George Dance (politician)
Encyclopedia
George Dance is a politician
and political activist in Ontario
, Canada
. He has been a member of the Libertarian Party of Canada
and the Ontario Libertarian Party
since the mid-1970s, and has served as interim leader of both parties.
Dance listed his occupation as stock clerk, layout artist, freelance typesetter and office manager on various occasions between 1979 and 1993. For more than ten years (1987-1998) he edited and published Libertarian Bulletin, the Ontario Libertarian Party's newsletter.
Like many others in his party, Dance has called for increased privatization
. He is an opponent of anarchism
, and describes himself as a "proper-government libertarian" (i.e., supporting a government that recognizes and respects individual liberties). Dance is also an opponent of restrictions on public smoking.
Dance ran for Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada in 1990, coming in second to Stanislaw Tyminski
. He succeeded to the leadership when Tyminski left Canada in 1991 to run for President of Poland. Dance held the position until May 1993, when Hilliard Cox was chosen to replace him. In 1992, Dance indicated that his party might seek an electoral alliance with the Freedom Party of Ontario
. The Freedom Party soon rejected this suggestion.
Dance also served as interim leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada from 1995 to 1996.
Dance served on the executive of the Ontario Libertarian Party from 1985 until 2008, for the last twelve years as party chairman. He became the party's leader following the resignation of John Shadbolt
on June 9, 1995. As party leader, he contested a 1996 by-election in York South
. He held the position until Sam Apelbaum
was selected at a delegated convention in late 1996. Dance was elected chairman at the same 1996 convention. He retired from the office in 2008.
In January 2009, the Western Standard
ranked Dance at #62 in its "Liberty 100" list of "Canadians who have advanced economic and personal liberty" in 2008.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and political activist 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 Libertarian Party of Canada
Libertarian Party of Canada
The Libertarian Party of Canada is a political party in Canada that subscribes to the tenets of the libertarian movement across Canada.-History:...
and the Ontario Libertarian Party
Ontario Libertarian Party
The Ontario Libertarian Party is a political party in Ontario, Canada that was founded in 1975 by Bruce Evoy, Vince Miller, and others, inspired by the formation three years earlier of the US Libertarian Party. The Party is guided by adherence to the philosophical ideas of Austrian Economics and...
since the mid-1970s, and has served as interim leader of both parties.
Dance listed his occupation as stock clerk, layout artist, freelance typesetter and office manager on various occasions between 1979 and 1993. For more than ten years (1987-1998) he edited and published Libertarian Bulletin, the Ontario Libertarian Party's newsletter.
Like many others in his party, Dance has called for increased privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
. He is an opponent of anarchism
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, and describes himself as a "proper-government libertarian" (i.e., supporting a government that recognizes and respects individual liberties). Dance is also an opponent of restrictions on public smoking.
Dance ran for Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada in 1990, coming in second to Stanislaw Tyminski
Stanislaw Tyminski
Stanisław "Stan" Tymiński is a Canadian businessman of Polish origin, dealing in electronics and computers, and a sometime-politician in both Poland and Canada...
. He succeeded to the leadership when Tyminski left Canada in 1991 to run for President of Poland. Dance held the position until May 1993, when Hilliard Cox was chosen to replace him. In 1992, Dance indicated that his party might seek an electoral alliance with the Freedom Party of Ontario
Freedom Party of Ontario
The Freedom Party of Ontario is a provincial political party in Ontario, Canada. It was founded on January 1, 1984 in London, Ontario by Robert Metz and Marc Emery, as a successor to the Unparty....
. The Freedom Party soon rejected this suggestion.
Dance also served as interim leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada from 1995 to 1996.
Dance served on the executive of the Ontario Libertarian Party from 1985 until 2008, for the last twelve years as party chairman. He became the party's leader following the resignation of John Shadbolt
John Shadbolt
John Shadbolt is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as leader of the Libertarian Party of Ontario in the 1995 provincial election.Shadbolt first ran for the provincial legislature in the 1990 Ontario election, finishing sixth out of six candidates in Halton North with 461 votes...
on June 9, 1995. As party leader, he contested a 1996 by-election in York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
. He held the position until Sam Apelbaum
Sam Apelbaum
Sam Apelbaum is a politician in Ontario, Canada. A lawyer and real estate agent, he has been the leader of the Ontario Libertarian Party since 1996....
was selected at a delegated convention in late 1996. Dance was elected chairman at the same 1996 convention. He retired from the office in 2008.
In January 2009, the Western Standard
Western Standard
The Western Standard is a Calgary, Alberta-based libertarian-conservative publication that billed itself as Canada's only conservative national news magazine...
ranked Dance at #62 in its "Liberty 100" list of "Canadians who have advanced economic and personal liberty" in 2008.
Electoral record
- Ontario general election, 1975Ontario general election, 1975The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, Wilson HeightsWilson Heights (electoral district)Wilson Heights was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was created prior to the 1975 provincial election and eliminated in 1999, when most of its territory was incorporated into the ridings of York Centre, Willowdale and Eglinton—Lawrence...
, 366 votes (winner: Vern Singer, LiberalOntario Liberal PartyThe 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...
) - Canadian federal election, 1979Canadian federal election, 1979The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
, DavenportDavenport (electoral district)Davenport is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935. Its population in 2001 was 111,705.-Geography:...
, 156 votes (winner: Charles CacciaCharles CacciaCharles L. Caccia, PC was a Canadian politician.Caccia was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons. He represented the Toronto riding of Davenport between 1968 and 2004.Caccia was born in 1930 in Milan, Italy...
, LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe 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...
) - Canadian federal election, 1980Canadian federal election, 1980The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
, York South—WestonYork South—WestonYork South—Weston is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Electoral district:It is in the west-end of Toronto. The riding has a largely working class and immigrant population...
, 299 votes (winner: Ursula AppolloniUrsula AppolloniUrsula Appolloni was a Canadian Member of Parliament .-Background:Appolloni was born in Ireland as Ursula Carroll, and she served in Britain's Women's Royal Air Force from 1948 to 1950. In 1954 she met her husband when she went to the Italian consulate looking for an Italian tutor...
, LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe 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...
) - Canadian federal election, 1984Canadian federal election, 1984The 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...
, York—ScarboroughYork—ScarboroughYork—Scarborough was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1953 to 1988. It was located in the province of Ontario...
, 1,067 votes (winner: W. Paul McCrossan, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of CanadaThe 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....
) - Ontario general election, 1985Ontario general election, 1985The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
, Scarborough—Ellesmere, 348 votes (winner: David William WarnerDavid William WarnerDavid William Warner is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on three separate occasions between 1975 and 1995, and served as Speaker of the Assembly during Bob Rae's administration.-Background:Warner worked as a...
, New Democratic PartyOntario New Democratic PartyThe 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...
) - Ontario general election, 1987Ontario general election, 1987The 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...
, Scarborough SouthwestScarborough SouthwestScarborough Southwest is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons.On Toronto City Council, the southeast portion is represented by Gary Crawford. The northwest section is represented by Michelle Berardinetti.-Geography:It covers the...
, 485 votes (winner: Richard JohnstonRichard JohnstonRichard Frank Johnston is a retired Canadian politician, educator and administrator.-Background:Johnston was educated at Trent University and worked there as an administrator and counsellor...
, New Democratic PartyOntario New Democratic PartyThe 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...
) - Canadian federal election, 1988Canadian federal election, 1988The 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 ....
, BramptonBrampton (electoral district)Brampton was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. This riding was created in 1987, from Brampton—Georgetown riding, and was abolished in 1996, when it was redistributed between Brampton Centre and Brampton...
, 593 votes (winner: John McDermidJohn McDermidJohn Horton McDermid, PC, FRI is a former Canadian politician.McDermid worked in marketing, public relations and broadcasting before entered politics...
, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of CanadaThe 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.... - federal by-electionBy-electionA by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, July 13, 1990, OshawaOshawa (electoral district)Oshawa is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968....
, 117 votes (winner: Michael BreaughMichael BreaughMichael James Breaugh is a former Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1990, and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1990 to 1993....
, New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe 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...
) - Ontario general election, 1990Ontario general election, 1990The 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....
, Scarborough WestScarborough WestScarborough West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commonsfrom 1968 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...
, 401 votes (winner: Anne SwarbrickAnne SwarbrickAnne Swarbrick is a former Canadian politician, public employee, labour representative and senior administrator of nonprofit organizations. She was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae...
, New Democratic PartyOntario New Democratic PartyThe 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...
) - Canadian federal election, 1993Canadian federal election, 1993The 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...
, Scarborough Centre, 153 votes (winner: John CannisJohn CannisJohn Cannis is a former member of the House of Commons in Canada.-Background:Born in Kalymnos, Greece, Cannis was raised and educated in Toronto, Ontario. A successful entrepreneur for 18 years, Cannis owned a Toronto-based international executive search firm and was a member in good standing of...
, LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe 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...
) - Ontario general election, 1995Ontario general election, 1995The 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...
, Scarborough WestScarborough WestScarborough West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commonsfrom 1968 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...
, 214 votes (winner: Jim Brown, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
) - provincial by-electionBy-electionA by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, May 23, 1996, York SouthYork SouthYork South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
, 77 votes (winner: Gerard KennedyGerard KennedyGerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
, LiberalOntario Liberal PartyThe 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...
) - Ontario general election, 2007Ontario general election, 2007The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
, Scarborough SouthwestScarborough SouthwestScarborough Southwest is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons.On Toronto City Council, the southeast portion is represented by Gary Crawford. The northwest section is represented by Michelle Berardinetti.-Geography:It covers the...
, 296 votes (winner: Lorenzo BerardinettiLorenzo BerardinettiLorenzo Berardinetti is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is the member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Scarborough Southwest, representing the governing Ontario Liberal Party....
, LiberalOntario Liberal PartyThe 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...
)
External links
- The continuing rEVOLution (George Dance's Nolan Chart column), http://www.nolanchart.com/author383.html
- The Political Animal (George Dance's politics blog), http://gdspoliticalanimal.blogspot.com/