Blair Wilson
Encyclopedia
Blair Wilson was the Canadian
Member of Parliament
(MP) in the 39th Canadian parliament
for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
electoral district. He was elected on January 23, 2006 in the 2006 federal election
as the Liberal
candidate. Shortly before the 2008 election was called, Wilson changed his allegiance to the Green Party of Canada
, becoming that party's first MP following a period sitting as an Independent. He subsequently lost the election to Conservative John Weston
.
Wilson is a chartered accountant
who lives in West Vancouver
. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Victoria
.
In the 2006 election, Wilson narrowly defeated John Weston, the Conservative Party
candidate. Weston lost by 1.5%, or 976 votes. On October 28, 2007, The Province
newspaper alleged that Wilson's victory was aided by unlawful, off-the-books cash spending. In December 2007 the Liberal Party announced Wilson would not be permitted to run under the Liberal Party banner following an investigation (unrelated to the investigation being conducted by Elections Canada) into Wilson's omissions of a number of legal and financial troubles during three nomination vetting processes.
Wilson became involved in politics as the organizer for "The 2010 Rally on Robson", an event held in support of the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver during the City of Vancouver's plebiscite
. He stood for Parliament in the 2004 federal election
, narrowly losing to John Reynolds
by 1687 votes in what the Conservative Party had considered a safe seat. At one point the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
had declared Wilson the winner. However, when some of the more rural results came in, Reynolds won.
Bill Lougheed, Wilson's father in law (who is a defendant in a lawsuit in which Wilson's wife is a plaintiff ), made several unproven allegations in the October 28, 2007 edition of The Province
, a Vancouver
-based newspaper. The Province' s article alleged that Wilson and his wife were subject to Social Services Tax Act liens on three properties and owe $2.1 million in bank mortgages, that Wilson misled the media about the true extent of his business success, exaggerating the number of restaurants he founded and claiming to have sold an accountancy business his in-laws claim closed, among other discrepancies, and that when Wilson's two restaurants, Mahoneys and Wilson's Steakhouse, closed, he was taken twice to the B.C. Employment Standards Tribunal for refusing to pay employees, was sued twice for failing to pay contractors, was twice compelled by the courts to pay GST owing,. None of the allegations have been proven and Blair denies all of the claims and has commenced legal action against the anonymous tipster who made the campaign spending allegations after an Elections Canada probe found the allegations to be false. Wilson was also taken to court by a supplier over $33,839 that was owed (this amount was later paid).
On October 28, 2007 Wilson resigned from the Liberal Party caucus for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast amid these allegations but retained his seat in the House of Commons as an independent. On July 21, 2008 Elections Canada cleared Wilson of 21 of the 24 allegations raised by The Province' s investigation. Wilson requested readmittance to the Liberal caucus in July 2008 but was not allowed to rejoin the party. It was announced on August 30, 2008 that he had joined the Green Party of Canada
as that party's first Member of Parliament, although Parliament was dissolved before he could sit as a Green Party MP. He unsuccessfully ran for re-election as a Green Party representative.
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...
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,...
(MP) in the 39th Canadian parliament
39th Canadian Parliament
The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3, 2006 until September 7, 2008. The membership was set by the 2006 federal election on January 23, 2006, and it has changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections...
for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:...
electoral district. He was elected on January 23, 2006 in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
as the 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. Shortly before the 2008 election was called, Wilson changed his allegiance to the Green Party of Canada
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
, becoming that party's first MP following a period sitting as an Independent. He subsequently lost the election to Conservative John Weston
John Weston (politician)
John Weston, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country in the 2008 Canadian federal election. He is a member of the Conservative Party....
.
Wilson is a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
who lives in West Vancouver
West Vancouver, British Columbia
West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the municipality is northwest of the city of Vancouver on the northern side of English Bay and the...
. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
.
In the 2006 election, Wilson narrowly defeated John Weston, the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate. Weston lost by 1.5%, or 976 votes. On October 28, 2007, The Province
The Province
The Province is a daily, tabloid format newspaper published in British Columbia by Postmedia. It has been a daily newspaper since 1898.According to a recent NADbank survey, The Provinces average weekday readership was 520,100, making it British Columbia's most read newspaper...
newspaper alleged that Wilson's victory was aided by unlawful, off-the-books cash spending. In December 2007 the Liberal Party announced Wilson would not be permitted to run under the Liberal Party banner following an investigation (unrelated to the investigation being conducted by Elections Canada) into Wilson's omissions of a number of legal and financial troubles during three nomination vetting processes.
Wilson became involved in politics as the organizer for "The 2010 Rally on Robson", an event held in support of the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver during the City of Vancouver's plebiscite
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
. He stood for Parliament in the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, narrowly losing to John Reynolds
John Reynolds (Canadian politician)
John Douglas Reynolds, PC was the Member of Parliament for the riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006...
by 1687 votes in what the Conservative Party had considered a safe seat. At one point the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
had declared Wilson the winner. However, when some of the more rural results came in, Reynolds won.
Bill Lougheed, Wilson's father in law (who is a defendant in a lawsuit in which Wilson's wife is a plaintiff ), made several unproven allegations in the October 28, 2007 edition of The Province
The Province
The Province is a daily, tabloid format newspaper published in British Columbia by Postmedia. It has been a daily newspaper since 1898.According to a recent NADbank survey, The Provinces average weekday readership was 520,100, making it British Columbia's most read newspaper...
, a Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
-based newspaper. The Province
On October 28, 2007 Wilson resigned from the Liberal Party caucus for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast amid these allegations but retained his seat in the House of Commons as an independent. On July 21, 2008 Elections Canada cleared Wilson of 21 of the 24 allegations raised by The Province
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
as that party's first Member of Parliament, although Parliament was dissolved before he could sit as a Green Party MP. He unsuccessfully ran for re-election as a Green Party representative.