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CPA Activities: The Canadian Scene

New Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

On June 4, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that John Black Aird had been chosen to succeed Pauline McGibbon as Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. Mr. Aird's appointment is to take effect in early September. Named to the Senate in 1964 after a career in law and business, Mr. Aird was Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and presided over a number of studies on Canada's relations with the Caribbean, Europe, the Pacific Rim and the United States. Although he was the last Senator appointed for life before the 1965 compulsory retirement amendment, Senator Aird left the Senate to become Chairman of the Institute for Research on Public Policy in 1974. When Senator Aird resigned, Ray Perrault, his colleague and Government Leader in the Senate, characterized him as “a mild-mannered, unassuming man of exceptional ability. His counsel is much sought after and his opinions enjoy the respect of everyone. His influence was strongly felt all the time here.”

New Liberal Leader in Nova Scotia

At a convention held in Halifax in early June the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia chose a new leader to succeed Gerald Regan who is now a minister in the federal cabinet. Three of the four candidates, Vince MacLean, Fraser Mooney and A.M. (Sandy) Cameron were members of the Nova Scotia Legislature. The winner, Mr. Cameron, is a third generation politician from Guysborough County. He won the leadership on the third ballot defeating Mr. MacLean by a vote of 558 to 356. Mr. Cameron is a graduate of Nova Scotia Agricultural College and McGill University. In addition to farming he has worked as an agricultural commentator for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and he was also a manager of a property development business. Mr. Cameron was appointed Minister of Fisheries shortly after his by-election victory in 1973. He also served as Minister of Lands and Forests and Minister of Development which is the senior economic portfolio.

New Clerk Assistant in the Senate

The Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has recommended the appointment of a new Clerk Assistant effective August 1. The new Table official is Richard Greene. Born in Aylmer, Quebec, Mr. Green was Acting Chief of English Minutes and Journals in the Senate from December 1978 to November 1979 at which time he was appointed Chief of the Branch. Mr. Greene is married and has two children. He replaces Mr. Alcide Paquette who was Clerk Assistant of the Senate from June 1958 to December 1978.

Resignations and Retirements

On July 7 Senator Donald Smith of Nova Scotia retired. Senator Smith was first elected to the House of Commons in 1949. Six years later he was appointed to the Senate. At the time of his retirement he was eighth in seniority in the Upper House. Senator Smith was a former Chairman of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration. Failing health had prevented him from regular attendance in the Senate in recent years. Senator Smith's retirement left six vacancies in the Senate, one each from Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia and two from Quebec.

André Raynauld, Liberal Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Outrement retired from politics after less than four years in office. Dr. Raynauld is a former professor of economics at the Université de Montréal and a member of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. He was formerly President of the Economic Council of Canada from 1972-1976. He retired from politics in order to return to his original interests as an economist. His resignation brought to four the number of vacancies in the Quebec National Assembly.

Visiting Delegations

From June 6-13 the Ontario Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association hosted a delegation from the Tynwald of the Isle of Man, composed of Mr. Clifford Irving, and Mr. John Norman Radcliffe. Members of the House of Keys. and Mr. Robert Quayle, Clerk of Tynwald. The delegation visited Toronto and Ottawa. toured the Urban Transportation Development Corporation.

From July 20 to 28th a delegation from the Parliament of the United Kingdom, composed of Mr. James Batten, M.V.O. Assistant Secretary, C.P.A. United Kingdom Branch, Mr. Marcus Kimball, M.P., Mr. Jonathan Aitken, M.P., Lord Avebury, Mr. Phillip Whitehead and Mr. George Foulkes, M.P. visited Toronto and Ottawa and as well toured the nuclear generating facilities at Pickering, pulp and paper mills in Terance Bay and historic sites at Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay. The full delegation was scheduled to visit Quebec, however, a vote of confidence at Westminster required the Members of the House of Commons to return to London as a result of the Whips cancelling all pairs.

On June 13 a delegation from Southeast Asia region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association arrived. The group consisted of parliamentarians from Singapore and Malaysia.