Gordon Gibson
Encyclopedia
Gordon Gibson, OBC
(born 1937) is a political columnist, author, and former politician in British Columbia
(BC), Canada
. He is the son of the late Gordon Gibson Sr, who was a prominent businessman and Liberal Party
politician in mid-1950s BC.
He received a BA
(Honours) in Mathematics & Physics at the University of British Columbia
, an MBA
from the Harvard Business School
, and did research work at the London School of Economics
.
Gibson served as assistant to the federal Minister of Northern Affairs from 1963 to 1968, and was a special assistant to the Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau
from 1968 to 1972. He ran as a federal Liberal
candidate for the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1972 federal election
, but lost to Progressive Conservative
candidate John Fraser
by 3,000 votes.
Gibson won election to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
by winning a 1974 by-election
as a British Columbia Liberal Party
candidate.
After three Members of the Legislative Assembly
defected to the Social Credit Party
three months prior to the 1975 provincial election
, party leader David Anderson declined to be renominated for the position.
Gibson and Anderson were the only remaining Liberal MLAs. Gibson was approached to lead the party into the election. He won the party's only seat in the 1975 election.
He remained party leader until 1979, when he resigned to run again for a seat in the federal House of Commons. He was defeated in both the 1979
and 1980 federal election
s. He lost to Progressive Conservative candidate Chuck Cook
by less than 2,000 votes on both attempts.
He attempted to return to politics as a candidate in the 1993 provincial leadership convention, but came in second to future BC Premier
Gordon Campbell.
Gibson has been a senior fellow in Canadian Studies at the Fraser Institute
since 1993, and has written several books on Canadian federalism
and governance. Following the 2001 provincial election
, Gibson was hired by the government to make recommendations on the structure and mandate of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
. His report was substantially adopted.
His columns appear frequently in the Vancouver Sun, Winnipeg Free Press
and the Globe & Mail.
In May 2008, Gibson was awarded the Order of British Columbia
.
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
(born 1937) is a political columnist, author, and former politician in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
(BC), 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 is the son of the late Gordon Gibson Sr, who was a prominent businessman and Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
politician in mid-1950s BC.
He received a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(Honours) in Mathematics & Physics at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
, and did research work at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Gibson served as assistant to the federal Minister of Northern Affairs from 1963 to 1968, and was a special assistant to the 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...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
from 1968 to 1972. He ran as a federal 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 for 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...
in the 1972 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
, but lost to 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....
candidate John Fraser
John Allen Fraser
John Allen Fraser, PC, OC, OBC, CD, QC is a retired Canadian parliamentarian and former Speaker of the House of Commons....
by 3,000 votes.
Gibson won election to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
by winning a 1974 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
as a British Columbia Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
candidate.
After three Members of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
defected to the Social Credit Party
British Columbia Social Credit Party
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
three months prior to the 1975 provincial election
British Columbia general election, 1975
The British Columbia general election of 1975 was the 31st general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on November 3, 1975, and held on December 11, 1975...
, party leader David Anderson declined to be renominated for the position.
Gibson and Anderson were the only remaining Liberal MLAs. Gibson was approached to lead the party into the election. He won the party's only seat in the 1975 election.
He remained party leader until 1979, when he resigned to run again for a seat in the federal House of Commons. He was defeated in both the 1979
Canadian federal election, 1979
The 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...
and 1980 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The 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...
s. He lost to Progressive Conservative candidate Chuck Cook
Chuck Cook
Charles Henry "Chuck" Cook was a broadcaster and politician in Canada.Cook was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. He became a CJOR radio talk show host in Vancouver, British Columbia in the 1970s. He served as Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament from 1979 to 1993 in the riding of North...
by less than 2,000 votes on both attempts.
He attempted to return to politics as a candidate in the 1993 provincial leadership convention, but came in second to future BC Premier
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
Gordon Campbell.
Gibson has been a senior fellow in Canadian Studies at the Fraser Institute
Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
since 1993, and has written several books on Canadian federalism
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
and governance. Following the 2001 provincial election
British Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
, Gibson was hired by the government to make recommendations on the structure and mandate of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform
Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform (British Columbia)
The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform is a group created by the government of British Columbia, Canada to investigate changes to the provincial electoral system...
. His report was substantially adopted.
His columns appear frequently in the Vancouver Sun, Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
and the Globe & Mail.
In May 2008, Gibson was awarded the Order of British Columbia
Order of British Columbia
The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour...
.
Writings
- A New Look at Canadian Indian Policy: Respect the Collective - Promote the Individual (2009) ISBN 9780889752436