Pat O'Brien (politician)
Encyclopedia
Patrick Wayne "Pat" O'Brien, (born January 13, 1948) is a former member of the Canadian House of Commons
. Elected as a Liberal
, he ended his career in 2005 as the independent Member of Parliament
(MP) for London—Fanshawe
in London, Ontario
.
O'Brien graduated with an honours Bachelor of Arts
in history from the University of Western Ontario
in 1971, and earned his Master of Education from UWO in 1981. He has served as a high school
history teacher and was a member of London City Council
from 1982 to 1993. He was also a school trustee from 1980 to 1982.
He was elected to Parliament as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada
in the 1993 election
, and was re-elected in the 1997
, 2000
, and 2004 elections
. From 2000 to 2003, he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade.
Before leaving the party, O'Brien was often considered as representing the right-wing of the Liberal party. He was one of the fiercest opponents of same-sex marriage
in the Liberal caucus, along with Tom Wappel
. He has frequently chastised Prime Minister
Paul Martin
for not allowing a free vote among his Cabinet on Bill C-38
, which is the act to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada. He has repeatedly called for the notwithstanding clause
to be used to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
, which courts have repeatedly ruled requires the government to recognize same-sex marriages. He is also strongly against abortion
.
On June 6, 2005, O'Brien left the Liberal Party to sit as an independent, citing his opposition to same-sex marriage, and his discomfort with the revelations coming out of the Gomery Commission
on the sponsorship scandal
.
On June 14, O'Brien issued an ultimatum to the government, indicating that he and an anonymous Liberal MP would vote against the government in a series of confidence votes that evening unless the same-sex marriage bill is delayed until the fall session of Parliament. However, the Liberals went on to survive the confidence votes and eventually got the same-sex marriage bill passed in the summer session of parliament.
In the fall of 2005, O'Brien announced that he and a former Conservative MP
were founding an advocacy group to try to reverse the legalization of same-sex marriage.
O'Brien has stated that up to 90% of his constituents were opposed to same-sex marriage, and in the 2004 election
, he defeated New Democrat
candidate Irene Mathyssen
by over 3000 votes, a supporter of same sex marriage. In the 2006 election
, although he did not run, he endorsed a Conservative who opposed same-sex marriage; but this time, Mathyssen won the riding.
After leaving parliament he has remained active in conservative Canadian politics, appearing that the REAL Women of Canada
convention in 2010 http://www.realwomenca.com/page/confprogram.html.
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...
. Elected as a 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...
, he ended his career in 2005 as the independent Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for London—Fanshawe
London—Fanshawe
London—Fanshawe is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:The district consists of the southeast part of the City of London....
in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
.
O'Brien graduated with an honours Bachelor of Arts
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...
in history from the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
in 1971, and earned his Master of Education from UWO in 1981. He has served as a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
history teacher and was a member of London City Council
London City Council
London City Council is the governing body of the city of London, Ontario, Canada.-Composition:One Councillor represents each of the 14 city wards along with the Mayor,Joe Fontana resulting in a 15-member city council....
from 1982 to 1993. He was also a school trustee from 1980 to 1982.
He was elected to Parliament as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
in the 1993 election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The 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...
, and was re-elected in the 1997
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, 2000
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, and 2004 elections
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
. From 2000 to 2003, he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade.
Before leaving the party, O'Brien was often considered as representing the right-wing of the Liberal party. He was one of the fiercest opponents of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
in the Liberal caucus, along with Tom Wappel
Tom Wappel
Thomas William "Tom" Wappel is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, representing the Toronto riding of Scarborough West and its successor riding of Scarborough Southwest. He did not seek re-election in the 2008 general election.Wappel is a...
. He has frequently chastised 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...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
for not allowing a free vote among his Cabinet on Bill C-38
Civil Marriage Act
The Civil Marriage Act was legislation legalizing same-sex marriage across Canada...
, which is the act to legalize same-sex marriage in Canada. He has repeatedly called for the notwithstanding clause
Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Section Thirty-three of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Constitution of Canada. It is commonly known as the notwithstanding clause , or as the override power, and it allows Parliament or provincial legislatures to override certain portions of the Charter...
to be used to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada. It forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982...
, which courts have repeatedly ruled requires the government to recognize same-sex marriages. He is also strongly against abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
On June 6, 2005, O'Brien left the Liberal Party to sit as an independent, citing his opposition to same-sex marriage, and his discomfort with the revelations coming out of the Gomery Commission
Gomery Commission
The Gomery Commission, formally the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities, was a federal Canadian Royal Commission headed by the retired Justice John Gomery for the purpose of investigating the sponsorship scandal, which involved allegations of corruption...
on the sponsorship scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
.
On June 14, O'Brien issued an ultimatum to the government, indicating that he and an anonymous Liberal MP would vote against the government in a series of confidence votes that evening unless the same-sex marriage bill is delayed until the fall session of Parliament. However, the Liberals went on to survive the confidence votes and eventually got the same-sex marriage bill passed in the summer session of parliament.
In the fall of 2005, O'Brien announced that he and a former Conservative MP
Grant Hill (politician)
Grant Hill, PC is a former Canadian Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party of Canada , and a former member of the Canadian Alliance and the Reform Party of Canada ....
were founding an advocacy group to try to reverse the legalization of same-sex marriage.
O'Brien has stated that up to 90% of his constituents were opposed to same-sex marriage, and in the 2004 election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, he defeated New Democrat
New Democratic Party
The 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...
candidate Irene Mathyssen
Irene Mathyssen
Irene R. Mathyssen is a Canadian politician and a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons...
by over 3000 votes, a supporter of same sex marriage. In the 2006 election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, although he did not run, he endorsed a Conservative who opposed same-sex marriage; but this time, Mathyssen won the riding.
After leaving parliament he has remained active in conservative Canadian politics, appearing that the REAL Women of Canada
REAL Women of Canada
REAL Women of Canada is a socially conservative lobby group in Canada. The organization was founded in 1983.REAL stands for "Realistic, Equal, Active, for Life". The group believes that the nuclear family is the most important unit in Canadian society, and that the fragmentation of the Canadian...
convention in 2010 http://www.realwomenca.com/page/confprogram.html.