Reid Scott
Encyclopedia
Reid Scott is a retired lawyer and provincial judge in Canada
, and a former New Democratic Party
of Member of Parliament
for the Danforth
electoral district, in Toronto
, from 1962 to 1968, leaving federal politics when his riding disappeared due to redistribution
. He had previously served as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF) Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the Beaches
constituency from 1948 to 1951.
After leaving federal politics, Scott served as a Toronto City Council
lor from 1969 to 1976.
When he was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1948 provincial election
he was the youngest MPP ever at the age of 21. Scott, a law student at the time, defeated 22 year incumbent Thomas Alexander Murphy.
Scott played a role in the "Great Flag Debate
". Serving on the all-party committee charged with recommending a new flag, Scott successfully lobbied Social Credit
and Créditiste
MPs to back the Maple Leaf flag as it did not have "symbols of the past". His efforts secured a majority on the committee in favour of what became the new flag.
At the age of 80, Scott threatened to come out of political retirement to contest the riding of Ajax—Pickering
for the Ontario NDP in the October 2007 provincial election
. However, in the end, he did not run in the 2007 election. The NDP candidate for Ajax-Pickering finished third.
The next year, Scott announced that he was joining the Liberal Party of Canada
because of his admiration of Stéphane Dion
as well as the Liberal leader's advocacy of a carbon tax
.
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...
, and a former 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...
of 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 the Danforth
Danforth (electoral district)
Danforth was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario.This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Toronto—Scarborough riding...
electoral district, in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, from 1962 to 1968, leaving federal politics when his riding disappeared due to redistribution
Redistribution (election)
Redistribution , called redistricting in the United States, is the process of changing of political borders. This is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral district boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results that cause malportionment of representation...
. He had previously served as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more informally and commonly known as The Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist political party that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the National CCF. The party officially had no leader in...
(CCF) Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the 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:...
constituency from 1948 to 1951.
After leaving federal politics, Scott served as a Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
lor from 1969 to 1976.
When he was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1948 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1948
The Ontario general election of 1948 was held on June 7, 1948, to elect the 90 members of the 23rd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
he was the youngest MPP ever at the age of 21. Scott, a law student at the time, defeated 22 year incumbent Thomas Alexander Murphy.
Scott played a role in the "Great Flag Debate
Great Flag Debate
The Great Canadian Flag Debate took place in 1964 when a new design for the national flag of Canada was chosen. The flag debate began on June 15, 1964, when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson proposed his plans for a new flag in the House of Commons. It lasted more than six months, bitterly...
". Serving on the all-party committee charged with recommending a new flag, Scott successfully lobbied Social Credit
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 Créditiste
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...
MPs to back the Maple Leaf flag as it did not have "symbols of the past". His efforts secured a majority on the committee in favour of what became the new flag.
At the age of 80, Scott threatened to come out of political retirement to contest the riding of Ajax—Pickering
Ajax—Pickering (provincial electoral district)
Ajax—Pickering is a provincial electoral district in central Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 2007 provincial election. 55.2% of the riding came from Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge while 44.8% came from Whitby—Ajax....
for the Ontario NDP in the October 2007 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
. However, in the end, he did not run in the 2007 election. The NDP candidate for Ajax-Pickering finished third.
The next year, Scott announced that he was joining 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...
because of his admiration of Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
as well as the Liberal leader's advocacy of a carbon tax
Carbon tax
A carbon tax is an environmental tax levied on the carbon content of fuels. It is a form of carbon pricing. Carbon is present in every hydrocarbon fuel and is released as carbon dioxide when they are burnt. In contrast, non-combustion energy sources—wind, sunlight, hydropower, and nuclear—do not...
.