Thomas Michael McMillan
Encyclopedia
Thomas Michael "Tom" McMillan, PC
(born October 15, 1945) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
, Canada
is a Canadian
political scientist and former politician.
McMillan was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1979 general election
as the Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament
for Hillsborough, Prince Edward Island
. He was re-elected in the 1980
and 1984 elections
. He served as Deputy House Leader
from 1983 to 1984 under Leader of the Opposition Brian Mulroney
.
Following the Tory landslide in the 1984 general election, Mulroney appointed McMillan to Cabinet as Minister of State
for tourism. A year later, McMillan was named Minister of the Environment
, replacing the controversial Suzanne Blais-Grenier
. McMillan maintained a much lower profile than his bombastic predecessor.
McMillan remained Environment minister until he was defeated in the 1988 general election
due to opposition to the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement among his constituents. He maintained his involvement in politics, and attempted unsuccessfully to regain his seat in the 1993 general election
. He again attempted a comeback in the 1997 general election
, this time in the riding of Peterborough
, Ontario
, but came in third place behind Liberal
candidate Peter Adams and the Reform Party
's Nancy Branscombe.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born October 15, 1945) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
political scientist and former politician.
McMillan 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...
in the 1979 general election
Canadian 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...
as the Progressive Conservative
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....
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 Hillsborough, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. He was re-elected in the 1980
Canadian 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...
and 1984 elections
Canadian 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...
. He served as Deputy House Leader
House Leader
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament and an expert in parliamentary procedure...
from 1983 to 1984 under Leader of the Opposition 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...
.
Following the Tory landslide in the 1984 general election, Mulroney appointed McMillan to Cabinet as Minister of State
Minister of state (Canada)
A Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area....
for tourism. A year later, McMillan was named Minister of the Environment
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
, replacing the controversial Suzanne Blais-Grenier
Suzanne Blais-Grenier
Suzanne Blais-Grenier, PC is a former Canadian politician.Blais-Grenier was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1984 federal election that brought Brian Mulroney to power. She represented the riding of Rosemont, Quebec...
. McMillan maintained a much lower profile than his bombastic predecessor.
McMillan remained Environment minister until he was defeated in the 1988 general election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
due to opposition to the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement among his constituents. He maintained his involvement in politics, and attempted unsuccessfully to regain his seat in the 1993 general 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 again attempted a comeback in the 1997 general 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...
, this time in the riding of Peterborough
Peterborough (electoral district)
Peterborough is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.The riding's borders have differed slightly since its creation in 1953, but has always included most or all of Peterborough County and its county seat of...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, but came in third place behind 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 Peter Adams and the Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
's Nancy Branscombe.