Alex Kindy
Encyclopedia
Alex Kindy, M.D. is a former Canadian
politician. Kindy was born in Warsaw, Poland
.
His first attempt at entering federal politics was in the 1962 federal election
when he ran as an "Independent Liberal" in the Quebec
riding of Maisonneuve—Rosemont
. He placed last out of five candidates (including the official Liberal
candidate) and won 942 votes.
Kindy subsequently joined the Progressive Conservative
party and attempted to win a seat from the Quebec
riding of Sherbrooke
running as "Alexandre Kindy" in the 1968
, 1972
and 1974 elections
, placing third on each attempt behind the Liberal and Social Credit
candidates.
He subsequently moved to Alberta
where he won the Tory nomination for Calgary East
in the 1984 federal election
and was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
. He was re-elected in the 1988 federal election
in what had become the riding of Calgary Northeast
Kindy was known for his anti-Communist
views, and opposed the prosecution of Eastern Europeans in Canada accused of perpetrating Nazi war criminals
during World War II
. He and a fellow Tory MP, Andrew Witer
, attempted in 1987 to delay the passage of legislation designed to allow the prosecution of Nazi war criminals in Canada.
Kindy remained a backbench supporter of the Brian Mulroney
government until 1990 when the government attempted to pass the Goods and Services Tax
into legislation. Kindy, David Kilgour
, and Pat Nowlan
all opposed the GST and voted against it in the House of Commons resulting in their expulsion from the Progressive Conservative caucus on April 10, 1990. Kindy continuted to sit as a Progressive Conservative MP, though outside of caucus, until May 5, 1993, when he formally became an Independent
. He ran for re-election as an independent candidate in the 1993 federal election
, and although his stand against the GST was popular with his constituents, he was defeated, coming in fourth place behind Art Hanger
of the Reform Party of Canada
and the official Progressive Conservative candidate.
The publisher of Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America after the End of the Cold War, a book which alleges Kindy was recruited as a spy
for the Soviets, halted shipments of the book to Canada due to legal considerations. The book is based on recollections by Sergei Tretyakov
, a Soviet spy in Ottawa
.
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...
politician. Kindy was born in Warsaw, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
His first attempt at entering federal politics was in the 1962 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1962
The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 25th Parliament of Canada...
when he ran as an "Independent Liberal" in the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
riding of Maisonneuve—Rosemont
Maisonneuve—Rosemont
Maisonneuve—Rosemount was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1979.This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Maisonneuve riding....
. He placed last out of five candidates (including the official 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) and won 942 votes.
Kindy subsequently joined 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....
party and attempted to win a seat from the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
riding of Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke (electoral district)
Sherbrooke is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1925.-Geography:This riding in the south of the province is located in the Quebec region of Estrie...
running as "Alexandre Kindy" in the 1968
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
, 1972
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
and 1974 elections
Canadian federal election, 1974
The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 30th Parliament of Canada. The governing Liberal Party won its first majority government since 1968, and gave Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau his third term...
, placing third on each attempt behind the Liberal and 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...
candidates.
He subsequently moved to Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
where he won the Tory nomination for Calgary East
Calgary East
Calgary East is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1953, 1979 to 1988, and since 1997...
in the 1984 federal election
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...
and was 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...
. He was re-elected in the 1988 federal 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 ....
in what had become the riding of Calgary Northeast
Calgary Northeast
Calgary Northeast is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. It is an urban riding in the city of Calgary.-History:...
Kindy was known for his anti-Communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
views, and opposed the prosecution of Eastern Europeans in Canada accused of perpetrating Nazi war criminals
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He and a fellow Tory MP, Andrew Witer
Andrew Witer
Andrew Witer is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 1988, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party....
, attempted in 1987 to delay the passage of legislation designed to allow the prosecution of Nazi war criminals in Canada.
Kindy remained a backbench supporter of the 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...
government until 1990 when the government attempted to pass the Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
into legislation. Kindy, David Kilgour
David Kilgour
David Kilgour, PC is a former Canadian politician.Kilgour graduated from the University of Manitoba in economics in 1962 and the University of Toronto law school in 1966. From crown attorney in northern Alberta to Canadian Cabinet minister, Kilgour ended his 27 year tenure in the Canadian House of...
, and Pat Nowlan
Pat Nowlan
John Patrick Nowlan is a retired Canadian parliamentarian and son of Diefenbaker-era Minister of Finance George Nowlan...
all opposed the GST and voted against it in the House of Commons resulting in their expulsion from the Progressive Conservative caucus on April 10, 1990. Kindy continuted to sit as a Progressive Conservative MP, though outside of caucus, until May 5, 1993, when he formally became an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
. He ran for re-election as an independent candidate in the 1993 federal 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...
, and although his stand against the GST was popular with his constituents, he was defeated, coming in fourth place behind Art Hanger
Art Hanger
Arthur "Art" Hanger is a Canadian politician.Hanger is a former member of the Conservative Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, having represented the riding of Calgary Northeast since 1993 until his retirement in 2008. He has also been a member of the Reform Party of Canada , and the...
of the Reform Party of Canada
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 the official Progressive Conservative candidate.
The publisher of Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America after the End of the Cold War, a book which alleges Kindy was recruited as a spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
for the Soviets, halted shipments of the book to Canada due to legal considerations. The book is based on recollections by Sergei Tretyakov
Sergei Tretyakov (intelligence officer)
Colonel Sergei Tretyakov was a Russian SVR officer who defected to the United States in October 2000.-Biography:...
, a Soviet spy in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.