Bill Attewell
Encyclopedia
Bill Attewell is a former Canadian
politician.
A corporate executive, Attewell was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as the Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament
for Don Valley East
defeating Liberal cabinet minister David Smith
in the 1984 federal election
that brought Brian Mulroney
to power.
As a result of redistribution, he decided to move to the riding of Markham
, just outside of Toronto
, for the 1988 federal election
leaving his former riding to former East York
mayor Alan Redway
who retained the riding for the Tories.
Attewell won Markham, defeating Liberal
candidate Jag Bhaduria
as well as former Conservative MP John Gamble
who was running as an independent.
A backbencher throughout the Mulroney years, Attewell was appointed parliamentary secretary
to Prime Minister
Kim Campbell
after she won the 1993 Progressive Conservative leadership convention
. He ran in the 1993 federal election
but was defeated by an almost two-to-one margin in Markham—Whitchurch—Stouffville by Bhaduria.
Attewell opposed the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party with the Canadian Alliance and joined the Liberal Party of Canada subsequently. He should not be mistaken for Bill Attwell who is currently (2007) president of the Oak Ridges—Markham federal Liberal riding association.
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.
A corporate executive, Attewell 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...
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 Don Valley East
Don Valley East
Don Valley East is a federal electoral district in Canada that covers the northeast section of the North York part of Toronto. The federal riding was created in 1976 from parts of Willowdale, York East, York North, and York—Scarborough ridings....
defeating Liberal cabinet minister David Smith
David Paul Smith
David Paul Smith, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer, politician and Senator.Smith was an alderman on Toronto City Council in the 1970s. He served a period as deputy mayor and president of city council. He ran for Mayor of Toronto in 1978, but was defeated by John Sewell in a three-way split...
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...
that brought 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...
to power.
As a result of redistribution, he decided to move to the riding of Markham
Markham (electoral district)
Markham was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada created in 1986. Also known as Markham—Whitchurch-Stouffville, it was a federal electoral district that elected representatives to the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2000....
, just outside of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, for 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 ....
leaving his former riding to former East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
mayor Alan Redway
Alan Redway
Alan Redway, PC, QC is a lawyer and former Canadian politician.After a career in municipal politics culminating in the role of mayor of East York, a borough of Metropolitan Toronto, Redway entered federal politics...
who retained the riding for the Tories.
Attewell won Markham, defeating 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 Jag Bhaduria
Jag Bhaduria
Jagdish Singh Bhaduria is a former Canadian politician....
as well as former Conservative MP John Gamble
John Gamble
John Gamble may refer to:* John Gamble * John Gamble , musician and song collector* John A. Gamble Canadian politician* John M. Gamble Officer in the United States Marine Corps...
who was running as an independent.
A backbencher throughout the Mulroney years, Attewell was appointed parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to 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...
Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
after she won the 1993 Progressive Conservative leadership convention
Progressive Conservative leadership conventions
The first Progressive Conservative Party of Canada leadership election was held in 1927, when the party was called the Conservative Party. Prior to then the party's leader was chosen by caucus....
. He ran 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...
but was defeated by an almost two-to-one margin in Markham—Whitchurch—Stouffville by Bhaduria.
Attewell opposed the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party with the Canadian Alliance and joined the Liberal Party of Canada subsequently. He should not be mistaken for Bill Attwell who is currently (2007) president of the Oak Ridges—Markham federal Liberal riding association.