David Smith (Canadian senator)
David Paul Smith, PC QC (May 16, 1941 – February 26, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer, politician and senator.
David P. Smith | |
|---|---|
| Senator for Cobourg, Ontario | |
| In office June 25, 2002 – May 16, 2016 | |
| Appointed by | Jean Chrétien |
| Member of Parliament for Don Valley East | |
| In office 1980–1984 | |
| Preceded by | Sam Wakim |
| Succeeded by | Bill Attewell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Paul Smith May 16, 1941 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | February 26, 2020 (aged 78) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Liberal (until 2014) Independent Liberal (2014-present) |
| Spouse | Heather Forster Smith |
| Cabinet | Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (August 12, 1983 - September 16, 1984) |
Municipal politics edit
Smith was an alderman on Toronto City Council in the 1970s. He served a period as deputy mayor and president of city council. He ran for Mayor of Toronto in 1978, but was defeated by John Sewell in a three-way split. Smith became a backroom lobbyist for developers and was instrumental in helping Art Eggleton defeat Sewell in 1980.
Member of Parliament edit
After his defeat in municipal politics, Smith ran for and was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1980 election as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Don Valley East in a suburb of Toronto.
In 1982, he became Deputy Government House Leader, and joined the Canadian Cabinet in 1983 as Minister of State for Small Businesses and Tourism. Smith was appointed to the same position when John Turner became Prime Minister of Canada in 1984. Smith was defeated in the subsequent 1984 election.
Out of parliament edit
Smith returned to the legal profession and served as Chairman Emeritus of Dentons LLP, one of Canada's largest law firms.[1] In the 1990s, he worked as a senior backroom adviser to Liberal leader Jean Chrétien and played a leading role in the party's election campaigns.
Senate career edit
A Chrétien loyalist, Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2002 and was outspoken in his support for Chrétien against attempts by Paul Martin to force the Prime Minister to retire. After Martin became Liberal leader, Smith urged party unity.
He was a key backer of former Liberal leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff. He was later appointed by Liberal leader Stéphane Dion to serve as party's National Campaign Co-Chair with Mark Marissen and Nancy Girard.
On January 29, 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced all Liberal Senators, including Smith, were removed from the Liberal caucus and would continue to sit as independents.[2] The senators referred to themselves as the Senate Liberal Caucus even though they were no longer members of the parliamentary Liberal caucus.[3]
Smith retired from the Senate upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 on May 16, 2016.[4]
Volunteering edit
Smith also served on the cabinet of the capital campaign of Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto.[5]
Death edit
He died in February 2020, at the age of 78, due to cardiac complications.[6]
Electoral record edit
| 1984 Canadian federal election: Don Valley East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Bill Attewell | 29,706 | 54.4 | +11.4 | ||||
| Liberal | David Smith | 18,578 | 34.0 | -10.6 | ||||
| New Democratic | Joe Macdonald | 5,842 | 10.7 | -0.9 | ||||
| Libertarian | Robert Champlain | 356 | 0.7 | +0.1 | ||||
| Independent | Arthur V. Wright | 162 | 0.3 | +0.1 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 54,644 | 100.0 | ||||||
| 1980 Canadian federal election: Don Valley East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | David Smith | 21,944 | 44.6 | +4.8 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Sam Wakim | 21,119 | 43.0 | -4.2 | ||||
| New Democratic | Saul Paton | 5,713 | 11.6 | -0.7 | ||||
| Libertarian | Gordon Keys | 286 | 0.6 | 0.0 | ||||
| Independent | Arthur V. Wright | 98 | 0.2 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 49,160 | 100.0 | ||||||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Biography from Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP law firm. (undated)
- ^ "Justin Trudeau removes senators from Liberal caucus | CBC News".
- ^ "Trudeau's expulsion catches Liberal senators by surprise". Globe and Mail. January 29, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ Joyal, Serge (July 2003). Protecting Canadian Democracy: The Senate You Never Knew. McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-2619-8. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
- ^ Lloyd Mackey, Tyndale Launches Capital Campaign, Canadian Christianity.com, June 5, 2008.
- ^ LLP, Dentons Canada. "The Honourable David P. Smith, P.C., Q.C., has passed away". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
External links edit
- David Smith – Parliament of Canada biography