Tom Flanagan (political scientist)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Eugene Flanagan is an American-born political science
professor at the University of Calgary
, author, and conservative political activist. He also served as an advisor to Canadian
Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
until 2004. Flanagan's scholarship has focused on Native
and Metis
rights in Western Canada
, particularly on Louis Riel
, leader of the 1885 North-West Rebellion
. In 2010, Flanagan made controversial comments that advocated the assassination
of WikiLeaks
founder Julian Assange
.
, earning an M.A.
in 1967 and a Ph.D.
in 1970.
Flanagan has taught at the University of Calgary since 1968 and co-authored an introductory Canadian politics textbook.
leader Louis Riel
could be understood as a millenarian prophet, not just as a political figure. He translated and edited Riel’s diaries and co-edited a volume of Riel’s youthful poetry which won the 1978 Prix Champlain. He also published the book Louis ‘David’ Riel: ‘Prophet of the New World’, which won the Canadian Biography Award from the University of British Columbia
.
Flanagan later participated in the multi-year “Louis Riel Project,” collecting and publishing all of Riel’s writings, which has been dispersed among more than 40 archives in Canada and the United States. University of Alberta Press published the work in 1985 to commemorate the centennial of the North-West Rebellion
. In connection with this work, Flanagan also published a reinterpretation of the North-West Rebellion, highlighting how the government had responded to Métis land claims.
Flanagan was retained by the federal Department of Justice
in litigation over Métis claims in Manitoba
. His 1991 book Metis Lands in Manitoba, which won the 1992 Margaret McDonald/McWilliams Medal, awarded by the Historical Society of Manitoba for the best book of the year on Manitoba history.
Flanagan later published the controversial First Nations, Second Thoughts, which critiqued the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
. This book received the Donner Prize
for the best book of the year on Canadian public policy in 2000, and the Donald Smiley Prize from the Canadian Political Science Association
for the best book on Canadian government and politics. In 2010, he published Beyond the Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights, co-written with Christopher Alcantara and Andre Le Dressay. This book was a finalist for the Donner Prize
.
Flanagan has written a book on property rights, a book on game theory, and another about conservative Canadian political parties. His books on Preston Manning
and the Reform Party
, and Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party
, were based on his experiences as The Political Adviser and campaign manager
(discussed below).
In 1996, Flanagan was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
(Academy II). The citation mentioned his contribution to the study of Louis Riel and the Métis, Western Canadian history, and Canadian political parties.
and the administration of federal programs for Métis and Indians in Western Canada.
The Blais decision, as well as the later Manitoba Metis Federation case, upheld the efficacy of the nineteenth-century distribution of land and scrip in extinguishing Métis land rights in Manitoba.
Benoit established that Treaty Eight
did not grant immunity from taxation to Indians living off reserve.
In Victor Buffalo, the Samson Cree band, located near Hobbema, Alberta, unsuccessfully challenged the federal government’s implementation of Treaty Six
.
Flanagan was also a witness for the University of Alberta
in the Dickason’s case, in which the Supreme Court of Canada ultimately upheld the validity of mandatory retirement for university professors.
In 2001, Flanagan helped Harper seek the leadership of the Canadian Alliance
. Flanagan managed Harper's leadership campaign, and Harper went on to win the Alliance leadership in March 2002. Flanagan then served for one year as chief of staff to Harper, who was then the Leader of the Opposition.
Flanagan returned to Calgary in 2003 but continued as Campaign Manager. Before the next election could take place, the Alliance merged in late 2003 with the Progressive Conservatives
to form the new Conservative Party of Canada. Flanagan then managed Harper’s successful leadership race against Belinda Stronach
and Tony Clement
. After that was concluded, Flanagan organized and managed the Conservative national campaign for the general election of June 28, 2004
. The Conservative Party lost that election but did succeed in bringing Paul Martin
’s Liberals
down to a minority government
, which set the stage for future Conservative Victories.
As an offshoot of his political activism, Flanagan began to write as a columnist in 1997, publishing in media such as the Globe and Mail, National Post
, Calgary Herald
, Ottawa Citizen
, Maclean’s, and Time
. He also appears as a panelist on Canadian TV and radio. While appearing on the CBC
television program "Power & Politics", he called for WikiLeaks
founder Julian Assange
to be killed. "I think Assange should be assassinated," Flanagan stated, before noting to host Evan Solomon, "I'm feeling pretty manly today." Flanagan subsequently retracted his call for the death of Assange while reiterating his opposition to WikiLeaks. Dimitri Soudas
, spokesman to Prime Minister Stephen Harper
, decried Flanagan's comments and said the former Tory strategist "should be charged with incitement to commit murder." The call for prosecution was joined by both Assange and Vancouver attorney Gail Davidson, who filed a police complaint against Flanagan. Ralph Goodale
, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
in the House of Commons, called Flanagan's remarks "clearly contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
Flanagan is often described as a member of the “Calgary School
,” which is a small group of conservatively inclined professors at the University of Calgary, including Barry Cooper
, David Bercuson
, F.L. (Ted) Morton
, and Rainer Knopff
. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute
.
of offering her late husband, MP
Chuck Cadman
, a million-dollar life insurance policy (on behalf of the Conservative Party of Canada
) in exchange for his vote against the Liberal budget in May 2005. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
did not find evidence to support criminal charges.
On November 30, 2010 in a comment to a Canadian television news anchor Evan Solomon
of the CBC News Network on live TV, Tom Flanagan called for the assassination of Wikileaks
director Julian Assange
, suggesting that President Obama
should put a contract out on Assange’s life or send out a drone
to kill him. Although news anchor Solomon afforded Flanagan the opportunity to retract his statement, Flanagan stated that he was "feeling very manly" and continued to say that he would not be unhappy if Assange "disappeared."
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
professor at the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
, author, and conservative political activist. He also served as an advisor to 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...
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
until 2004. Flanagan's scholarship has focused on Native
Native
The term "native" can have many different social and political connotations in different contexts. In some cases it is a neutral, descriptive term, for example, when stating that one is a native of a particular city or that a certain language is one's native language...
and Metis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
rights in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
, particularly on Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
, leader of the 1885 North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
. In 2010, Flanagan made controversial comments that advocated the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of WikiLeaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
founder Julian Assange
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material...
.
Studies and Teaching
Studying political science under John Hallowell, Flanagan completed his graduate studies at Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, earning an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1967 and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1970.
Flanagan has taught at the University of Calgary since 1968 and co-authored an introductory Canadian politics textbook.
Research and Scholarship
Flanagan developed a theory that the MétisMétis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
leader Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
could be understood as a millenarian prophet, not just as a political figure. He translated and edited Riel’s diaries and co-edited a volume of Riel’s youthful poetry which won the 1978 Prix Champlain. He also published the book Louis ‘David’ Riel: ‘Prophet of the New World’, which won the Canadian Biography Award from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
.
Flanagan later participated in the multi-year “Louis Riel Project,” collecting and publishing all of Riel’s writings, which has been dispersed among more than 40 archives in Canada and the United States. University of Alberta Press published the work in 1985 to commemorate the centennial of the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
. In connection with this work, Flanagan also published a reinterpretation of the North-West Rebellion, highlighting how the government had responded to Métis land claims.
Flanagan was retained by the federal Department of Justice
Department of Justice (Canada)
The purpose of the Department of Justice is to ensure that the Canadian justice system is fair, accessible and efficient. The Department also represents the Canadian government in legal matters...
in litigation over Métis claims in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. His 1991 book Metis Lands in Manitoba, which won the 1992 Margaret McDonald/McWilliams Medal, awarded by the Historical Society of Manitoba for the best book of the year on Manitoba history.
Flanagan later published the controversial First Nations, Second Thoughts, which critiqued the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was a Canadian Royal Commission established in 1991 to address many issues of aboriginal status that had come to light with recent events such as the Oka Crisis and the Meech Lake Accord. The commission culminated in a final report of 4000 pages,...
. This book received the Donner Prize
Donner Prize
The Donner Prize is an award given annually by the Donner Canadian Foundation for books considered excellent in regard to the writing of Canadian public policy. The prize was established in 1998. The grand prize is $35,000; short-listed finalists receive $5,000 each...
for the best book of the year on Canadian public policy in 2000, and the Donald Smiley Prize from the Canadian Political Science Association
Canadian Political Science Association
The Canadian Political Science Association is an organization of political scientists in Canada. It is a bilingual organization and publishes the bilingual journal Canadian Journal of Political Science ...
for the best book on Canadian government and politics. In 2010, he published Beyond the Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights, co-written with Christopher Alcantara and Andre Le Dressay. This book was a finalist for the Donner Prize
Donner Prize
The Donner Prize is an award given annually by the Donner Canadian Foundation for books considered excellent in regard to the writing of Canadian public policy. The prize was established in 1998. The grand prize is $35,000; short-listed finalists receive $5,000 each...
.
Flanagan has written a book on property rights, a book on game theory, and another about conservative Canadian political parties. His books on Preston Manning
Preston Manning
Ernest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance...
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....
, and Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
, were based on his experiences as The Political Adviser and campaign manager
Campaign manager
A campaign manager is a paid or volunteer individual, whose role is to coordinate the campaign's operations such as fundraising, advertising, polling, getting out the vote , and other activities supporting the effort, directly.Apart from the candidate, they are often a campaign's most visible leader...
(discussed below).
In 1996, Flanagan was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(Academy II). The citation mentioned his contribution to the study of Louis Riel and the Métis, Western Canadian history, and Canadian political parties.
Witness
Flanagan has served as a witness for Alberta, Manitoba, and Canada in litigation involving native rights and land claims, providing testimony about the Numbered TreatiesNumbered Treaties
The numbered treaties are a series of eleven treaties signed between the aboriginal peoples in Canada and the reigning Monarch of Canada from 1871 to 1921. It was the Government of Canada who created the policy, commissioned the Treaty Commissioners and ratified the agreements...
and the administration of federal programs for Métis and Indians in Western Canada.
The Blais decision, as well as the later Manitoba Metis Federation case, upheld the efficacy of the nineteenth-century distribution of land and scrip in extinguishing Métis land rights in Manitoba.
Benoit established that Treaty Eight
Treaty 8
Treaty 8 was an agreement signed on June 21, 1899, between Queen Victoria and various First Nations of the Lesser Slave Lake area. The Treaty was signed just south of present-day Grouard, Alberta.-Treaty:...
did not grant immunity from taxation to Indians living off reserve.
In Victor Buffalo, the Samson Cree band, located near Hobbema, Alberta, unsuccessfully challenged the federal government’s implementation of Treaty Six
Treaty 6
Treaty 6 is an agreement between the Canadian monarch and the Plain and Wood Cree Indians and other tribes of Indians at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt and Battle River. The area agreed upon by the Plain and Wood Cree represents most of the central area of the current provinces of Saskatchewan and...
.
Flanagan was also a witness for the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
in the Dickason’s case, in which the Supreme Court of Canada ultimately upheld the validity of mandatory retirement for university professors.
Political Activism
Flanagan was the Reform Party of Canada's Director of Policy, Strategy, and Research for 1991. Flanagan resigned his position in 1993.In 2001, Flanagan helped Harper seek the leadership of the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
. Flanagan managed Harper's leadership campaign, and Harper went on to win the Alliance leadership in March 2002. Flanagan then served for one year as chief of staff to Harper, who was then the Leader of the Opposition.
Flanagan returned to Calgary in 2003 but continued as Campaign Manager. Before the next election could take place, the Alliance merged in late 2003 with the Progressive Conservatives
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....
to form the new Conservative Party of Canada. Flanagan then managed Harper’s successful leadership race against Belinda Stronach
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
and Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
. After that was concluded, Flanagan organized and managed the Conservative national campaign for the general election of June 28, 2004
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
. The Conservative Party lost that election but did succeed in bringing Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
’s Liberals
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...
down to a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
, which set the stage for future Conservative Victories.
As an offshoot of his political activism, Flanagan began to write as a columnist in 1997, publishing in media such as the Globe and Mail, National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...
, Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen
The Ottawa Citizen is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Canada. According to the Canadian Newspaper Association, the paper had a 2008 weekly circulation of 900,197.- History :...
, Maclean’s, and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
. He also appears as a panelist on Canadian TV and radio. While appearing on the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
television program "Power & Politics", he called for WikiLeaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
founder Julian Assange
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material...
to be killed. "I think Assange should be assassinated," Flanagan stated, before noting to host Evan Solomon, "I'm feeling pretty manly today." Flanagan subsequently retracted his call for the death of Assange while reiterating his opposition to WikiLeaks. Dimitri Soudas
Dimitri Soudas
Dimitri Soudas is the outgoing director of communications in the Canadian Prime Minister's Office. In addition to his media responsibilities, Soudas is a key advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Quebec issues....
, spokesman to Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, decried Flanagan's comments and said the former Tory strategist "should be charged with incitement to commit murder." The call for prosecution was joined by both Assange and Vancouver attorney Gail Davidson, who filed a police complaint against Flanagan. Ralph Goodale
Ralph Goodale
Ralph Edward Goodale, PC, MP was Canada's Minister of Finance from 2003 to 2006 and continues to be a Liberal Member of Parliament...
, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
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...
in the House of Commons, called Flanagan's remarks "clearly contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
Flanagan is often described as a member of the “Calgary School
Calgary School
The Calgary School is a name used to refer to a group of like-minded academics from the University of Calgary’s Political Science, Economics, and History departments in Calgary, Alberta, Canada...
,” which is a small group of conservatively inclined professors at the University of Calgary, including Barry Cooper
Barry F. Cooper
Fraser Barry Cooper is a Canadian Political Scientist at the University of Calgary's Department of Political Science. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he teaches courses in Political philosophy. Before coming to Calgary, he taught at Bishop's University , McGill University, and York University...
, David Bercuson
David Bercuson
David Jay Bercuson, OC, FRSC is a Canadian labour, military, and political historian.Born in Montreal, he attended Sir George Williams University and graduated from there in 1965 with a BA in History and was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's Silver Medal for the highest standing in history...
, F.L. (Ted) Morton
Ted Morton
Frederick Lee Morton , known commonly as Ted Morton, is a Canadian politician and Minister of Energy for the Province of Alberta. As a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta he represents the constituency of Foothills-Rocky View as a Progressive Conservative...
, and Rainer Knopff
Rainer Knopff
Rainer Knopff is a writer, professor of political science at the University of Calgary, Canada, and member of a group known as the Calgary School. He especially well-known for his views about the influence of judicial decisions on Canadian public policy...
. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute
Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
.
Controversy
In 2008, Flanagan was accused by Dona CadmanDona Cadman
Dona Cadman is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Surrey North in the Canadian House of Commons from 2008 to 2011, as well as the widow of Chuck Cadman, a former Member of Parliament for the same district. She served in the Conservative Party of Canada...
of offering her late husband, MP
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,...
Chuck Cadman
Chuck Cadman
Charles "Chuck" Cadman was a Canadian politician and Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2005, representing the riding of Surrey North in Surrey, British Columbia.- Early life :...
, a million-dollar life insurance policy (on behalf of the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
) in exchange for his vote against the Liberal budget in May 2005. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
did not find evidence to support criminal charges.
On November 30, 2010 in a comment to a Canadian television news anchor Evan Solomon
Evan Solomon
Evan Solomon is a Canadian writer, magazine publisher and television journalist, who currently hosts the nightly series Power & Politics on CBC News Network. Beginning in September 2011, he will also host CBC Radio One's weekly political affairs series The House.Solomon graduated from McGill...
of the CBC News Network on live TV, Tom Flanagan called for the assassination of Wikileaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
director Julian Assange
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material...
, suggesting that President Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
should put a contract out on Assange’s life or send out a drone
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
to kill him. Although news anchor Solomon afforded Flanagan the opportunity to retract his statement, Flanagan stated that he was "feeling very manly" and continued to say that he would not be unhappy if Assange "disappeared."