Mike Davison
Encyclopedia
Michael Norman Davison is a former politician in Ontario
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1975 to 1981 and again from 1984 to 1985 as a member of the New Democratic Party. He was arrested on criminal charges in 2004.
Davison was born in Hamilton
, Ontario, and attended Hamilton Collegiate Institute. He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election
, succeeding his father Norm Davison in Hamilton Centre
. He was re-elected over Liberal
candidate Sheila Copps
by fourteen votes in the 1977 election
, but lost to Copps in a 1981
rematch.
Davison won a seat on the Hamilton City Council
in 1982, and was re-elected to the provincial legislature in a 1984 by-election
over Liberal candidate Lily Oddie Munro by 55 votes. He never actually returned to sit in the legislature, however, as it was not convened before the writs were dropped for the 1985 general election
, in which Davison lost to Oddie by 384 votes. He opened a consulting firm after leaving the legislature, and wrote a column for the Hamilton Spectator newspaper until 2002. He later became a political commentator for CH TV, a local channel.
In 2004, Davison was arrested on three counts of criminal harassment and one count of attempting to lure a 16-year-old girl into prostitution. He rejected the terms of his bail agreement in July 2004, and chose to remain in jail during the pre-trial period. A number of Davison's former associates indicated that they had lost touch with him prior to his arrest, and sometimes saw him "wandering downtown streets" in an aimless manner. Political columnist Eric Dowd wrote that heavy drinking played a significant role in Davison's downfall.
He pleaded guilty, and was given a conditional discharge and probation.
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 served in 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 1975 to 1981 and again from 1984 to 1985 as a member of the New Democratic Party. He was arrested on criminal charges in 2004.
Davison was born in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario, and attended Hamilton Collegiate Institute. He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1975 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1975
The 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....
, succeeding his father Norm Davison in Hamilton Centre
Hamilton Centre (provincial electoral district)
Hamilton Centre is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created for the 1926 provincial election but abolished with the 1999 provincial election when the number of constituencies represented in the legislature was...
. He was re-elected over Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The 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...
candidate Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
by fourteen votes in the 1977 election
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, but lost to Copps in a 1981
Ontario general election, 1981
The Ontario general election of 1981 was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
rematch.
Davison won a seat on the Hamilton City Council
Hamilton City Council
The Hamilton City Council is the governing body of the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.The current council consists of the mayor plus fifteen councillors, one elected from each of the city's wards. The incumbent council was elected in a municipal election on November 13, 2006...
in 1982, and was re-elected to the provincial legislature in a 1984 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
over Liberal candidate Lily Oddie Munro by 55 votes. He never actually returned to sit in the legislature, however, as it was not convened before the writs were dropped for the 1985 general election
Ontario general election, 1985
The 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...
, in which Davison lost to Oddie by 384 votes. He opened a consulting firm after leaving the legislature, and wrote a column for the Hamilton Spectator newspaper until 2002. He later became a political commentator for CH TV, a local channel.
In 2004, Davison was arrested on three counts of criminal harassment and one count of attempting to lure a 16-year-old girl into prostitution. He rejected the terms of his bail agreement in July 2004, and chose to remain in jail during the pre-trial period. A number of Davison's former associates indicated that they had lost touch with him prior to his arrest, and sometimes saw him "wandering downtown streets" in an aimless manner. Political columnist Eric Dowd wrote that heavy drinking played a significant role in Davison's downfall.
He pleaded guilty, and was given a conditional discharge and probation.