John C. Turmel
Encyclopedia
John C. Turmel is a perennial candidate
for election in Canada, and according to the Guinness Book of Records holds the records for the most elections contested and for the most elections lost having contested 75 elections and lost 74. The other contest was a by-election that was pre-empted by a general election call.
's Quebec social credit
theory of monetary reform
. He has also campaigned for the legalization of gambling, the adoption of "Local Employment Trading Systems" (LETS) which are interest-free barter
arrangements, and for the legalization of marijuana . He has participated in several protests outside of Canada's major banking institutions, saying that bank interest promote poverty and starvation in the third world
.
Turmel, who lists his occupation as "professional gambler
" known as TajProfessor or Great Canadian Gambler, was active in the Social Credit Party of Canada
and the Social Credit Party of Ontario
in the 1980s, and founded the Christian Credit Party
in the 1980s, and the Abolitionist Party of Canada
in the 1990s and the Pauper Party of Ontario in 2011. He wears a trade-mark white construction helmet when campaigning, and calls himself "the Engineer". The colour of his helmet is said to not only refer to the white construction helmets worn by engineers and architects on construction sites, but also to the berets blanc (white berets), the nickname of the Pilgrims of Saint Michael
, a radical monetarist
faction within the Quebec social credit movement
.
Turmel's grandfather, Adelard Turmel, supported the Social Credit Party of Canada
from its inception in 1935, and he passed on a belief in social credit monetary theories to his descendants.
Turmel describes himself as a follower of Jesus "the Nazoraean", though his beliefs are distinct from mainstream Christianity. He frequently refers to Jesus as a radical debt reformer, and often quotes the line, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors", from the Lord's Prayer
(This line is usually translated as "Forgive us our trespasses" or "Forgive us our sins", which Turmel regards as a distortion of its proper meaning because Thomas 95 says: Jesus said: "If you have money, do not lend it out at interest." He has argued that Jesus died to bring salvation for mankind in this world, rather than in an afterlife
.)
He has composed several poems outlining his beliefs, all of which are written in doggerel
verse. The following example is typical:
Turmel's brother, Raymond Turmel
, has also campaigned for public office on several occasions.
in Ottawa
in 1976 with a specialization in the Mathematics of gambling
and became Teaching Assistant to Dr. Walter Schneider in the course until 1978 when he was fired for running a highly publicized Blackjack "21" game in the Faculty Club. The next year he received his first conviction for keeping a common gaming house for running Blackjack games at home. In 1981, Turmel was convicted and jailed for 21 days for keeping a gaming house and playing 21, lost the appeal but had the sentence converted to 100 hours community service playing accordion in old-age homes. In 1991, Turmel was convicted in Gatineau, Quebec, of running a common gaming house and sentenced to 4 months in jail. Before getting out after one month, Turmel ran for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality
while in jail, collecting approximately 3,500 votes. In 1993, Ottawa and Ontario Provincial Police raided the private 28-table Casino Turmel in Project Robin Hood, the largest gaming house raid in Canadian history. Turmel eventually convicted and sentenced to 200 hours community service playing accordion in retirement homes
in which he argued interest on money, usury, was the evil instability in financial affairs and swore to "abolish interest rate
s". He won 193 votes.
in Ottawa Centre
. His application to run as a Social Credit candidate was rejected by party leader Fabien Roy
. He won 64 votes. The party lost all its seats.
Because of the death of the Social Credit candidate in Frontenac
riding in Quebec during the election, a by-election was held in March. When Fabien Roy accepted the nomination without a convention, Turmel ran again as an independent against the Social Credit candidate. He ran as an independent candidate in the April 13 federal by-election in London West
, claiming to be interim leader of the "Ontario Social Credit Party". Turmel won 77 votes as an "independent Social Credit" candidate in a September 8 by-election in Hamilton West.
He also sought the Social Credit Party of Canada’s interim national leadership unsuccessfully at a convention in November in Calgary
. Turmel opposed the appointment of Martin Hattersley
as interim leader of the federal Social Credit party as being undemocratic. The party executive claimed that the party did not have sufficient funds to hold a convention.
Turmel ran for Mayor of Ottawa in November, collecting 1,928 votes. At the same time, he was a candidate in a provincial by-election in Carleton riding coming in last as the Social Credit candidate.
With grandfather Adelard, mother Therese and brother Ray Turmel in support, Turmel started picketing the Bank of Canada on every Thursday when the interest rate was set and then picketing Parliament too. This continued for 5 years until the retirement of Governor Gerald Bouey.
In the March 1981 provincial election
, Turmel ran as a Social Credit candidate in Ottawa Centre
, while his brother Raymond ran for the party in Ottawa South
, Serge Girard, Dale Alkerton and Andrew Dynowski ran in neighbouring ridings. It was reported that he became interim leader of the Ontario Social Credit Party in early March, although it is not clear if other members of the party agreed.
In September, Turmel was a candidate in the federal by-election in Spadina
riding in Toronto, collecting 98 votes. The national Social Credit party president Carl O’Malley refused to endorse a candidate on the basis that the Liberal
candidate, Jim Coutts
, a former adviser to Pierre Trudeau
, was a personal friend. Raymond Turmel ran as an independent against O’Malley in the by-election held in Joliette, Quebec on the same day, claiming to be the "real Social Credit" candidate.
In October, the Ontario Social Credit Party conducted a leadership vote. The eleven delegates, who represented about 100 party members throughout the province, elected former Toronto mayoral candidate Anne McBride
as their new interim leader in a vote of 7 to 1 with 3 spoiled ballots. One vote was cast for Bruce Arnold. Turmel, his brother Ray and their mother, Therese, wrote the word "unconstitutional" across the ballots. Turmel argued that the party was violating its constitution by holding a vote without providing four months' notice to its members. McBride was a Christian fundamentalist minister who vowed to run the party "on Christian principles".
In September, Turmel was reported to be fighting his expulsion from the federal Social Credit party, and seeking its leadership. Further, he was reported to be seeking to replace Joe Clark
as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
. Turmel denied the report, but the journalist stood by her story.
that he had recently founded. He won 173 votes.
The Christian Credit Party was formed after the Social Credit party refused to renew the memberships of Turmel and his brother Raymond. The Turmel brothers said that they left the party because it had compromised its principles on interest rates.
He also ran for the Christian Credit Party in the September federal by-election in Broadview—Greenwood
(in Toronto), winning an all-time low 16 votes. Raymond ran for the party in Leeds—Grenville
in eastern Ontario.
In July, Turmel attempted to recruit members for his new party at the Social Credit national convention in Regina. In September, the party claimed to have 75 members.
In November 1982, Turmel ran for alderman in the Ottawa suburb of Gloucester, and appears to have abandoned an attempt to run in a provincial by-election in Toronto-York South
. His brother, Raymond, ran for mayor of Gloucester, while their colleague Marc Gauvin ran for mayor of Ottawa.
By 1983, the Christian Credit Party appears to have died. Turmel said he disbanded his party because he realized voters would not give it a chance. "People won't vote for a new party. They've been voting for one colour all their lives. The only way to do anything is to get into a recognized party."
Turmel, with Therese and Ray, Marc and Emi Gauvin and Serge Girard picketed the Bilderberger conference held at Chateau Montebello.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the Central Nova (Nova Scotia
) riding by-election in September 1983 against Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney
. He claimed to be a "member of the Abolitionist wing of the PC party".
Turmel won 97 votes as a candidate in a provincial by-election in Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry, Ontario.
, Turmel attempted to take over the Ottawa branch of the fledgling Green Party of Canada
by signing up new members, seeking the party’s nomination in Ottawa Centre. After the party had appointed a candidate in Ottawa Centre rather than hold nominations, Turmel claimed that it was undemocratic and called a meeting at which all Greens were invited to elect candidates to run in various Ottawa area ridings under the Green Party banner. The party rejected those nominations, and then held its own meeting to nominate new candidates.
In the election, Turmel ran as an independent against Green Party leader Trevor Hancock
in Toronto—Beaches
, Marc Gauvin ran in Ottawa Centre, supporter Serge Girard in Ottawa—Vanier
, and John and Ray’s mother, Therese Turmel ran in Ottawa West, and Ray Turmel ran as an "independent Green" in Nepean—Carleton
.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the December 13, 1984, provincial by-election in Ottawa Centre, and Serge Girard ran in Ottawa East. Turmel also ran for mayor of Ottawa.
In 1985, the Executive of the Ontario Branch of the Green Party expelled Ontario member John Turmel and Quebec member Ray Turmel.
.
Turmel ran in an April 1986 provincial by-election in Toronto-York East and an August 14 provincial by-election in Cochrane
, Ontario, apparently under the "Social Credit Party of Ontario" banner.
In September, he ran as an "independent créditiste" claiming to be the heir of Réal Caouette
in a federal by-election in St.-Maurice
, Quebec when future federal Liberal leader Jean Chrétien
resigned.
In June 1987, Turmel ran in a federal by-election in Hamilton Mountain
. He was reported to be "attempting to form" an Ontario Social Credit Party.
In the autumn of 1988, Turmel ran for mayor of Ottawa, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre and Member of Provincial Parliament for Welland—Thorold
in the Niagara peninsula in a November 3 provincial by-election.
, which nominated 80 candidates in the 1993 federal election
, one more than the Green Party of Canada.
In 1994, Turmel won over 4,500 votes running for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality, the largest number of votes in his career.
He won 46 votes as the Abolitionist Party candidate in the February 13, 1995, Ottawa—Vanier
federal by-election. The party also nominated John Long in Brome—Mississquoi, Quebec, who won 15 votes.
In June 1996, Turmel ran under the Abolitionist Party of Canada banner in a Hamilton East federal by-election. One month after the Ottawa Sun
announced his loss in an article headlined, "Super Loser Fails Again", the Hamilton Spectator reported that the Hamilton Self-Help Centre was starting a Hamilton LETS.
Turmel won 4,126 votes (2.5% of the total) running for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality in 1997, in which Bob Chiarelli
defeated Peter Clark by 2,798 votes. Turmel won 214 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West—Nepean
in the 1997 federal election
. In September, Turmel won 201 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West in a provincial by-election.
Turmel ran for the board of the National Capital Freenet (ncf.ca) after the previous board reduced the number of seats from 7 to 5. He came 6th, and argues he was cheated out of the only election he ever won.
Turmel first appeared in the 1997 Guinness World Book of Records for most elections contested at 41.
he ran as an "independent Abolitionist" in a September 14, 1998, federal by-election in Sherbrooke
, Quebec.
In 1999, he won 106 votes as an Abolitionist Party candidate in a March federal by-election in Windsor—St. Clair
, Ontario, which was more than the margin by which Liberal
candidate Rick Limoges
defeated Joe Comartin of the New Democratic Party
.
(Nova Scotia) federal by-election against Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark
. He won 89 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West—Nepean
in the November federal election. Raymond Turmel won 728 votes in Ottawa—Vanier
as a candidate for the Marijuana Party of Canada
; John had previously attempted to run for the party's leadership, but was blocked.
In the same year, he made a presentation to the United Nations on the interest-free UNILETS resulting in Millennium Declaration Resolution C6 to governments to use an alternative time-based currency to restructure the global financial architecture.
In 2002, Turmel attempted to run for the leadership of the Marijuana Party of Canada
but the leadership election was called off after Turmel showed up to contest the election.
Turmel won 295 votes as an independent candidate in Brant
riding in the 2003 October provincial election
. His 56th campaign was for Mayor of Ottawa in the November 2003 municipal election
, when he collected 1,166 votes.
He also tried to resurrect the Libertarian Party of Canada
, but was prevented from doing so when former members re-registered the name first.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate and placed fifth with 120 votes in a May 13, 2004 provincial by-election in Hamilton East. He placed last of eight candidates as an independent candidate in the March 17, 2005 provincial by-election in Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey
and placed last in Brant riding with 213 votes in the 2006 federal election
.
Turmel was convicted of drug possession in March 2006, resulting from a one-man protest on Parliament Hill
in Ottawa three years earlier. Turmel had taken three kilograms of marijuana to the hill, and openly smoked a joint in front of politicians and security officials. He announced plans to appeal.
The conviction was rendered on the same day as a provincial by-election in Nepean—Carleton
, in which Turmel was a candidate.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in a 2008 by-election in the riding of Guelph
. On Monday, August 25, he disrupted a televised debate involving candidates from the four major political parties to which the other four candidates had not been invited to participate. He yelled out his objections so loudly that the moderator of the debate could not be heard. He was eventually removed from the premises (River Run Centre) by the [Guelph police]. The by-election was pre-empted by a federal election call
in which Turmel re-filed his candidacy for the same riding – he came in tenth out of eleven candidates receiving 58 votes.
On September 10, 2009, police were called after Turmel disrupted an all-candidates meeting during the provincial by-election in Ontario's St. Paul's
riding. Angry at a moderator's rule which forced residents to direct their questions at 4 of 8 candidates, thus effectively limiting his opportunity to speak, Turmel lashed out and walked around the church hall shouting at debate panelists and audience members. At one point, the debate had to pause as a group of attendees attempted a citizen's arrest. Turmel stated that he would "ruin everyone's night" because "mine was ruined".
pitching his LETS scheme. Turmel initiated a lawsuit against the CBC as a result of the program. His complaint was rejected by the Ontario Court of Appeal in July of 2011.
's rise to the premiership of Alberta in 1935 if The Engineer's Dream Team of chosen other party candidates were elected.
as founder and leader of the newly formed Pauper Party of Ontario stating "we want no cops gambling, sex or drugs or rock and roll, we want no usury on loans, pay cash or time, no dole."
|-
!
! class="unsortable"|Date
! Level
! Location
! Party
! Votes
! %
|-
|1.
|May 22, 1979
|Federal
|Ottawa West
|Independent
|193
| 0.35
|-
|2.
|February 20, 1980
|Federal
|Ottawa Centre
|Independent
|62
|0.13
|-
|3.
|March 24, 1980
|Federal by-election
|Frontenac
|Independent
|101
|0.31
|-
|4.
|September 8, 1980
|Federal by-election
|Hamilton West
|Independent Social Credit
|88
|0.28
|-
|5.
|November 10, 1980
|Municipal
|Ottawa
|N/A
|1,928
|2.21
|-
|6.
|November 20, 1980
|Provincial by-election
|Carleton
|Social Credit
|95
|-
|7.
|March 19, 1981
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
|Social Credit
|376
|1.48>
|April 12, 1981
|Federal by-election
|London West
|Independent
|37
|0.08
|-
|9.
|May 4, 1981
|Federal by-election
|Lévis
|Independent
|172
|0.51
|-
|10.
|August 17, 1981
|Federal by-election
|Spadina
|Independent
|69
|0.31
|-
|11.
|June 17, 1982
|Provincial by-election
|Hamilton West
|Christian Credit Party
|173
|0.75
|-
|12.
|October 12, 1982
|Federal by-election
|Broadview-Greenwood
|Christian Credit Party
|19
|0.07
|-
|13.
|November 4, 1982
|Provincial by-election
|York South
|Independent
|66
|0.27
|-
|14.
|November 8, 1982
|Municipal/Alderman
|Gloucester
|N/A
|1,193
|1.27
|-
|15.
|August 29, 1983
|Federal by-election
|Central Nova
|Independent
|46
|0.15
|-
|16.
|December 15, 1983
|Provincial by-election
|Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry
|Independent
|97
|0.46
|-
|17.
|September 4, 1984
|Federal
|Beaches
|Independent
|112
|0.31
|-
|18.
|December 13, 1984
|Provincial by-election
|Ottawa Centre
|Independent
|90
|0.46>
|May 2, 1985
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
|Independent
|364
|1.33
|-
|20.
|November 12, 1985
|Municipal
|Nepean
|N/A
|1,405
|7.25
|-
|21.
|April 17, 1986
|Provincial by-election
|York East
|Social Credit Party of Ontario
|44
|0.17>
|August 14, 1986
|Provincial by-election
|Cochrane North
|Social Credit Party of Ontario
|75
|0.74
|-
|23.
|September 29, 1986
|Federal by-election
|Saint-Maurice
|Independent creditiste
|104
|0.31
|-
|24.
|July 20, 1987
|Federal by-election
|Hamilton Mountain
|Independent
|166
|0.50
|-
|25.
|September 10, 1987
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
|Independent
|598
|2.03
|-
|26.
|March 31, 1988
|Provincial by-election
|London North
|Independent
|115
|0.35
|-
|27.
|November 3, 1988
|Provincial by-election
|Welland-Thorold
|Independent
|187
|0.65
|-
|28.
|November 14, 1988
|Municipal/ Mayor
|Ottawa
|N/A
|3,123
|3.88>
|November 21, 1988
|Federal
|Ottawa Centre
|Independent
|152
|0.31
|-
|30.
|August 13, 1990
|Federal by-election
|Oshawa
|Independent
|50
|0.20
|-
|31.
|September 6, 1990
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
|Independent
|160
|0.53
|-
|32.
|December 10, 1990
|Federal by-election
|York North
|Independent
|97
|0.23
|-
|33.
|November 12, 1991
|Municipal/Regional Chair
|Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
|N/A
|3,574
|1.81
|-
|34.
|October 23, 1993
|Federal
|Frontenac
|Abolitionist
|195
|0.63
|-
|35.
|December 2, 1993
|Provincial by-election
|Essex South
|Independent
|84
|0.46
|-
|36.
|March 17, 1994
|Provincial by-election
|Victoria-Haliburton
|Independent
|123
|0.52
|-
|37.
|November 14, 1994
|Municipal/Regional Chair
|Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
|N/A
|4,563
|2.35
|-
|38.
|February 13, 1995
|Federal by-election
|Ottawa-Vanier
|Abolitionist Party
|46
|0.23>
|June 8, 1995
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
|Independent
|173
|0.61
|-
|40.
|March 25, 1996
|Federal by-election
|Etobicoke North
|Abolitionist Party
|75
|0.28
|-
|41.
|June 17, 1996
|Federal by-election
|Hamilton East
|Abolitionist Party
|21
|0.08
|-
|42.
|June 2, 1997
|Federal
|Ottawa West-Nepean
|Independent
|211
|0.39
|-
|43.
|September 4, 1997
|Provincial by-election
|Ottawa West
|Independent
|201
|0.93
|-
|44.
|November 10, 1997
|Municipal/Regional Chair
|Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
|N/A
|4,126
|2.50
|-
|45.
|September 14, 1998
|Federal by-election
|Sherbrooke
|Independent Abolitionist
|97
|0.27
|-
|46.
|April 12, 1999
|Federal by-election
|Windsor-St. Clair
|Abolitionist Party
|106
|0.33
|-
|47.
|June 3, 1999
|Provincial
|Ottawa West-Nepean
|Independent
|94
|0.20
|-
|48.
|November 15, 1999
|Federal by-election
|Hull-Aylmer
|Independent
|51
|0.29>
|September 7, 2000
|Provincial by-election
|Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot
|Independent
|80
|0.24
|-
|50.
|September 11, 2000
|Federal by-election
|Kings-Hants
|Independent
|221
|0.81
|-
|51.
|November 13, 2000
|Municipal/Mayor
|Ottawa
|N/A
|677
|0.27>
|November 27, 2000
|Federal
|Ottawa West-Nepean
|Independent
|89
|0.17>
|March 22, 2001
|Provincial by-election
|Parry Sound-Muskoka
|Independent
|61
|0.23>
|May 2, 2002
|Provincial by-election
|Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey
|Independent
|120
|0.37>
|October 2, 2003
|Provincial
|Brant
|Independent
|295
|0.66>
|November 10, 2003
|Municipal/Mayor
|Ottawa
|N/A
|1,166
|0.63>
|May 13, 2004
|Provincial by-election
|Hamilton East
|Independent Abolitionist
|120
|0.50>
|June 28, 2004
|Federal
|Brant
|Independent
|371
|0.69>
|March 17, 2005
|Provincial by-election
|Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey
|Independent Abolitionist
|85
|0.31>
|January 23, 2006
|Federal
|Brant
|Independent
|219
|0.36>
|March 30, 2006
|Provincial by-election
|Nepean-Carleton
|Independent
|112
|0.37>
|September 14, 2006
|Provincial by-election
|Parkdale-High Park
|Independent
|77
|0.27>
|November 13, 2006
|Municipal/Mayor
|Brantford
|N/A
|226
|0.84>
|February 8, 2007
|Provincial by-election
|Burlington
|Independent
|90
|0.40>
|September 17, 2007
|Federal by-election
|Outremont
|Independent
|30
|0.13>
|October 10, 2007
|Provincial
|Brant
|Independent
|272
|0.57>
|September 8, 2008
|Federal by-election
|Guelph
|Independent
|N/A
|N/A>
|October 14, 2008
|Federal
|Guelph
|Independent
|58
|0.10>
69.
March 5, 2009
Provincial by-election
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
Independent
92
0.26
70.
September 17, 2009
Provincial by-election
St. Paul's
Independent
51
0.19
71.
November 9, 2009
Federal by-election
Hochelaga
Independent
71
0.39
72.
February 4, 2010
Provincial by-election
Toronto Centre
Independent
67
0.25
73.
March 4, 2010
Provincial by-election
Ottawa West-Nepean
Independent
230
0.81
74.
October 25, 2010
Municipal/Mayor
Brantford
N/A
61
0.22
75.
October 6, 2011
Provincial
Brant
Pauper Party
87
0.2
Perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
for election in Canada, and according to the Guinness Book of Records holds the records for the most elections contested and for the most elections lost having contested 75 elections and lost 74. The other contest was a by-election that was pre-empted by a general election call.
Background
Turmel believes in Louis EvenLouis Even
Louis Even was a lay Christian leader and publisher who founded the social credit movement in Quebec. He co-founded and led the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, better known as the white berets, with Gilberte Côté-Mercier and was a founder of the Union of Electors, a predecessor of Réal Caouette's...
's Quebec social credit
Social Credit
Social Credit is an economic philosophy developed by C. H. Douglas , a British engineer, who wrote a book by that name in 1924. Social Credit is described by Douglas as "the policy of a philosophy"; he called his philosophy "practical Christianity"...
theory of monetary reform
Monetary reform
Monetary reform describes any movement or theory that proposes a different system of supplying money and financing the economy from the current system.Monetary reformers may advocate any of the following, among other proposals:...
. He has also campaigned for the legalization of gambling, the adoption of "Local Employment Trading Systems" (LETS) which are interest-free barter
Barter
Barter is a method of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. It is usually bilateral, but may be multilateral, and usually exists parallel to monetary systems in most developed countries, though to a...
arrangements, and for the legalization of marijuana . He has participated in several protests outside of Canada's major banking institutions, saying that bank interest promote poverty and starvation in the third world
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
.
Turmel, who lists his occupation as "professional gambler
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
" known as TajProfessor or Great Canadian Gambler, was active in the Social Credit Party of Canada
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
and the Social Credit Party of Ontario
Social Credit Party of Ontario
The Social Credit Party of Ontario was a minor political party at the provincial level in the Canadian province of Ontario from the 1940s to the early 1970s. The party never won any seats in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
in the 1980s, and founded the Christian Credit Party
Christian Credit Party
The Christian Credit Party was a short-lived Canadian political party founded in 1982 by perennial candidate and social credit activist, John C...
in the 1980s, and the Abolitionist Party of Canada
Abolitionist Party of Canada
The Abolitionist Party of Canada was a Canadian political party founded by perennial candidate John C. Turmel. The party ran on a platform of: monetary reform, including the abolition of interest rates and the income tax, the use of the local employment trading system of banking, and introducing a...
in the 1990s and the Pauper Party of Ontario in 2011. He wears a trade-mark white construction helmet when campaigning, and calls himself "the Engineer". The colour of his helmet is said to not only refer to the white construction helmets worn by engineers and architects on construction sites, but also to the berets blanc (white berets), the nickname of the Pilgrims of Saint Michael
Pilgrims of Saint Michael
The Pilgrims of St. Michael is a Roman Catholic organization in Canada that promotes social credit economic theories in Canada and other countries.The Pilgims of St...
, a radical monetarist
Monetarism
Monetarism is a tendency in economic thought that emphasizes the role of governments in controlling the amount of money in circulation. It is the view within monetary economics that variation in the money supply has major influences on national output in the short run and the price level over...
faction within the Quebec social credit movement
Ralliement créditiste
Historically in Quebec, Canada, there was a number of political parties that were part of the Canadian social credit movement. There were various parties at different times with different names at the provincial level, all broadly following the social credit philosophy; at various times they had...
.
Turmel's grandfather, Adelard Turmel, supported the Social Credit Party of Canada
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
from its inception in 1935, and he passed on a belief in social credit monetary theories to his descendants.
Turmel describes himself as a follower of Jesus "the Nazoraean", though his beliefs are distinct from mainstream Christianity. He frequently refers to Jesus as a radical debt reformer, and often quotes the line, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors", from the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
(This line is usually translated as "Forgive us our trespasses" or "Forgive us our sins", which Turmel regards as a distortion of its proper meaning because Thomas 95 says: Jesus said: "If you have money, do not lend it out at interest." He has argued that Jesus died to bring salvation for mankind in this world, rather than in an afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
.)
He has composed several poems outlining his beliefs, all of which are written in doggerel
Doggerel
Doggerel is a derogatory term for verse considered of little literary value. The word probably derived from dog, suggesting either ugliness, puppyish clumsiness, or unpalatability in the 1630s.-Variants:...
verse. The following example is typical:
- Debt Cancellation, "Tobin taxTobin taxA Tobin tax, suggested by Nobel Laureate economist James Tobin, was originally defined as a tax on all spot conversions of one currency into another...
," they're splashing in the pool, - The problem's in the money pumphouse. "Interest" the tool.
- The vast solution takes all errant money-pumps in hand,
- It's not a half-vast splashing in the money pool that's planned.
- Relief could reach the whole wide world to ancient strife placate.
- Imagine Earth as Eden with no feedback causing hate.
- The Christians and the Muslims and the Nazis and the Jews,
- Are in agreement L.E.T.S. conforms to everybody's views.
Turmel's brother, Raymond Turmel
Raymond Turmel
Raymond J. Turmel is a Canadian political activist. He is the brother of John C. Turmel, and holds similar views on issues such as monetary reform and marijuana legalization. Turmel describes himself as a "warrior for marijuana", and has a lengthy arrest record for pot-related offences...
, has also campaigned for public office on several occasions.
Gambling activism
Turmel received a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Carleton UniversityCarleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
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...
in 1976 with a specialization in the Mathematics of gambling
Gaming mathematics
Gaming mathematics, also referred to as the mathematics of gambling, is a collection of probability applications encountered in games of chance and can be included in applied mathematics...
and became Teaching Assistant to Dr. Walter Schneider in the course until 1978 when he was fired for running a highly publicized Blackjack "21" game in the Faculty Club. The next year he received his first conviction for keeping a common gaming house for running Blackjack games at home. In 1981, Turmel was convicted and jailed for 21 days for keeping a gaming house and playing 21, lost the appeal but had the sentence converted to 100 hours community service playing accordion in old-age homes. In 1991, Turmel was convicted in Gatineau, Quebec, of running a common gaming house and sentenced to 4 months in jail. Before getting out after one month, Turmel ran for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality
Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton
The Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton was the head of the regional council which controlled the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton since its formation in 1968....
while in jail, collecting approximately 3,500 votes. In 1993, Ottawa and Ontario Provincial Police raided the private 28-table Casino Turmel in Project Robin Hood, the largest gaming house raid in Canadian history. Turmel eventually convicted and sentenced to 200 hours community service playing accordion in retirement homes
Entering the electoral fray
His crusade to legalize gambling and the notoriety he received as a result, combined with his family's background in social credit ideology, led Turmel to seek election at the federal level for the first time at the age of 28, as an independent candidate in Ottawa West in the May 1979 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
in which he argued interest on money, usury, was the evil instability in financial affairs and swore to "abolish interest rate
Interest rate
An interest rate is the rate at which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender. For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for...
s". He won 193 votes.
Social Credit
He ran again as an independent in the February 1980 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
in Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
. His application to run as a Social Credit candidate was rejected by party leader Fabien Roy
Fabien Roy
Fabien Roy was a politician in Quebec, Canada, in the 1970s. Roy was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec and the Canadian House of Commons, and advocated social credit theories of monetary reform.-Background:...
. He won 64 votes. The party lost all its seats.
Because of the death of the Social Credit candidate in Frontenac
Frontenac (Quebec electoral district)
Frontenac was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997.This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Lotbinière and Mégantic ridings...
riding in Quebec during the election, a by-election was held in March. When Fabien Roy accepted the nomination without a convention, Turmel ran again as an independent against the Social Credit candidate. He ran as an independent candidate in the April 13 federal by-election in London West
London West
London West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2006 was 118,335.-Geography:The district includes the northwest part of the City of London....
, claiming to be interim leader of the "Ontario Social Credit Party". Turmel won 77 votes as an "independent Social Credit" candidate in a September 8 by-election in Hamilton West.
He also sought the Social Credit Party of Canada’s interim national leadership unsuccessfully at a convention in November in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. Turmel opposed the appointment of Martin Hattersley
Martin Hattersley
J. Martin Hattersley is an Edmonton lawyer and a long-time activist in the Canadian social credit movement. Born in Swinton, near Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, Hattersley earned degrees in economics and law from Cambridge University before moving to Alberta in 1956 where he worked as a lawyer...
as interim leader of the federal Social Credit party as being undemocratic. The party executive claimed that the party did not have sufficient funds to hold a convention.
Turmel ran for Mayor of Ottawa in November, collecting 1,928 votes. At the same time, he was a candidate in a provincial by-election in Carleton riding coming in last as the Social Credit candidate.
With grandfather Adelard, mother Therese and brother Ray Turmel in support, Turmel started picketing the Bank of Canada on every Thursday when the interest rate was set and then picketing Parliament too. This continued for 5 years until the retirement of Governor Gerald Bouey.
In the March 1981 provincial 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....
, Turmel ran as a Social Credit candidate in Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1968...
, while his brother Raymond ran for the party in Ottawa South
Ottawa South (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa South is a riding in the Canadian province of Ontario, in the city of Ottawa. It is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty....
, Serge Girard, Dale Alkerton and Andrew Dynowski ran in neighbouring ridings. It was reported that he became interim leader of the Ontario Social Credit Party in early March, although it is not clear if other members of the party agreed.
In September, Turmel was a candidate in the federal by-election in Spadina
Spadina (electoral district)
Spadina was a Canadian electoral district that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1988. It covered a portion of the western-central Toronto. Its name comes from the Spadina Avenue, which runs through the heart of the riding....
riding in Toronto, collecting 98 votes. The national Social Credit party president Carl O’Malley refused to endorse a candidate on the basis that the 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...
candidate, Jim Coutts
Jim Coutts
James Allan Coutts, is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and former advisor to two Prime Ministers.Born in High River, Alberta, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1960 and a law degree in 1961 from the University of Alberta and an MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1968...
, a former adviser to Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
, was a personal friend. Raymond Turmel ran as an independent against O’Malley in the by-election held in Joliette, Quebec on the same day, claiming to be the "real Social Credit" candidate.
In October, the Ontario Social Credit Party conducted a leadership vote. The eleven delegates, who represented about 100 party members throughout the province, elected former Toronto mayoral candidate Anne McBride
Anne McBride
Anne C. McBride was a perennial candidate in Canadian federal and provincial elections and by-elections in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s...
as their new interim leader in a vote of 7 to 1 with 3 spoiled ballots. One vote was cast for Bruce Arnold. Turmel, his brother Ray and their mother, Therese, wrote the word "unconstitutional" across the ballots. Turmel argued that the party was violating its constitution by holding a vote without providing four months' notice to its members. McBride was a Christian fundamentalist minister who vowed to run the party "on Christian principles".
In September, Turmel was reported to be fighting his expulsion from the federal Social Credit party, and seeking its leadership. Further, he was reported to be seeking to replace Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
as leader of 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....
. Turmel denied the report, but the journalist stood by her story.
Christian Credit Party
In June 1982, Turmel returned to Hamilton West to run in a provincial by-election as a candidate of the Christian Credit PartyChristian Credit Party
The Christian Credit Party was a short-lived Canadian political party founded in 1982 by perennial candidate and social credit activist, John C...
that he had recently founded. He won 173 votes.
The Christian Credit Party was formed after the Social Credit party refused to renew the memberships of Turmel and his brother Raymond. The Turmel brothers said that they left the party because it had compromised its principles on interest rates.
He also ran for the Christian Credit Party in the September federal by-election in Broadview—Greenwood
Toronto—Danforth
Toronto—Danforth is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. It lies to the east of Downtown Toronto....
(in Toronto), winning an all-time low 16 votes. Raymond ran for the party in Leeds—Grenville
Leeds—Grenville
Leeds—Grenville is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.It consists of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville.-History:...
in eastern Ontario.
In July, Turmel attempted to recruit members for his new party at the Social Credit national convention in Regina. In September, the party claimed to have 75 members.
In November 1982, Turmel ran for alderman in the Ottawa suburb of Gloucester, and appears to have abandoned an attempt to run in a provincial by-election in Toronto-York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
. His brother, Raymond, ran for mayor of Gloucester, while their colleague Marc Gauvin ran for mayor of Ottawa.
By 1983, the Christian Credit Party appears to have died. Turmel said he disbanded his party because he realized voters would not give it a chance. "People won't vote for a new party. They've been voting for one colour all their lives. The only way to do anything is to get into a recognized party."
Turmel, with Therese and Ray, Marc and Emi Gauvin and Serge Girard picketed the Bilderberger conference held at Chateau Montebello.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the Central Nova (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...
) riding by-election in September 1983 against Progressive Conservative leader 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...
. He claimed to be a "member of the Abolitionist wing of the PC party".
Turmel won 97 votes as a candidate in a provincial by-election in Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry, Ontario.
Green Party
In the months before the 1984 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, Turmel attempted to take over the Ottawa branch of the fledgling 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...
by signing up new members, seeking the party’s nomination in Ottawa Centre. After the party had appointed a candidate in Ottawa Centre rather than hold nominations, Turmel claimed that it was undemocratic and called a meeting at which all Greens were invited to elect candidates to run in various Ottawa area ridings under the Green Party banner. The party rejected those nominations, and then held its own meeting to nominate new candidates.
In the election, Turmel ran as an independent against Green Party leader Trevor Hancock
Trevor Hancock
Dr. Trevor Hancock was the first leader of the Green Party of Canada. Under him, the party ran 60 candidates in the 1984 federal election. He is a public health physician, and consults with the World Health Organization. Together with Dr. Leonard Duhl, he created the Healthy Cities project that...
in Toronto—Beaches
Beaches (electoral district)
Beaches was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1967.-Federal electoral district:...
, Marc Gauvin ran in Ottawa Centre, supporter Serge Girard in Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935...
, and John and Ray’s mother, Therese Turmel ran in Ottawa West, and Ray Turmel ran as an "independent Green" in Nepean—Carleton
Nepean—Carleton
Nepean—Carleton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988 and since 1997....
.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the December 13, 1984, provincial by-election in Ottawa Centre, and Serge Girard ran in Ottawa East. Turmel also ran for mayor of Ottawa.
In 1985, the Executive of the Ontario Branch of the Green Party expelled Ontario member John Turmel and Quebec member Ray Turmel.
Mid to late 1980s
Also in 1985, Turmel appears to have founded the "Social Credit Party of Ontario", which was not affiliated with other social credit parties. Turmel led a campaign against the practice of cheque cashing agencies that cashed social assistance (welfare) cheques at a discount to the face value. Turmel issued ID card to SA recipients and recruited local retailers to cash the cheques at no discount. The Social Credit Party of Ontario guaranteed these cheques. In November, Turmel supporter Walter McPhee ran for Ottawa mayor and Turmel for Nepean mayor. This proved to be Turmel's best performance in terms of % of the vote, as he collected 7.25% of the vote, as he was the only other candidate against mayor Ben FranklinBen Franklin (Canadian politician)
Ben Franklin was mayor of the city of Nepean, Ontario from 1978 to 1997. Nepean became part of the city of Ottawa in 2001....
.
Turmel ran in an April 1986 provincial by-election in Toronto-York East and an August 14 provincial by-election in Cochrane
Cochrane (electoral district)
Cochrane was a federal and provincial electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada...
, Ontario, apparently under the "Social Credit Party of Ontario" banner.
In September, he ran as an "independent créditiste" claiming to be the heir of Réal Caouette
Réal Caouette
David Réal Caouette was a Canadian politician from Quebec. He was a Member of Parliament and leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada and founder of the Ralliement des créditistes...
in a federal by-election in St.-Maurice
Saint-Maurice (electoral district)
Saint-Maurice was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1892 and from 1968 to 2004....
, Quebec when future federal Liberal leader Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
resigned.
In June 1987, Turmel ran in a federal by-election in Hamilton Mountain
Hamilton Mountain
Hamilton Mountain is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. The riding is located in the Hamilton, Ontario region....
. He was reported to be "attempting to form" an Ontario Social Credit Party.
In the autumn of 1988, Turmel ran for mayor of Ottawa, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre and Member of Provincial Parliament for Welland—Thorold
Welland—Thorold
Welland—Thorold is a former provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 1977 provincial election, and lasted until provincial redistribution in 1996. The riding was formally retired with the 1999 provincial election....
in the Niagara peninsula in a November 3 provincial by-election.
Abolitionist Party
Turmel founded the Abolitionist Party of CanadaAbolitionist Party of Canada
The Abolitionist Party of Canada was a Canadian political party founded by perennial candidate John C. Turmel. The party ran on a platform of: monetary reform, including the abolition of interest rates and the income tax, the use of the local employment trading system of banking, and introducing a...
, which nominated 80 candidates in the 1993 federal 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...
, one more than the Green Party of Canada.
In 1994, Turmel won over 4,500 votes running for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality, the largest number of votes in his career.
He won 46 votes as the Abolitionist Party candidate in the February 13, 1995, Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935...
federal by-election. The party also nominated John Long in Brome—Mississquoi, Quebec, who won 15 votes.
In June 1996, Turmel ran under the Abolitionist Party of Canada banner in a Hamilton East federal by-election. One month after the Ottawa Sun
Ottawa Sun
The Ottawa Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It was first published in the early 1980s as the Ottawa Sunday Herald, until it was acquired by Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988....
announced his loss in an article headlined, "Super Loser Fails Again", the Hamilton Spectator reported that the Hamilton Self-Help Centre was starting a Hamilton LETS.
Turmel won 4,126 votes (2.5% of the total) running for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality in 1997, in which Bob Chiarelli
Bob Chiarelli
Robert "Bob" Chiarelli is a Canadian politician. He served in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1997, and was subsequently re-elected to the legislature in 2010 after serving as regional chair and mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2006...
defeated Peter Clark by 2,798 votes. Turmel won 214 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 112,509.-Geography:...
in the 1997 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
. In September, Turmel won 201 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West in a provincial by-election.
Turmel ran for the board of the National Capital Freenet (ncf.ca) after the previous board reduced the number of seats from 7 to 5. He came 6th, and argues he was cheated out of the only election he ever won.
Turmel first appeared in the 1997 Guinness World Book of Records for most elections contested at 41.
he ran as an "independent Abolitionist" in a September 14, 1998, federal by-election in Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke (electoral district)
Sherbrooke is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1925.-Geography:This riding in the south of the province is located in the Quebec region of Estrie...
, Quebec.
In 1999, he won 106 votes as an Abolitionist Party candidate in a March federal by-election in Windsor—St. Clair
Windsor—St. Clair
Windsor—St. Clair was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2003. It was located in the province of Ontario, and included a part of the city of Windsor. This riding was created in 1987 as "Windsor—Lake St. Clair" from parts of Essex—Windsor and...
, Ontario, which was more than the margin by which 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...
candidate Rick Limoges
Rick Limoges
Richard Limoges is a former Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Windsor—St. Clair in the Canadian House of Commons from 1999 to 2000....
defeated Joe Comartin of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
Early 2000s
In 2000, Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the September Kings—HantsKings—Hants
Kings—Hants is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
(Nova Scotia) federal by-election against Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
. He won 89 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 112,509.-Geography:...
in the November federal election. Raymond Turmel won 728 votes in Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier
Ottawa—Vanier is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935...
as a candidate for the Marijuana Party of Canada
Marijuana Party of Canada
The Marijuana Party is a Canadian federal political party. Its agenda consists of ending prohibition of cannabis. With the exception of this one issue, the party does not have "official policy" in any other area...
; John had previously attempted to run for the party's leadership, but was blocked.
In the same year, he made a presentation to the United Nations on the interest-free UNILETS resulting in Millennium Declaration Resolution C6 to governments to use an alternative time-based currency to restructure the global financial architecture.
In 2002, Turmel attempted to run for the leadership of the Marijuana Party of Canada
Marijuana Party of Canada
The Marijuana Party is a Canadian federal political party. Its agenda consists of ending prohibition of cannabis. With the exception of this one issue, the party does not have "official policy" in any other area...
but the leadership election was called off after Turmel showed up to contest the election.
Turmel won 295 votes as an independent candidate in Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
riding in the 2003 October provincial election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. His 56th campaign was for Mayor of Ottawa in the November 2003 municipal election
Ottawa municipal election, 2003
The Ottawa municipal election of 2003 was held in Ottawa, Canada, to elect the city's mayor, City Council, and school trustees for the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The vote was held on November 10, 2003...
, when he collected 1,166 votes.
He also tried to resurrect the Libertarian Party of Canada
Libertarian Party of Canada
The Libertarian Party of Canada is a political party in Canada that subscribes to the tenets of the libertarian movement across Canada.-History:...
, but was prevented from doing so when former members re-registered the name first.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate and placed fifth with 120 votes in a May 13, 2004 provincial by-election in Hamilton East. He placed last of eight candidates as an independent candidate in the March 17, 2005 provincial by-election in Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey
Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey
Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004.-Federal electoral district:...
and placed last in Brant riding with 213 votes in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
.
Turmel was convicted of drug possession in March 2006, resulting from a one-man protest on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
in Ottawa three years earlier. Turmel had taken three kilograms of marijuana to the hill, and openly smoked a joint in front of politicians and security officials. He announced plans to appeal.
The conviction was rendered on the same day as a provincial by-election in Nepean—Carleton
Nepean—Carleton
Nepean—Carleton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988 and since 1997....
, in which Turmel was a candidate.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in a 2008 by-election in the riding of Guelph
Guelph (electoral district)
Guelph is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988 and has been since 2004.The riding's parliamentary seat is held by Liberal MP Frank Valeriote.-History:...
. On Monday, August 25, he disrupted a televised debate involving candidates from the four major political parties to which the other four candidates had not been invited to participate. He yelled out his objections so loudly that the moderator of the debate could not be heard. He was eventually removed from the premises (River Run Centre) by the [Guelph police]. The by-election was pre-empted by a federal election call
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...
in which Turmel re-filed his candidacy for the same riding – he came in tenth out of eleven candidates receiving 58 votes.
On September 10, 2009, police were called after Turmel disrupted an all-candidates meeting during the provincial by-election in Ontario's St. Paul's
St. Paul's (provincial electoral district)
St. Paul's is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999.The small but densely-populated riding covers the area to the north of Downtown Toronto...
riding. Angry at a moderator's rule which forced residents to direct their questions at 4 of 8 candidates, thus effectively limiting his opportunity to speak, Turmel lashed out and walked around the church hall shouting at debate panelists and audience members. At one point, the debate had to pause as a group of attendees attempted a citizen's arrest. Turmel stated that he would "ruin everyone's night" because "mine was ruined".
Dragon's Den
On January 13, 2010 KingofthePaupers Turmel appeared on the CBC show Dragons' DenDragons' Den (Canada)
Dragons' Den is a Canadian television reality show, based on the internationally franchised Dragons' Den format, in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hopes of securing business financing. The show debuted on October 3, 2006 on CBC Television...
pitching his LETS scheme. Turmel initiated a lawsuit against the CBC as a result of the program. His complaint was rejected by the Ontario Court of Appeal in July of 2011.
2011 federal election
After contesting every Canadian general election from 1979 to 2008, Turmel did not contest the 2011 federal election. He indicated, however, that he would be willing to serve as prime minister if offered the role by Canada's elected parliamentarians, as per William AberhartWilliam Aberhart
William Aberhart , also known as Bible Bill for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh Premier of Alberta between 1935 and 1943. The Social Credit party believed the reason for the depression was that people did not have enough money to spend, so the government...
's rise to the premiership of Alberta in 1935 if The Engineer's Dream Team of chosen other party candidates were elected.
Pauper Party
Turmel contested the 2011 Ontario provincial electionOntario general election, 2011
The 40th Ontario general election was held on October 6, 2011 to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party will form a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New...
as founder and leader of the newly formed Pauper Party of Ontario stating "we want no cops gambling, sex or drugs or rock and roll, we want no usury on loans, pay cash or time, no dole."
Election results
!
! class="unsortable"|Date
! Level
! Location
! Party
! Votes
! %
|-
|1.
|May 22, 1979
|Federal
|Ottawa West
Ottawa West
Ottawa West was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1997 and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1908 to 1926 and from 1955 to 1999. It covered the western part of the Ottawa area.-Federal...
|Independent
|193
| 0.35
|-
|2.
|February 20, 1980
|Federal
|Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
|Independent
|62
|0.13
|-
|3.
|March 24, 1980
|Federal by-election
|Frontenac
Frontenac (Quebec electoral district)
Frontenac was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997.This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Lotbinière and Mégantic ridings...
|Independent
|101
|0.31
|-
|4.
|September 8, 1980
|Federal by-election
|Hamilton West
|Independent Social Credit
|88
|0.28
|-
|5.
|November 10, 1980
|Municipal
|Ottawa
Ottawa
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...
|N/A
|1,928
|2.21
|-
|6.
|November 20, 1980
|Provincial by-election
|Carleton
Carleton (provincial electoral district)
Carleton is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada.This district contains most of northern portions of Carleton. It was created in the 1994 electoral redistribution out of Carleton North and most of Carleton Centre...
|Social Credit
|95
|-
|7.
|March 19, 1981
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1968...
|Social Credit
|376
|1.48>
|April 12, 1981
|Federal by-election
|London West
London West
London West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2006 was 118,335.-Geography:The district includes the northwest part of the City of London....
|Independent
|37
|0.08
|-
|9.
|May 4, 1981
|Federal by-election
|Lévis
Levis
-People:*François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , French soldier best known for his command in Canada in 1760*George Levis , American college basketball player and coach*Georges Lévis , French adult comic artist-Places:Canada...
|Independent
|172
|0.51
|-
|10.
|August 17, 1981
|Federal by-election
|Spadina
Spadina (electoral district)
Spadina was a Canadian electoral district that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1988. It covered a portion of the western-central Toronto. Its name comes from the Spadina Avenue, which runs through the heart of the riding....
|Independent
|69
|0.31
|-
|11.
|June 17, 1982
|Provincial by-election
|Hamilton West
|Christian Credit Party
|173
|0.75
|-
|12.
|October 12, 1982
|Federal by-election
|Broadview-Greenwood
|Christian Credit Party
|19
|0.07
|-
|13.
|November 4, 1982
|Provincial by-election
|York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
|Independent
|66
|0.27
|-
|14.
|November 8, 1982
|Municipal/Alderman
|Gloucester
Gloucester, Ontario
Gloucester is a suburb of and within the City of Ottawa. Gloucester Township was established in 1792 and originally included lands east of the Rideau River from the Ottawa River south to Manotick. It was incorporated as a township in 1850 and became a city in 1981...
|N/A
|1,193
|1.27
|-
|15.
|August 29, 1983
|Federal by-election
|Central Nova
Central Nova
Central Nova is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997 and since 2004. Its population in 2001 was 73,722....
|Independent
|46
|0.15
|-
|16.
|December 15, 1983
|Provincial by-election
|Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry
|Independent
|97
|0.46
|-
|17.
|September 4, 1984
|Federal
|Beaches
Beaches (electoral district)
Beaches was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1967.-Federal electoral district:...
|Independent
|112
|0.31
|-
|18.
|December 13, 1984
|Provincial by-election
|Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1968...
|Independent
|90
|0.46>
|May 2, 1985
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1968...
|Independent
|364
|1.33
|-
|20.
|November 12, 1985
|Municipal
|Nepean
Nepean, Ontario
- Recent quantity of snow :- History :Nepean Township, originally known as Township D, was established in 1792 and originally included what is now the central area of Ottawa west of the Rideau River. Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, is believed to have been the first person to settle in Nepean...
|N/A
|1,405
|7.25
|-
|21.
|April 17, 1986
|Provincial by-election
|York East
York East
York East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons at different times, and a provincial electoral district. It was located in the province of Ontario.-Federal electoral district :...
|Social Credit Party of Ontario
|44
|0.17>
|August 14, 1986
|Provincial by-election
|Cochrane North
|Social Credit Party of Ontario
|75
|0.74
|-
|23.
|September 29, 1986
|Federal by-election
|Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice (electoral district)
Saint-Maurice was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1892 and from 1968 to 2004....
|Independent creditiste
|104
|0.31
|-
|24.
|July 20, 1987
|Federal by-election
|Hamilton Mountain
Hamilton Mountain
Hamilton Mountain is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. The riding is located in the Hamilton, Ontario region....
|Independent
|166
|0.50
|-
|25.
|September 10, 1987
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1968...
|Independent
|598
|2.03
|-
|26.
|March 31, 1988
|Provincial by-election
|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...
|Independent
|115
|0.35
|-
|27.
|November 3, 1988
|Provincial by-election
|Welland-Thorold
|Independent
|187
|0.65
|-
|28.
|November 14, 1988
|Municipal/ Mayor
|Ottawa
Ottawa
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...
|N/A
|3,123
|3.88>
|November 21, 1988
|Federal
|Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
|Independent
|152
|0.31
|-
|30.
|August 13, 1990
|Federal by-election
|Oshawa
Oshawa (electoral district)
Oshawa is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968....
|Independent
|50
|0.20
|-
|31.
|September 6, 1990
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1968...
|Independent
|160
|0.53
|-
|32.
|December 10, 1990
|Federal by-election
|York North
York North
York North was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from Confederation in 1867 until 2004. It is also an electoral district that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 2007...
|Independent
|97
|0.23
|-
|33.
|November 12, 1991
|Municipal/Regional Chair
|Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
The Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton was a regional government area and census division in Ontario, Canada which existed from 1969 until 2001...
|N/A
|3,574
|1.81
|-
|34.
|October 23, 1993
|Federal
|Frontenac
Frontenac (Quebec electoral district)
Frontenac was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1997.This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Lotbinière and Mégantic ridings...
|Abolitionist
|195
|0.63
|-
|35.
|December 2, 1993
|Provincial by-election
|Essex South
|Independent
|84
|0.46
|-
|36.
|March 17, 1994
|Provincial by-election
|Victoria-Haliburton
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2001 was 111,343...
|Independent
|123
|0.52
|-
|37.
|November 14, 1994
|Municipal/Regional Chair
|Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
The Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton was a regional government area and census division in Ontario, Canada which existed from 1969 until 2001...
|N/A
|4,563
|2.35
|-
|38.
|February 13, 1995
|Federal by-election
|Ottawa-Vanier
|Abolitionist Party
|46
|0.23>
|June 8, 1995
|Provincial
|Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1968...
|Independent
|173
|0.61
|-
|40.
|March 25, 1996
|Federal by-election
|Etobicoke North
Etobicoke North
Etobicoke North is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. It covers Rexdale, the northern part of Etobicoke, which is part of Toronto....
|Abolitionist Party
|75
|0.28
|-
|41.
|June 17, 1996
|Federal by-election
|Hamilton East
|Abolitionist Party
|21
|0.08
|-
|42.
|June 2, 1997
|Federal
|Ottawa West-Nepean
|Independent
|211
|0.39
|-
|43.
|September 4, 1997
|Provincial by-election
|Ottawa West
Ottawa West
Ottawa West was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1997 and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1908 to 1926 and from 1955 to 1999. It covered the western part of the Ottawa area.-Federal...
|Independent
|201
|0.93
|-
|44.
|November 10, 1997
|Municipal/Regional Chair
|Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
The Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton was a regional government area and census division in Ontario, Canada which existed from 1969 until 2001...
|N/A
|4,126
|2.50
|-
|45.
|September 14, 1998
|Federal by-election
|Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke (electoral district)
Sherbrooke is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1925.-Geography:This riding in the south of the province is located in the Quebec region of Estrie...
|Independent Abolitionist
|97
|0.27
|-
|46.
|April 12, 1999
|Federal by-election
|Windsor-St. Clair
|Abolitionist Party
|106
|0.33
|-
|47.
|June 3, 1999
|Provincial
|Ottawa West-Nepean
|Independent
|94
|0.20
|-
|48.
|November 15, 1999
|Federal by-election
|Hull-Aylmer
|Independent
|51
|0.29>
|September 7, 2000
|Provincial by-election
|Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot
|Independent
|80
|0.24
|-
|50.
|September 11, 2000
|Federal by-election
|Kings-Hants
|Independent
|221
|0.81
|-
|51.
|November 13, 2000
|Municipal/Mayor
|Ottawa
Ottawa
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...
|N/A
|677
|0.27>
|November 27, 2000
|Federal
|Ottawa West-Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 112,509.-Geography:...
|Independent
|89
|0.17>
|March 22, 2001
|Provincial by-election
|Parry Sound-Muskoka
|Independent
|61
|0.23>
|May 2, 2002
|Provincial by-election
|Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey
|Independent
|120
|0.37>
|October 2, 2003
|Provincial
|Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
|Independent
|295
|0.66>
|November 10, 2003
|Municipal/Mayor
|Ottawa
Ottawa
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...
|N/A
|1,166
|0.63>
|May 13, 2004
|Provincial by-election
|Hamilton East
|Independent Abolitionist
|120
|0.50>
|June 28, 2004
|Federal
|Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
|Independent
|371
|0.69>
|March 17, 2005
|Provincial by-election
|Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey
|Independent Abolitionist
|85
|0.31>
|January 23, 2006
|Federal
|Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
|Independent
|219
|0.36>
|March 30, 2006
|Provincial by-election
|Nepean-Carleton
Nepean—Carleton (provincial electoral district)
Nepean-Carleton is a provincial electoral district in eastern Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.The riding was represented in the Ontario legislature by Progressive Conservative John Baird since it became a provincial riding in 1999 until he resigned in...
|Independent
|112
|0.37>
|September 14, 2006
|Provincial by-election
|Parkdale-High Park
Parkdale—High Park
Parkdale—High Park is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.Peggy Nash of the New Democratic Party was elected the Member of Parliament for the riding on May 2, 2011....
|Independent
|77
|0.27>
|November 13, 2006
|Municipal/Mayor
|Brantford
|N/A
|226
|0.84>
|February 8, 2007
|Provincial by-election
|Burlington
Burlington (electoral district)
Burlington is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Geography:It consists of the southern part of the city of Burlington, Ontario....
|Independent
|90
|0.40>
|September 17, 2007
|Federal by-election
|Outremont
Outremont (electoral district)
Outremont is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1949, and since 1968...
|Independent
|30
|0.13>
|October 10, 2007
|Provincial
|Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
|Independent
|272
|0.57>
|September 8, 2008
|Federal by-election
|Guelph
Guelph (electoral district)
Guelph is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988 and has been since 2004.The riding's parliamentary seat is held by Liberal MP Frank Valeriote.-History:...
|Independent
|N/A
|N/A>
|October 14, 2008
|Federal
|Guelph
Guelph (electoral district)
Guelph is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988 and has been since 2004.The riding's parliamentary seat is held by Liberal MP Frank Valeriote.-History:...
|Independent
|58
|0.10>
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock (provincial electoral district)
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock is a provincial electoral district in Central Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....
St. Paul's (provincial electoral district)
St. Paul's is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999.The small but densely-populated riding covers the area to the north of Downtown Toronto...
Hochelaga (electoral district)
Hochelaga is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988 and since 2004...
Toronto Centre (provincial electoral district)
Toronto Centre is a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 as Toronto Centre—Rosedale from most of St. George—St. David and parts of St. Andrew—St...
Ottawa West—Nepean (provincial electoral district)
Ottawa West—Nepean is a provincial electoral district in eastern Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.The riding has been represented in the Ontario legislature by Liberal Bob Chiarelli since 2010....
Brant (provincial electoral district)
Brant is a provincial electoral district in southwestern, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 from all of Brantford and part of Brant—Haldimand....