Keith Brown (Ontario politician)
Encyclopedia
Keith Brown is a retired businessperson and politician in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. He was a Progressive Conservative Party
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1959 to 1967.
and a freemason. He has owned several businesses in Peterborough, including a car dealership and a property development company.
, winning by a significant margin in Peterborough. He was re-elected in 1963
and stood down in 1967, citing business pressure. The Progressive Conservatives held a majority government
in the legislature throughout this period, and Brown served as a backbench supporter of the Leslie Frost
and John Robarts
administrations.
Brown served as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House (i.e., Deputy Speaker) for a period in the 1960s. On one occasion, he was the target of a motion of non-confidence by the opposition. He was later the campaign manager for Sam Murphy in the 1967 election
; Murphy was defeated by New Democratic Party candidate Walter Pitman
.
During the 1967 election, a controversy arose over property that Brown had purchased for $85,000 in 1964 and sold for $210,000 in early 1967. The Ontario Housing Corporation (OHC) expressed interest in the land shortly thereafter, and some reports suggested the possibility of an improper relationship between Brown, the subsequent landowners, and the OHC. Brown dismissed this, saying that he was uninvolved in the OHC proposal and that in light of later developments his selling price had been too low. Trade and Development Minister Stanley Randall later confirmed that Brown had not been involved in the OHC's discussions and described the accusations against him as "wholly unreasonable and completely unwarranted."
in his bid to succeed Mike Harris
as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
in the party's 2002 leadership election. His son-in-law, Daryl Bennett
, was elected as the mayor of Peterborough in 2010; Brown was in attendance for the campaign launch.
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...
province of 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....
. He was a Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The 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...
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...
from 1959 to 1967.
Private life and career
Brown was born in Bonarlaw, Ontario. He is a member of the United Church of CanadaUnited Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
and a freemason. He has owned several businesses in Peterborough, including a car dealership and a property development company.
Political career
Brown was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1959 general electionOntario general election, 1959
The Ontario general election of 1959 was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, winning by a significant margin in Peterborough. He was re-elected 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....
and stood down in 1967, citing business pressure. The Progressive Conservatives held a majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
in the legislature throughout this period, and Brown served as a backbench supporter of the Leslie Frost
Leslie Frost
Leslie Miscampbell Frost, was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the 16th Premier from May 4, 1949 to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man Ontario".-Early years:...
and John Robarts
John Robarts
John Parmenter Robarts, PC, CC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and statesman, and the 17th Premier of Ontario.-Early life:...
administrations.
Brown served as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House (i.e., Deputy Speaker) for a period in the 1960s. On one occasion, he was the target of a motion of non-confidence by the opposition. He was later the campaign manager for Sam Murphy in the 1967 election
Ontario general election, 1967
The Ontario general election of 1967 was held on October 17, 1967, to elect the 117 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
; Murphy was defeated by New Democratic Party candidate Walter Pitman
Walter Pitman
Walter George Pitman, OC, O.Ont is an educator and former politician in Ontario, Canada.Born in Toronto, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1952 and a Master of Arts in 1954 from the University of Toronto....
.
During the 1967 election, a controversy arose over property that Brown had purchased for $85,000 in 1964 and sold for $210,000 in early 1967. The Ontario Housing Corporation (OHC) expressed interest in the land shortly thereafter, and some reports suggested the possibility of an improper relationship between Brown, the subsequent landowners, and the OHC. Brown dismissed this, saying that he was uninvolved in the OHC proposal and that in light of later developments his selling price had been too low. Trade and Development Minister Stanley Randall later confirmed that Brown had not been involved in the OHC's discussions and described the accusations against him as "wholly unreasonable and completely unwarranted."
Recent years
Brown's automobile firm gave financial support to Chris StockwellChris Stockwell
Chris Stockwell is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. Before entering provincial politics, he had been a...
in his bid to succeed 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...
as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The 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...
in the party's 2002 leadership election. His son-in-law, Daryl Bennett
Daryl Bennett
Daryl Bennett is a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. He is the current mayor of Peterborough, having won the position in the 2010 municipal election.-Early life and business career:...
, was elected as the mayor of Peterborough in 2010; Brown was in attendance for the campaign launch.