Garth Turner
Encyclopedia
John Garth Turner, PC
(born March 14, 1949) is a Canadian
business journalist, best-selling author, entrepreneur, broadcaster, financial advisor and politician, twice elected as a Member of the House of Commons, former Minister of National Revenue and leadership candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
. After serving as a PC MP between 1988 and 1993, he returned to political life as a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada
in the 2006 federal election, beating Liberal
Gary Carr
in the riding of Halton
, Ontario. On October 18, 2006, the Conservative Party suspended him from the Conservative caucus for his independent stance and he sat as an Independent MP until February 6, 2007, when he joined the Liberal Party of Canada
. His great-grandfather, Ebenezer Vining Bodwell
, was also a Liberal
Member of Parliament.
, and educated at the University of Toronto Schools
where he belonged to Cody house
. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature
from the University of Toronto
, and a Master of Arts in English literature from the University of Western Ontario
.
Before entering a career in politics, Turner founded and owned a string of weekly newspapers in Ontario, worked as an editor for The Globe and Mail
, Metroland Publishing
and Thomson Newspapers, and helped launch Maclean's
as a newsweekly magazine. He was subsequently business editor of the Toronto Sun
for ten years.
(PC) MP for Halton—Peel
in the 1988 election
. A Red Tory
, he became chairman of the consumer and corporate affairs committee. He became a candidate for the leadership of the PC Party in 1993, placing fourth on the first ballot. In the short-lived cabinet of Kim Campbell
he was appointed Minister of National Revenue
, but lost his seat in the 1993 election
when his party was reduced to just two seats.
After parting with Baton and later CTV, he formed the television production company Millennium Media Television, which became the largest independent producer of network television programming in Canada. The company produced up to nine weekly series for broadcasters such as Global, CTV and YTV, and its 'Business Television' had the most substantial audience at the time for a financial program on Canadian television.
Also during this period, Turner became a popular public speaker, traveling the country and attracting large crowds at events often sponsored by financial advisory companies, banks, mutual fund companies and real estate investment companies. He also authored a string of best-sellers, including '2015: After the Boom', 'The Strategy', 'The Defence', '2020' and an annual RRSP guide.
Turner was former CEO and founder of The Credit River Company, a Caledon-based destination and ecotourism
company that was noted for the restoration of heritage buildings
in the area. Turner served as national director of the Vancouver-based Sierra Legal Defence Fund, an organization dedicated to upholding environmental laws, resigning after his return to the House of Commons. His charity work included acting as a spokesperson for the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
In April 2008, Garth Turner added a new book to his library as a noted investment author. Greater Fool, The Troubled Future of Real Estate, detailed Turner's view of the dangers confronting middle class Canadians who reside in volatile urban real estate markets across the country. His subsequent book, "After the Crash", which was published in early 2009, is an examination of the financial crisis gripping North America. In an article published in newspapers in December 2008, the Canadian Press called 'Greater Fool' both "prescient" and "scarily bang-on." In February 2009, 'After the Crash' became a national bestseller, according to the Globe and Mail and Booknet Canada. Turner's latest book, 'Money Road' was published in February 2010, and quickly sold out its first printing, also becoming a national bestseller. It concentrates on financial forecasting and strategies for the 2010-2015 period.
In 2009, Turner launched an online retail operation, xurbia.ca, offering renewable and alternative energy products and equipment, as well as preparedness supplies, citing climate change and the ongoing economic downturn as precipitating factors. He also relaunched his pre-election eco-tourism business with the purchase of the historic (1855) Cataract Inn, in Caledon, Ontario, outside of Toronto. Turner also returned to his national speaking tours, focusing on investor education in a string of events once again sponsored by prominent companies in the financial services sector. Those events were often filled to capacity in advance as a result of his popular blog, 'The Greater Fool.'
, which included most of the territory he had represented in his previous term, in the general election in 2006. Local political organizer Esther Shaye acted as his campaign manager.
Turner was very critical of former Liberal cabinet minister David Emerson
's floor-crossing to the Conservatives. Turner called for Emerson to resign from Parliament and try to regain his seat in a by-election, saying that "anyone who crosses the floor ultimately should go back to the people for ratification and I stick by it and hopefully in this case that will happen...."
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060209/emerson_softwood_allegations_060209/20060209
On October 19, 2006, the Toronto Star
reported that Turner was being courted to become the first ever Green Party of Canada
member of Parliament. Turner praised Green leader Elizabeth May on his blog and campaigned for her in her bid to win a seat in the London by-election. According to Turner's weblog, his constituents were consulted over a number of weeks, and various options for action were considered: that he remain an independent Member of Parliament with no party affiliation; that he reconcile with the Conservative party; or that he join the Green Party. After a period of introspection and deliberation, on February 6, 2007 Turner surprised many observers by joining the Liberal Party caucus at the invitation of its leader, Stéphane Dion
.
The Conservative Party has criticized this decision as contrary to Turner's often-declared principle of electoral accountability to voters. In response, Turner repeatedly offered to run in a by-election in his constituency of Halton, Ontario, should David Emerson
and Wajid Khan
(floor-crossing members in the Conservative caucus, each former Liberals) also run in by-elections in their constituencies held at the same time.
In the 2008 federal election
, Turner ran unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party in Halton, being defeated by Conservative Lisa Raitt.
In April 2009, Turner published the book, "Sheeple: Caucus Confidential in Stephen Harper's Ottawa," through Key Porter Books. It is an account of his experiences within and without the caucus of the Conservative Party, and the clash between backroom-style politics and the open blogging Turner pioneered as a web-based MP.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born March 14, 1949) 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...
business journalist, best-selling author, entrepreneur, broadcaster, financial advisor and politician, twice elected as a Member of the House of Commons, former Minister of National Revenue and leadership candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
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....
. After serving as a PC MP between 1988 and 1993, he returned to political life as a candidate for the 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 the 2006 federal election, beating 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...
Gary Carr
Gary Carr
Gary Carr is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and served in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal from 2004 to early 2006...
in the riding of Halton
Halton (electoral district)
Halton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988 and again since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 100,055.-Geography:...
, Ontario. On October 18, 2006, the Conservative Party suspended him from the Conservative caucus for his independent stance and he sat as an Independent MP until February 6, 2007, when he joined 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...
. His great-grandfather, Ebenezer Vining Bodwell
Ebenezer Vining Bodwell
Ebenezer Vining Bodwell was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Oxford South in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal member from 1867 to 1874...
, was also a 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...
Member of Parliament.
Early life and career
Turner was born in Woodstock, OntarioWoodstock, Ontario
Woodstock is a city and the county seat of Oxford County in Southern Ontario, Canada. Woodstock is located 128 km southwest of Toronto, north of Highway 401 along the historic Thames River...
, and educated at the University of Toronto Schools
University of Toronto Schools
The University of Toronto Schools is an independent secondary day school affiliated with the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
where he belonged to Cody house
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
from 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...
, and a Master of Arts in English literature 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...
.
Before entering a career in politics, Turner founded and owned a string of weekly newspapers in Ontario, worked as an editor for The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, Metroland Publishing
Metroland Media Group
Metroland Media Group, also referred to as Metroland is a publisher of daily and weekly community newspapers, as well as several speciality products and services, in the southern part of the Canadian province of Ontario...
and Thomson Newspapers, and helped launch Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
as a newsweekly magazine. He was subsequently business editor of the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
for ten years.
Progressive Conservative MP
Turner was elected as the Progressive ConservativeProgressive 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....
(PC) MP for Halton—Peel
Halton—Peel
Halton—Peel was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...
in the 1988 election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
. A Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
, he became chairman of the consumer and corporate affairs committee. He became a candidate for the leadership of the PC Party in 1993, placing fourth on the first ballot. In the short-lived cabinet of Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
he was appointed Minister of National Revenue
Minister of National Revenue (Canada)
The Minister of National Revenue is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency and the administration of taxation law and collection....
, but lost his seat 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...
when his party was reduced to just two seats.
Financial commentator
After his election loss, Turner returned to journalism, becoming business editor for Baton Broadcasting and then the CTV network and authoring a series of books on real estate and personal finance. He became a popular public speaker on financial issues, syndicated newspaper columnist and radio broadcaster.After parting with Baton and later CTV, he formed the television production company Millennium Media Television, which became the largest independent producer of network television programming in Canada. The company produced up to nine weekly series for broadcasters such as Global, CTV and YTV, and its 'Business Television' had the most substantial audience at the time for a financial program on Canadian television.
Also during this period, Turner became a popular public speaker, traveling the country and attracting large crowds at events often sponsored by financial advisory companies, banks, mutual fund companies and real estate investment companies. He also authored a string of best-sellers, including '2015: After the Boom', 'The Strategy', 'The Defence', '2020' and an annual RRSP guide.
Turner was former CEO and founder of The Credit River Company, a Caledon-based destination and ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
company that was noted for the restoration of heritage buildings
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
in the area. Turner served as national director of the Vancouver-based Sierra Legal Defence Fund, an organization dedicated to upholding environmental laws, resigning after his return to the House of Commons. His charity work included acting as a spokesperson for the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
In April 2008, Garth Turner added a new book to his library as a noted investment author. Greater Fool, The Troubled Future of Real Estate, detailed Turner's view of the dangers confronting middle class Canadians who reside in volatile urban real estate markets across the country. His subsequent book, "After the Crash", which was published in early 2009, is an examination of the financial crisis gripping North America. In an article published in newspapers in December 2008, the Canadian Press called 'Greater Fool' both "prescient" and "scarily bang-on." In February 2009, 'After the Crash' became a national bestseller, according to the Globe and Mail and Booknet Canada. Turner's latest book, 'Money Road' was published in February 2010, and quickly sold out its first printing, also becoming a national bestseller. It concentrates on financial forecasting and strategies for the 2010-2015 period.
In 2009, Turner launched an online retail operation, xurbia.ca, offering renewable and alternative energy products and equipment, as well as preparedness supplies, citing climate change and the ongoing economic downturn as precipitating factors. He also relaunched his pre-election eco-tourism business with the purchase of the historic (1855) Cataract Inn, in Caledon, Ontario, outside of Toronto. Turner also returned to his national speaking tours, focusing on investor education in a string of events once again sponsored by prominent companies in the financial services sector. Those events were often filled to capacity in advance as a result of his popular blog, 'The Greater Fool.'
Conservative MP
Turner returned to politics with his election as a Conservative MP for HaltonHalton (electoral district)
Halton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988 and again since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 100,055.-Geography:...
, which included most of the territory he had represented in his previous term, in the general election in 2006. Local political organizer Esther Shaye acted as his campaign manager.
Turner was very critical of former Liberal cabinet minister David Emerson
David Emerson
David Lee Emerson, PC, OBC is a Canadian politician, businessman and civil servant.Emerson is a former Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Paul Martin...
's floor-crossing to the Conservatives. Turner called for Emerson to resign from Parliament and try to regain his seat in a by-election, saying that "anyone who crosses the floor ultimately should go back to the people for ratification and I stick by it and hopefully in this case that will happen...."
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060209/emerson_softwood_allegations_060209/20060209
Liberal MP
On October 18, 2006, the Ontario members of the Conservative caucus voted to suspend Turner for what they claimed were violations of caucus confidentiality as published in his weblog. Within hours, Turner was dismissed from the Conservative Party caucus, and ultimately from the Conservative Party of Canada, by edict of the party's political leadership. The Conservative Party never furnished evidence of Turner's alleged breaches of confidentiality, while Turner argued Prime Minister Stephen Harper could not tolerate an independent-minded MP within his caucus.On October 19, 2006, the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
reported that Turner was being courted to become the first ever Green Party of Canada
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
member of Parliament. Turner praised Green leader Elizabeth May on his blog and campaigned for her in her bid to win a seat in the London by-election. According to Turner's weblog, his constituents were consulted over a number of weeks, and various options for action were considered: that he remain an independent Member of Parliament with no party affiliation; that he reconcile with the Conservative party; or that he join the Green Party. After a period of introspection and deliberation, on February 6, 2007 Turner surprised many observers by joining the Liberal Party caucus at the invitation of its leader, Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
.
The Conservative Party has criticized this decision as contrary to Turner's often-declared principle of electoral accountability to voters. In response, Turner repeatedly offered to run in a by-election in his constituency of Halton, Ontario, should David Emerson
David Emerson
David Lee Emerson, PC, OBC is a Canadian politician, businessman and civil servant.Emerson is a former Member of Parliament for the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected as a Liberal and served as Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Paul Martin...
and Wajid Khan
Wajid Khan
Wajid Ali Khan is a Canadian businessman and politician. Until 2008, he was a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville as a Conservative Member of Parliament.-Early life:Khan served as an officer and a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force from 1966 to...
(floor-crossing members in the Conservative caucus, each former Liberals) also run in by-elections in their constituencies held at the same time.
In the 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, Turner ran unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party in Halton, being defeated by Conservative Lisa Raitt.
In April 2009, Turner published the book, "Sheeple: Caucus Confidential in Stephen Harper's Ottawa," through Key Porter Books. It is an account of his experiences within and without the caucus of the Conservative Party, and the clash between backroom-style politics and the open blogging Turner pioneered as a web-based MP.