Bill Murdoch
Encyclopedia
Bill Murdoch is a politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
since 1990, and represents the riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
as a Progressive Conservative.
Murdoch was educated at the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute
, and worked as a farmer, electrical draftsman, film stripper and salesman. He is also a Freemason and a member of the Royal Canadian Legion
. He served as chair of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority for five years.
Township
, and as reeve for a further eight. He was elected warden of Grey County
in 1987. Murdoch served as vice-president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
for two years, and was a member of the board of directors for five years.
Murdoch's first bid to enter the Ontario legislature was unsuccessful. He ran as a Progressive Conservative for the riding of Grey in the 1987 Ontario election
, in which the Liberals
under David Peterson
won a landslide majority. Murdoch lost to Liberal Ron Lipsett
by about 2000 votes. The Liberals saw their support base decline during the 1990 election
, however, and Murdoch was able to win the seat on his second attempt, defeating New Democrat
Peggy Hutchinson by about 2500 votes (Lipsett finished third).
Murdoch was easily re-elected in the provincial elections of 1995
and 1999
, both of which were won by the Progressive Conservatives under Mike Harris
. He developed a reputation as a party maverick, and was never seriously considered for a cabinet
appointment.
Murdoch's political philosophy is somewhat eccentric, and defies easy summarization. Although a rural populist
and former supporter of the now-defunct Canadian Alliance
, Murdoch is also an admirer of Fidel Castro
, Che Guevara
and Louis Riel
. He has never been afraid to criticize his own party, whether in government or opposition. He opposed the Harris government's decision to cancel the province's spring bear
hunt, and claims that he was fired from a parliamentary assistant position after calling for more free votes in the house. He once demanded a recorded vote on a same-sex benefits bill brought forward by the McGuinty government. Only 3 of the required 5 members stood to request a recorded vote and the Bill passed on an unrecorded voice vote.
Murdoch's riding included the town of Walkerton
, (since the provincial riding re-organization, Walkerton is in Huron-Bruce) which suffered from a deadly outbreak of E. coli
in 2000 as a result of polluted water. Some criticized Murdoch for rejecting the possibility that his government's cutbacks could have been partly responsible for the outbreak.
The Progressive Conservatives lost the 2003 election
, though Murdoch was re-elected in his own riding. After the election, he considered sitting as a member of the New Democratic Party; not for ideological reasons, but in order to give the NDP official party status in the legislature after it fell one short of the required eight seats. Though Murdoch's beliefs are far removed from NDP policy, he claimed he was willing to cross the floor because the party deserved a voice in the legislature. The plan was seriously considered by NDP leader Howard Hampton
, but came to nothing. The NDP subsequently won a by-election
, and regained party status on their own.
Murdoch supported Frank Klees
's bid to lead the Ontario PC Party in 2004.
During the 2007 Ontario election, Murdoch sparked controversy by being the first PC caucus member to publicly oppose PC party leader John Tory
's proposal to publicly fund all private religious schools in the province. Murdoch stated that although he initially supported the plan, the widespread opposition to it by his constituents convinced him to reconsider his position. He has stated that should the issue come before the legislature, he would vote against it. Tory, commenting on Murdoch's position, stated "When you look up maverick in the dictionary you find his picture there — in colour..."
On September 12, 2008, he was suspended from the Progressive Conservative caucus for openly calling for Tory's resignation. On September 18, 2008, he was permanently expelled from the Progressive Conservative caucus and sat as an Independent member of the legislature.
On April 23, 2009, Progressive Conservative interim leader Bob Runciman announced Murdoch would be returning to the PC caucus, effective immediately.
On July 5, 2010, Murdoch announced that he will retire at the 2011 provincial election
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
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...
. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
since 1990, and represents the riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound (provincial electoral district)
Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound is a provincial electoral district in western Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....
as a Progressive Conservative.
Murdoch was educated at the Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute
Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute
Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute , located in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, is one of the oldest schools in Canada having been founded in 1856 and in the late 1880s and early 1890s was the most academically successful school in Ontario....
, and worked as a farmer, electrical draftsman, film stripper and salesman. He is also a Freemason and a member of the Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
. He served as chair of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority for five years.
Political career
Murdoch began his political career at the municipal level, serving in for four years as a councillor in SydenhamSydenham, Grey County, Ontario
For other uses called Sydenham, see Sydenham .Sydenham is a community in Ontario....
Township
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
, and as reeve for a further eight. He was elected warden of Grey County
Grey County, Ontario
Grey County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is in Owen Sound. The population was 92,411 in 2006. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Southwestern Ontario...
in 1987. Murdoch served as vice-president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
Association of Municipalities of Ontario
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is a non-profit organization representing municipal and regional governments in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created on June 22, 1972 through a merger of the Ontario Municipal Association and the Ontario Association of Mayors and Reeves...
for two years, and was a member of the board of directors for five years.
Murdoch's first bid to enter the Ontario legislature was unsuccessful. He ran as a Progressive Conservative for the riding of Grey in the 1987 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, in which the Liberals
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
under David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
won a landslide majority. Murdoch lost to Liberal Ron Lipsett
Ron Lipsett
Ronald F. Lipsett is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990....
by about 2000 votes. The Liberals saw their support base decline during the 1990 election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, however, and Murdoch was able to win the seat on his second attempt, defeating New Democrat
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
Peggy Hutchinson by about 2500 votes (Lipsett finished third).
Murdoch was easily re-elected in the provincial elections of 1995
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
and 1999
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, both of which were won by the Progressive Conservatives under Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
. He developed a reputation as a party maverick, and was never seriously considered for a cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
appointment.
Murdoch's political philosophy is somewhat eccentric, and defies easy summarization. Although a rural populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
and former supporter of the now-defunct 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...
, Murdoch is also an admirer of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
and 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....
. He has never been afraid to criticize his own party, whether in government or opposition. He opposed the Harris government's decision to cancel the province's spring bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
hunt, and claims that he was fired from a parliamentary assistant position after calling for more free votes in the house. He once demanded a recorded vote on a same-sex benefits bill brought forward by the McGuinty government. Only 3 of the required 5 members stood to request a recorded vote and the Bill passed on an unrecorded voice vote.
Murdoch's riding included the town of Walkerton
Walkerton, Ontario
Walkerton is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within and governed by the municipality of Brockton. It is the site of Brockton's municipal offices and the county seat of Bruce County...
, (since the provincial riding re-organization, Walkerton is in Huron-Bruce) which suffered from a deadly outbreak of E. coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
in 2000 as a result of polluted water. Some criticized Murdoch for rejecting the possibility that his government's cutbacks could have been partly responsible for the outbreak.
The Progressive Conservatives lost the 2003 election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, though Murdoch was re-elected in his own riding. After the election, he considered sitting as a member of the New Democratic Party; not for ideological reasons, but in order to give the NDP official party status in the legislature after it fell one short of the required eight seats. Though Murdoch's beliefs are far removed from NDP policy, he claimed he was willing to cross the floor because the party deserved a voice in the legislature. The plan was seriously considered by NDP leader Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
, but came to nothing. The NDP subsequently won a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, and regained party status on their own.
Murdoch supported Frank Klees
Frank Klees
Frank Klees is a Canadian politician and the Progressive Conservative member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Newmarket—Aurora north of Toronto. He was a candidate in the 2009 Progressive Conservative leadership election placing second behind victor Tim Hudak.-Early life:Klees was born...
's bid to lead the Ontario PC Party in 2004.
During the 2007 Ontario election, Murdoch sparked controversy by being the first PC caucus member to publicly oppose PC party leader John Tory
John Tory
John Howard Tory is a Canadian businessman, political activist, former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliament and broadcaster...
's proposal to publicly fund all private religious schools in the province. Murdoch stated that although he initially supported the plan, the widespread opposition to it by his constituents convinced him to reconsider his position. He has stated that should the issue come before the legislature, he would vote against it. Tory, commenting on Murdoch's position, stated "When you look up maverick in the dictionary you find his picture there — in colour..."
On September 12, 2008, he was suspended from the Progressive Conservative caucus for openly calling for Tory's resignation. On September 18, 2008, he was permanently expelled from the Progressive Conservative caucus and sat as an Independent member of the legislature.
On April 23, 2009, Progressive Conservative interim leader Bob Runciman announced Murdoch would be returning to the PC caucus, effective immediately.
On July 5, 2010, Murdoch announced that he will retire at the 2011 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2011
The 40th Ontario general election was held on October 6, 2011 to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party will form a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New...
.
External links
- Bill Murdoch, MPP (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound) - ontla.on.ca.