Dalton Bales
Encyclopedia
Dalton Arthur Bales was an Ontario cabinet minister and lawyer.
Bales joined the Toronto law firm of McLaughlin, Soward in 1946 while he was a law student. He was called to the bar in 1949 and eventually became partner.
He entered politics in 1958 by being elected to the North York
Town Council as an alderman
. In 1963
, he was first elected to the Ontario legislature as the Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament for York Mills
. In 1966 he was appointed Minister of Labour in the government of Premier
John Robarts
. Robarts' successor, Bill Davis
, appointed him Minister of Municipal Affairs in 1971 before promoting him to Attorney General of Ontario
in 1972.
In 1972, Bales and several other cabinet ministers were accused of being in a conflict of interest
over property they owned. In Bales' case he was accused of having purchased land in Markham, Ontario
in 1969 while the Cabinet was considering development plans in the area. Bales offered to resign from cabinet but his resignation was refused. The incidents resulted in Davis issuing the province's first conflict of interest guidelines for cabinet ministers and later parliamentary assistants to follow.
He was dropped from cabinet in 1974 during a major cabinet shuffle
and left politics the next year to return to his legal practice.
Bales died at the age of 59 when he was struck by a car while attempting to cross Bayview Avenue in Toronto.
Bales joined the Toronto law firm of McLaughlin, Soward in 1946 while he was a law student. He was called to the bar in 1949 and eventually became partner.
He entered politics in 1958 by being elected to the North York
North York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
Town Council as an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
. In 1963
Ontario general election, 1963
The Ontario general election of 1963 was held on September 25, 1963, to elect the 108 members of the 27th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, he was first elected to the Ontario legislature as the Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament for York Mills
York Mills
York Mills is the name of an affluent neighbourhood around Yonge Street and York Mills Road located in the district of North York in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
. In 1966 he was appointed Minister of Labour in the government of Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
John Robarts
John Robarts
John Parmenter Robarts, PC, CC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and statesman, and the 17th Premier of Ontario.-Early life:...
. Robarts' successor, Bill Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
, appointed him Minister of Municipal Affairs in 1971 before promoting him to Attorney General of Ontario
Attorney General of Ontario
The Attorney General of Ontario is a senior member of the Executive Council of Ontario and governs the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario - the department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province. The Attorney General is an elected Member of Provincial...
in 1972.
In 1972, Bales and several other cabinet ministers were accused of being in a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
over property they owned. In Bales' case he was accused of having purchased land in Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
in 1969 while the Cabinet was considering development plans in the area. Bales offered to resign from cabinet but his resignation was refused. The incidents resulted in Davis issuing the province's first conflict of interest guidelines for cabinet ministers and later parliamentary assistants to follow.
He was dropped from cabinet in 1974 during a major cabinet shuffle
Cabinet shuffle
In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle or reshuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet....
and left politics the next year to return to his legal practice.
Bales died at the age of 59 when he was struck by a car while attempting to cross Bayview Avenue in Toronto.