Douglas Wiseman
Encyclopedia
Douglas Jack Wiseman is a former politician
in Ontario, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
as a Progressive Conservative
from 1971 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Bill Davis
.
in Perth
, Ontario.
, gaining an easy victory in the eastern Ontario constituency of Lanark
. He was returned in the 1975 election
, and was named parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health on November 19, 1975.
Wiseman was appointed as a minister without portfolio
in Davis's government on January 21, 1978, and on August 30, 1979 was promoted to Minister of Government Services. His tenure in office proved to be unexpectedly controversial. Some senior government officials such as Hugh Segal
claimed he was ineffective in cabinet, contributing almost nothing to policy debates. Within the Department of Government Services, some considered him an improvement over the previous minister, Lorne Henderson
. Wiseman soon developed a serious rivalry with Deputy Minister Alan Gordon, a confidante of the premier who attained notoriety for allegedly accepting untendered contracts without the minister's approval.
Wiseman met with Davis on July 6, 1983, intending to confront the premier with a list of departmental regulations that Gordon appeared to have violated. Davis did not accept the list, and instead informed Wiseman that he was being dropped from cabinet. The premier argued that he needed to make space for three new ministers in an upcoming shuffle. Some suspect that Wiseman was punished for his feud with Gordon, though Davis has denied this.
The Progressive Conservatives, who had governed the province continually since 1943, lost power following the 1985 election
. Wiseman was re-elected without difficulty in this cycle, but faced a surprisingly close challenge from Liberal
Bob Pugh
in the 1987 campaign
. Wiseman won, but by only 761 votes. He held no Critic
portfolios in the legislature, and did not seek re-election in 1990.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario, 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...
. He served in 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...
as a Progressive Conservative
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...
from 1971 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Bill Davis
Bill 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...
.
Life before politics
Wiseman was educated at Smiths Falls College, and worked as a farmer and small businessman. He developed a prominent cow-calf business in the region, and later opened a chain of discount shoe stores. Wiseman was also a public school board chair, and a trustee of St. Paul's United ChurchUnited Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
in Perth
Perth, Ontario
Perth is a town in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada . It is located on the Tay River, 83 km southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County.-History:...
, Ontario.
Political career
He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1971 provincial electionOntario 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....
, gaining an easy victory in the eastern Ontario constituency of Lanark
Lanark (electoral district)
Lanark was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
. He was returned in the 1975 election
Ontario 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....
, and was named parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health on November 19, 1975.
Wiseman was appointed as a minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in Davis's government on January 21, 1978, and on August 30, 1979 was promoted to Minister of Government Services. His tenure in office proved to be unexpectedly controversial. Some senior government officials such as Hugh Segal
Hugh Segal
Hugh Segal, CM is a Canadian senator, political strategist, author, and commentator. Segal is credited with helping Stephen Harper become Prime Minister by moderating his image.-Life and career:...
claimed he was ineffective in cabinet, contributing almost nothing to policy debates. Within the Department of Government Services, some considered him an improvement over the previous minister, Lorne Henderson
Lorne Henderson
Lorne Henderson was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1985, and was a cabinet minister in the government of William Davis. Henderson was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.He was born in Enniskillen Township, and received a...
. Wiseman soon developed a serious rivalry with Deputy Minister Alan Gordon, a confidante of the premier who attained notoriety for allegedly accepting untendered contracts without the minister's approval.
Wiseman met with Davis on July 6, 1983, intending to confront the premier with a list of departmental regulations that Gordon appeared to have violated. Davis did not accept the list, and instead informed Wiseman that he was being dropped from cabinet. The premier argued that he needed to make space for three new ministers in an upcoming shuffle. Some suspect that Wiseman was punished for his feud with Gordon, though Davis has denied this.
The Progressive Conservatives, who had governed the province continually since 1943, lost power following the 1985 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...
. Wiseman was re-elected without difficulty in this cycle, but faced a surprisingly close challenge from Liberal
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...
Bob Pugh
Bob Pugh
Bob Pugh was a Welsh professional footballer who played for Newport County.In 1929 Pugh was selected for the Football Association of Wales tour of Canada but these matches were not classed as international cap matches. His Newport County teammate Albert 'Nippy' Wardell was also selected for the...
in the 1987 campaign
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...
. Wiseman won, but by only 761 votes. He held no Critic
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
portfolios in the legislature, and did not seek re-election in 1990.