Donald Oliver
Encyclopedia
Donald H. Oliver, QC
(born November 16, 1938) is a Canadian
Senator
.
A lawyer and developer, Oliver is a member of Nova Scotia
's Black
minority. He is the nephew of Canadian opera
singer Portia White
, politician Bill White
and labour union activist Jack White
, and the cousin of political strategist Sheila White
. He is descended from slave refugees who came to Canada during the War of 1812
.
Law School as a part-time professor for 14 years, and also taught law courses at Technical University of Nova Scotia
and St. Mary’s University. He is a Queen's Counsel
.
, Oliver served as the party's director of legal affairs through six federal elections from 1972 to 1988. He has also served as a federal vice-president of the party and as a director of its fundraising wing, the PC Canada Fund.
Oliver also served for years as Constitution Chairman and member of the Finance Committee for the Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia
, and is a former Vice-President of that Party.
Brian Mulroney
on September 7, 1990. He has served as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, and as the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications. He is currently Chairman of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Senator Oliver was also Co-chair of the Special Joint Committee on a Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians. He has worked on a number of Private Members’ Bills, including a bill to amend sections of the criminal code dealing with stalking and, more recently, a bill to address the issue of SPAM.
On March 4, 2010, Oliver was named Speaker pro tempore
of the Senate of Canada.
, Oliver resides on his farm in Queens County, Nova Scotia. Senator Donald Oliver is an honorary patron with Canadian Crossroads International. In 1962 he was a Crossroads volunteer to Ethiopia, an experience Senator Oliver has said, changed him forever.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born November 16, 1938) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Senator
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...
.
A lawyer and developer, Oliver is a member of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
's Black
Black Nova Scotians
Black Nova Scotians are people of Black African descent whose ancestors fled Colonial America as slaves or freemen to settle in Nova Scotia, Canada during the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the 2006 Census of Canada, there are 19,230 black people currently living in Nova Scotia, most of whom...
minority. He is the nephew of Canadian opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer Portia White
Portia White
Portia May White , was a singer who achieved international fame because of her voice and stage presence. As a Black Canadian, her popularity helped to open previously closed doors for talented blacks who followed....
, politician Bill White
Bill White (Canadian politician)
William Andrew White, III, OC was a Canadian composer and social justice activist, who was the first Black Canadian to run for federal office in Canada.-1949 federal election:...
and labour union activist Jack White
Jack White (politician)
Jack White was a Canadian labour union activist. He was the first elected black representative of the Ironworkers, and one of the first CUPE national staff representatives from a minority background....
, and the cousin of political strategist Sheila White
Sheila White (politician)
Sheila White is a Canadian political activist and a member of the New Democratic Party. She has run for office unsuccessfully five times, to date, in Toronto, Canada....
. He is descended from slave refugees who came to Canada during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Education and before politics
Oliver practised law in Halifax, Nova Scotia as a partner in the firm Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales from 1965 to 1990, and subsequently at two other law firms for a total of 36 years, primarily in civil litigation. He taught at Dalhousie UniversityDalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
Law School as a part-time professor for 14 years, and also taught law courses at Technical University of Nova Scotia
Technical University of Nova Scotia
The Technical University of Nova Scotia was a university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada until it became part of Dalhousie University in 1997. It was formerly the Nova Scotia Technical College and is today the Sexton Campus of Dalhousie University.In the early 1900s, at the request of the province...
and St. Mary’s University. He is a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
.
Politics
A long-time activist in the Progressive Conservative PartyProgressive 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....
, Oliver served as the party's director of legal affairs through six federal elections from 1972 to 1988. He has also served as a federal vice-president of the party and as a director of its fundraising wing, the PC Canada Fund.
Oliver also served for years as Constitution Chairman and member of the Finance Committee for the Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia
Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia
The Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia, registered under the Nova Scotia Elections Act as the "Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia", is a moderate right-of-centre political party in Nova Scotia, Canada....
, and is a former Vice-President of that Party.
Appointment to the Senate
Oliver was appointed to the Senate at the recommendation of Prime MinisterPrime 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...
on September 7, 1990. He has served as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, and as the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications. He is currently Chairman of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Senator Oliver was also Co-chair of the Special Joint Committee on a Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians. He has worked on a number of Private Members’ Bills, including a bill to amend sections of the criminal code dealing with stalking and, more recently, a bill to address the issue of SPAM.
On March 4, 2010, Oliver was named Speaker pro tempore
Speaker pro tempore of the Canadian Senate
The Speaker pro tempore is an officer of the Canadian Senate who nominated by a selection committee to assume the role of Speaker pro tempore, or acting Speaker. The nomination is then confirmed through a vote in the Senate...
of the Senate of Canada.
Personal life
Oliver is married and has one daughter. When not in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Oliver resides on his farm in Queens County, Nova Scotia. Senator Donald Oliver is an honorary patron with Canadian Crossroads International. In 1962 he was a Crossroads volunteer to Ethiopia, an experience Senator Oliver has said, changed him forever.