Paul Steckle
Encyclopedia
Paul Daniel Steckle is a former Canadian
Member of Parliament
for Huron—Bruce
and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada
.
in Stanley Township, Ontario from 1970 to 1980 and was subsequently elected as Reeve from 1980 to 1985. In 1993, Steckle was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as a Liberal from the riding of Huron-Bruce in the 1993 election
. He continued to represent the riding of Huron-Bruce until his retirement in 2008.
During his tenure, Steckle played a significant role in contributing to the committee process and served as a member on a number of different Standing Committees. Steckle also served in the role of Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans as well as Co-Chair and Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
During the 35th Canadian Parliament
, Steckle was opposed to Bill C-68, An Act Respecting Firearms and Other Weapons (now the Firearms Act). In opposition to this Bill, he stated in the House of Commons “that we have adequate controls in place but we are simply not enforcing them” and that “Canadians must bear the responsibility of using their firearms in a responsible manner. The Government of Canada should not be asked to shoulder this burden. We must congratulate firearms owners in this nation for their initiatives into the area of the safe handling of firearms, not condemn them for their efforts.” Steckle was one of three Liberal backbenchers who voted with the opposition against Bill C-68 and as a result Steckle was subsequently removed from his assignment on the Standing Committee of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
which featured members of the Steckle family wearing camouflage hunting gear in front of a corn field sitting on and around two four-wheel-all-terrain vehicles while holding rifles. In response to the controversy surrounding the card, Steckle stated “I had to think, is this really a news issue? It must be a really slow news day.” He further noted that “his family enjoys hunting and the photograph seemed like a natural choice.” In an interview with the London Free Press, Steckle stated that the Christmas card “was never done with an intent to raise an issue.”
). Although Steckle remains an opponent of same-sex marriage, he has acknowledged that the legislation is unlikely to be changed stating that “[w]e’ve had that fight” and that "[t]he law is the law, and I have to accept that. I’m a legislator and I have to accept the majority rule.” On December 7, 2006, Steckle voted in favour of a “Conservative motion to reopen the debate on the definition of marriage. The motion called on the government ‘to introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage without affecting civil unions and while respecting existing same-sex marriages.’”
In the first and second session of the 39th Canadian Parliament
, Steckle introduced a Private Members Bill entitled Bill C-338, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (procuring a miscarriage after twenty weeks of gestation). Steckle’s stance of abortion was applauded by many Pro-Life organizations.
Steckle was a strong supporter of Steven Truscott
and believed him to have been wrongly convicted. As a Member of Parliament he lobbied successive Minister’s of Justice to reopen the case and Justice Minister Irwin Cotler
eventually referred the matter to the Ontario Court of Appeal
where Truscott was acquitted and the Court ruled that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice
.
Over the years of his tenure, there was a recurring and false rumour that he might cross the floor to sit with the conservative party caucus. Steckle directly addressed the issue during the controversial same-sex marriage debate when he affirmed “he would ‘absolutely not’ consider crossing the floor.” Steckle’s occasional willingness to vote against his own party on certain issues such as the gun registry, same-sex marriage and Canada's military role in Afghanistan may have contributed to this recurring rumour as he indicated that “‘up until 1993, very few MPs voted against their own party.’”
In 2007, Greg McClinchey
published a biography on Paul Steckle, entitled Stickin’ to His Guns. The book is a “through-the-keyhole” look at the private elements of Paul Steckle’s public life.
On March 6, 2007, Steckle announced that he would not run for re-election.
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...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Huron—Bruce
Huron—Bruce
Huron—Bruce is a federalelectoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.-History:...
and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
.
Political positions
Steckle served as a CouncillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
in Stanley Township, Ontario from 1970 to 1980 and was subsequently elected as Reeve from 1980 to 1985. In 1993, Steckle was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as a Liberal from the riding of Huron-Bruce in the 1993 election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
. He continued to represent the riding of Huron-Bruce until his retirement in 2008.
During his tenure, Steckle played a significant role in contributing to the committee process and served as a member on a number of different Standing Committees. Steckle also served in the role of Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans as well as Co-Chair and Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
During the 35th Canadian Parliament
35th Canadian Parliament
The 35th Canadian Parliament was in session from January 17, 1994 until April 27, 1997. The membership was set by the 1993 federal election on October 25, 1993, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1997 election.It was controlled by...
, Steckle was opposed to Bill C-68, An Act Respecting Firearms and Other Weapons (now the Firearms Act). In opposition to this Bill, he stated in the House of Commons “that we have adequate controls in place but we are simply not enforcing them” and that “Canadians must bear the responsibility of using their firearms in a responsible manner. The Government of Canada should not be asked to shoulder this burden. We must congratulate firearms owners in this nation for their initiatives into the area of the safe handling of firearms, not condemn them for their efforts.” Steckle was one of three Liberal backbenchers who voted with the opposition against Bill C-68 and as a result Steckle was subsequently removed from his assignment on the Standing Committee of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Criticism
In 2004, Steckle mailed a controversial Christmas cardChristmas card
A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to the Christmas and holiday season. Christmas cards are usually exchanged during the weeks preceding Christmas Day by many people in Western...
which featured members of the Steckle family wearing camouflage hunting gear in front of a corn field sitting on and around two four-wheel-all-terrain vehicles while holding rifles. In response to the controversy surrounding the card, Steckle stated “I had to think, is this really a news issue? It must be a really slow news day.” He further noted that “his family enjoys hunting and the photograph seemed like a natural choice.” In an interview with the London Free Press, Steckle stated that the Christmas card “was never done with an intent to raise an issue.”
Controversial views
On many occasions in and outside of the House of Commons, Steckle reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage indicating his support for the then current definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. On June 4, 2003, he called “upon Parliament to use all possible legislative and administrative measures, including invoking section 33 of the charter, the notwithstanding clause, if necessary, to preserve and protect the current definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.” In 2005, Steckle voted against Bill C-38, An Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes (now the Civil Marriage ActCivil Marriage Act
The Civil Marriage Act was legislation legalizing same-sex marriage across Canada...
). Although Steckle remains an opponent of same-sex marriage, he has acknowledged that the legislation is unlikely to be changed stating that “[w]e’ve had that fight” and that "[t]he law is the law, and I have to accept that. I’m a legislator and I have to accept the majority rule.” On December 7, 2006, Steckle voted in favour of a “Conservative motion to reopen the debate on the definition of marriage. The motion called on the government ‘to introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage without affecting civil unions and while respecting existing same-sex marriages.’”
In the first and second session of the 39th Canadian Parliament
39th Canadian Parliament
The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3, 2006 until September 7, 2008. The membership was set by the 2006 federal election on January 23, 2006, and it has changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections...
, Steckle introduced a Private Members Bill entitled Bill C-338, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (procuring a miscarriage after twenty weeks of gestation). Steckle’s stance of abortion was applauded by many Pro-Life organizations.
Steckle was a strong supporter of Steven Truscott
Steven Truscott
Steven Murray Truscott is a Canadian man who was sentenced to death in 1959, when he was a 14-year old student, for the murder of classmate Lynne Harper...
and believed him to have been wrongly convicted. As a Member of Parliament he lobbied successive Minister’s of Justice to reopen the case and Justice Minister Irwin Cotler
Irwin Cotler
Irwin Cotler, PC, OC, MP was Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 until the Liberal government of Paul Martin lost power following the 2006 federal election. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the constituency of Mount Royal in a by-election...
eventually referred the matter to the Ontario Court of Appeal
Ontario Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal for Ontario is headquartered in downtown Toronto, in historic Osgoode Hall....
where Truscott was acquitted and the Court ruled that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice
Miscarriage of justice
A miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil cases. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful...
.
Character
During his time as a Member of Parliament, Steckle was known for putting his constituents first and not simply voting along party lines. As a result, in the local media, this eventually earned him the title of being a maverick. “Priority: the People” was his self-proclaimed motto throughout his time as a federal Member of Parliament.Over the years of his tenure, there was a recurring and false rumour that he might cross the floor to sit with the conservative party caucus. Steckle directly addressed the issue during the controversial same-sex marriage debate when he affirmed “he would ‘absolutely not’ consider crossing the floor.” Steckle’s occasional willingness to vote against his own party on certain issues such as the gun registry, same-sex marriage and Canada's military role in Afghanistan may have contributed to this recurring rumour as he indicated that “‘up until 1993, very few MPs voted against their own party.’”
In 2007, Greg McClinchey
Greg McClinchey
Greg McClinchey was a municipal councillor for the Township of North Huron, Ontario and was the nominated candidate in Huron-Bruce for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2008 federal election....
published a biography on Paul Steckle, entitled Stickin’ to His Guns. The book is a “through-the-keyhole” look at the private elements of Paul Steckle’s public life.
On March 6, 2007, Steckle announced that he would not run for re-election.