calls for him to contest the party's 1992 leadership race, but he declined.
Retirement
Nixon resigned from the legislature on July 31, 1991, accepting a federal appointment from the MulroneyBrian 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...
government to conduct a review of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited or AECL is a Canadian federal Crown corporation and Canada's largest nuclear science and technology laboratory...
(Nixon later served as chair of this crown corporation from 1994 to 2001). He and his father had represented the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Brant continuously from 1919 until 1991. 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...
, the riding elected Nixon's daughter, Jane Stewart 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...
, where she served in the 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 :...
of Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
.
Nixon supported Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
for the leadership of the provincial Liberal Party in 1996.
He supported former Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
leader and Premier 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....
for the federal Liberal leadershiphttp://www.bobrae.ca/en/news.php#16 in the 2006 leadership race.