Barry Mather
Encyclopedia
Barry Mather was a Canadian
journalist, columnist, and politician.
Born in Condor
, Alberta
, he was a journalist for the Vancouver News Herald and a columnist with The Vancouver Sun
before being elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1962 federal election
for the British Columbia
riding of New Westminster
. A member of the New Democratic Party
, he was re-elected in the 1963
, 1965
, 1968
, and 1972
elections in the ridings of New Westminster, Surrey, and Surrey—White Rock.
In 1965, he was the first Member of Parliament to introduce a freedom of information
bill as a private member’s bill. Although it didn't pass, he would re-introduce the same legislation in every parliamentary session between 1968 and 1974. In 1983, an Access to Information Act
would finally be passed. Mather was also one of the first parliamentarians to call for restrictions on the sale of cigarettes; in 1969, he called for a ban on all cigarette advertising.
He was the co-author of the 1958 book, New Westminster, The Royal City. He was married to Camille Mildred Mather, a former Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
in the riding of Delta
. They had two daughters: Mary and Jane.
He died of a heart attack
during a vacation in Nerja
in 1982.
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...
journalist, columnist, and politician.
Born in Condor
Condor, Alberta
Condor is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Clearwater County.The hamlet is located in census division No. 9 and in the federal riding of Wetaskiwin.- Demographics :Statistics Canada has not recently published a population for Condor....
, 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...
, he was a journalist for the Vancouver News Herald and a columnist with The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. It is published six days a week, Monday to Saturday...
before being 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 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...
for the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
riding of New Westminster
New Westminster (electoral district)
New Westminster was a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1871 to 1979....
. A member of the 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...
, he was re-elected in the 1963
Canadian federal election, 1963
The Canadian federal election of 1963 was held on April 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 26th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of the minority Progressive Conservative government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.-Overview:During the Tories' last year in...
, 1965
Canadian federal election, 1965
The Canadian federal election of 1965 was held on November 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 27th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the House...
, 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...
, and 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...
elections in the ridings of New Westminster, Surrey, and Surrey—White Rock.
In 1965, he was the first Member of Parliament to introduce a freedom of information
Freedom of information legislation
Freedom of information legislation comprises laws that guarantee access to data held by the state. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring standard exceptions...
bill as a private member’s bill. Although it didn't pass, he would re-introduce the same legislation in every parliamentary session between 1968 and 1974. In 1983, an Access to Information Act
Access to Information Act
Access to Information Act or Information Act is a Canadian act providing the right of access to information under the control of a government institution...
would finally be passed. Mather was also one of the first parliamentarians to call for restrictions on the sale of cigarettes; in 1969, he called for a ban on all cigarette advertising.
He was the co-author of the 1958 book, New Westminster, The Royal City. He was married to Camille Mildred Mather, a former Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
in the riding of Delta
Delta (provincial electoral district)
Delta was the name of a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia based on the municipality of Delta at the mouth of the Fraser River between the city of Vancouver and the US border...
. They had two daughters: Mary and Jane.
He died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
during a vacation in Nerja
Nerja
Nerja is a municipality on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga, Andalusia, southern Spain. It is on the country's southern Mediterranean coast, about 50 km east of Málaga.-History:...
in 1982.