Gordon Walker
Encyclopedia
Gordon Wayne Walker is a businessman and former politician in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1971 to 1975, and again from 1977 to 1985. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of William Davis
and Frank Miller.
, Ontario, and educated at the University of Western Ontario
. He worked as a lawyer, and served as an alderman in the City of London
from 1967 to 1971. He and his wife Harriet have two daughters, Melanie Jennifer and Wynsome Harriet. Married to the former Harriet Hedley, who was Runner Up to Miss Canada nationally in 1965, was a secondary school teacher specializing in French and Spanish, was Director of Public Relations for the Museum of Indian Archeology 1981 1989; Director of Public Relations for the Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, 1989 to 1991; principal of Harriet Walker and Affiliates, Toronto, (principal organizer of the Royal Visit to Ontario of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, 1997), director and subsequently Co-Chair of the Royal Ontario Museum, 1997 to 2003, Governor of the Royal Ontario Museum 2003–present, lay member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons 2003 - 2006.
, defeating New Democratic Party candidate Charles Bigelow by 5,426 votes in London North
. He served as a backbencher supporter of Davis's government for the next four years, and lost to Liberal
candidate Marvin Shore by 2,282 votes in the 1975 election
. Ironically, Shore crossed the floor to join the Progressive Conservative Party the following year.
Walker was returned to the legislature in the 1977 election
for London South, defeating Liberal candidate John Ferris
by 2,211 votes. He was appointed to Davis's cabinet on October 18, 1978 as Minister of Correctional Services, and was also named Provincial Secretary for Justice on August 30, 1979. He was re-elected without difficulty in the 1981 election
.
on February 8, he appointed Walker to cabinet as Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations.
The Progressive Conservatives lost twenty seats in the 1985 provincial election
, and Walker personally lost to Liberal Joan Smith
by 6,683 votes. The party was subsequently defeated in the legislature, and Miller resigned as party leader. Walker became Alan Pope
's campaign manager for the November 1985 Progressive Conservative leadership convention
. After Pope's elimination on the first ballot, he unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate an alliance between his candidate and Dennis Timbrell
.
in the 1990s. Walker was a fundraiser for the Federal Progressive Conservataives and was Vice Chairman of P.C. Canada Fund during the Prime Minister Brian Mulroney period. Walker was a chief fundraiser for Tom Long's bid to lead the Canadian Alliance
in 2000. In the period 1993 until 2003, Walker was chief fundraiser for Mike Harris, Leader of the PC Party in Ontario, and Premier from 1995 until 2003. He was Campaign Manager - Finance for both the 1995 and 1999 successful elections for Harris.
Walker's legal practise took him to Toronto where from 1985 until 1998 he was Counsel to Toronto law firms of Holden, Murdoch and Finlay (later Holden Day Wilson), and latterly Miller Thompson; as well as being Honorary Counsel to Walker and Wood, a firm he started in London, Ontario. In 1986 Walker took a financial interest in First Canadian Property Investments Limited, a firm in which he continues as a principal. It is based in Toronto.
From 1992 until 1995 Walker was Canadian Commissioner on the International Joint Commission, a treaty organization between Canada and the United States affecting issues of water quality and water quantity on the 330 lakes, rivers and streams across the common border, including the Great Lakes.
's troubled Hollinger Inc.
firm in January 2004. He subsequently demanded that Black resign to protect the interests of shareholders, and replaced Black as chair in November 2004. He left the firm in July 2005, shortly after describing Black's ongoing legal difficulties as a "soap opera".
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...
. 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...
from 1971 to 1975, and again from 1977 to 1985. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
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...
, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of William 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...
and Frank Miller.
Background
Walker was born in St. ThomasSt. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
, Ontario, and educated at 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...
. He worked as a lawyer, and served as an alderman in the City of London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
from 1967 to 1971. He and his wife Harriet have two daughters, Melanie Jennifer and Wynsome Harriet. Married to the former Harriet Hedley, who was Runner Up to Miss Canada nationally in 1965, was a secondary school teacher specializing in French and Spanish, was Director of Public Relations for the Museum of Indian Archeology 1981 1989; Director of Public Relations for the Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, 1989 to 1991; principal of Harriet Walker and Affiliates, Toronto, (principal organizer of the Royal Visit to Ontario of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, 1997), director and subsequently Co-Chair of the Royal Ontario Museum, 1997 to 2003, Governor of the Royal Ontario Museum 2003–present, lay member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons 2003 - 2006.
Ontario Legislature
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....
, defeating New Democratic Party candidate Charles Bigelow by 5,426 votes in London North
London North
London North was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was first created for the 1926 provincial election when the London riding was divided in two sections, and then eliminated prior to the 1934 provincial election when the city was re-configured as a single seat...
. He served as a backbencher supporter of Davis's government for the next four years, and lost to 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...
candidate Marvin Shore by 2,282 votes 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....
. Ironically, Shore crossed the floor to join the Progressive Conservative Party the following year.
Walker was returned to the legislature in the 1977 election
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
for London South, defeating Liberal candidate John Ferris
John Ferris (politician)
John Ferris was a New Brunswick businessman, explorer and political figure. He represented Queen's in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal member from 1867 to 1878. His surname also appears as Farris in some sources, such as the 1881 census.He was born in Cambridge, Queen's County, New...
by 2,211 votes. He was appointed to Davis's cabinet on October 18, 1978 as Minister of Correctional Services, and was also named Provincial Secretary for Justice on August 30, 1979. He was re-elected without difficulty in the 1981 election
Ontario 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....
.
Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations
He left the Correctional Services portfolio on April 10, 1981, and was instead named as Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations. After a cabinet shuffle on February 13, 1982, he left both of his former portfolios and was named Minister of Industry and Trade Development. The title Minster of Trade Development was shortened to Minister of Trade. On June 6, 1983 he changed cabinet positions becoming the Provincial Secretary of Justice, a position he held until February 1985 at which time he became the Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations in the Cabinet of Premier Frank Miller, who had succeeded Premier Bill Davis as leader of Progressive Conservative Party. He left cabinet entirely on May 17, 1985, following the general election of May 2, 1985, in which he was defeated. The Progressive Conservative Party under Premier Frank Miller was reduced to a minority government in that election, and defeated in the Parliament in June 1985, turning over government to the Liberals. In 1983 he published a book entitled A Conservative Canada.Progressive Conservative Party
Walker was a prominent figure on the right-wing of the Progressive Conservative Party, and developed an organization for a future leadership bid in the early 1980s. These plans fell through, and many of his supporters later turned to Frank Miller. Many believe that Davis distrusted Walker's ambitions, and demoted him to prevent his leadership campaign from developing.Walker would retain the cabinet position of Provincial Secretary for Justice. Walker supported Miller for the party leadership in January 1985, and when Miller succeeded Davis as Premier of OntarioPremier 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...
on February 8, he appointed Walker to cabinet as Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations.
The Progressive Conservatives lost twenty seats in 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...
, and Walker personally lost to Liberal Joan Smith
Elizabeth Joan Smith
Elizabeth Joan Smith, often referred to simply as Joan Smith, is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1985 to 1990, and was a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson.Smith was educated at St...
by 6,683 votes. The party was subsequently defeated in the legislature, and Miller resigned as party leader. Walker became Alan Pope
Alan Pope
Alan William Pope is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1990, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller.-Early years:Pope was raised in Northern Ontario, and...
's campaign manager for the November 1985 Progressive Conservative leadership convention
Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership conventions
This page lists the results of leadership elections within the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario .Before 1920, leaders of the Conservative Party were usually chosen by caucus...
. After Pope's elimination on the first ballot, he unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate an alliance between his candidate and Dennis Timbrell
Dennis Timbrell
Dennis Roy Timbrell is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of William Davis and Frank Miller.-Early life and career:...
.
The Aftermath
Walker returned to his legal practice in London after his defeat. Many of his policy views were adopted by the Progressive Conservative Party under Mike HarrisMike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
in the 1990s. Walker was a fundraiser for the Federal Progressive Conservataives and was Vice Chairman of P.C. Canada Fund during the Prime Minister Brian Mulroney period. Walker was a chief fundraiser for Tom Long's bid to lead the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
in 2000. In the period 1993 until 2003, Walker was chief fundraiser for Mike Harris, Leader of the PC Party in Ontario, and Premier from 1995 until 2003. He was Campaign Manager - Finance for both the 1995 and 1999 successful elections for Harris.
Walker's legal practise took him to Toronto where from 1985 until 1998 he was Counsel to Toronto law firms of Holden, Murdoch and Finlay (later Holden Day Wilson), and latterly Miller Thompson; as well as being Honorary Counsel to Walker and Wood, a firm he started in London, Ontario. In 1986 Walker took a financial interest in First Canadian Property Investments Limited, a firm in which he continues as a principal. It is based in Toronto.
From 1992 until 1995 Walker was Canadian Commissioner on the International Joint Commission, a treaty organization between Canada and the United States affecting issues of water quality and water quantity on the 330 lakes, rivers and streams across the common border, including the Great Lakes.
Hollinger Inc.
Walker joined the board of directors of Conrad BlackConrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, OC, KCSG, PC is a Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, and a historian, columnist and publisher, who was for a time the third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Lord Black controlled Hollinger International, Inc...
's troubled Hollinger Inc.
Hollinger Inc.
Hollinger Inc. was a Canadian media company based in Toronto. It was created by the Canadian businessman Conrad Black as a holding company for his media interests after he acquired control of The Daily Telegraph in 1986. It was the parent company of Chicago-based Hollinger International, whose...
firm in January 2004. He subsequently demanded that Black resign to protect the interests of shareholders, and replaced Black as chair in November 2004. He left the firm in July 2005, shortly after describing Black's ongoing legal difficulties as a "soap opera".