Stanley Haidasz
Encyclopedia
Stanley Haidasz, PC
, MD
(March 4, 1923 - August 6, 2009) was a Canadian
politician.
Haidasz was born to Polish
parents who immigrated to Canada in 1910 from Stanislawów
. He studied medicine graduating from the University of Toronto
in 1951, and did post-graduate work in cardiology
at the University of Chicago
.
Haidasz entered politics when he ran in the 1957 election
, and became the Liberal
Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Toronto
riding
of Trinity
. He was defeated in the 1958 election
in which John George Diefenbaker led the Progressive Conservative Party
to a landslide victory
.
Haidasz returned to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1962 election
, representing the Toronto riding of Parkdale
. He retained his seat through five succeeding elections until 1978 when he became the first Canadian of Polish descent
to be appointed to the Canadian Senate
.
In 1964, he served as head of Canada's delegation to the World Food Program
in Geneva
, and as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly
.
He served as parliamentary secretary
to a number of ministers in the 1960s. In 1972, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Canada's first Minister of State
for multiculturalism
and served in that position until 1974.
During his career, Haidasz was instrumental in the passage of Medicare
, the Canada Pension Plan and Income Supplement
, the Clean Air Act
and other legislation. He also initiated the Anti-Smoking Tobacco Bill.
He retired from the Senate in 1998 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(March 4, 1923 - August 6, 2009) was a Canadian
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...
politician.
Haidasz was born to Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
parents who immigrated to Canada in 1910 from Stanislawów
Stanislawów
Stanisławów may refer to the following places:* Polish name for Ivano-Frankivsk, a city now in Ukraine* Stanisławów Voivodeship, Polish territory with its capital in Stanisławów...
. He studied medicine graduating from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1951, and did post-graduate work in cardiology
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Haidasz entered politics when he ran in the 1957 election
Canadian federal election, 1957
The Canadian federal election of 1957 was held June 10, 1957, to select the 265 members of the House of Commons of Canada. In one of the great upsets in Canadian political history, the Progressive Conservative Party , led by John Diefenbaker, brought an end to 22 years of Liberal rule, as the...
, and became the 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...
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 the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Trinity
Trinity (electoral district)
Trinity was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons 1935 to 1988. It covered a portion of the western Toronto. Its name comes from the Trinity-Bellwoods area that was once home to Trinity College....
. He was defeated in the 1958 election
Canadian federal election, 1958
The Canadian federal election of 1958 was the 24th general election in Canada's history. It was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 24th Parliament of Canada on March 31, 1958, just nine months after the 23rd election...
in which John George Diefenbaker led the Progressive Conservative Party
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....
to a landslide victory
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
.
Haidasz returned to 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 1962 election
Canadian federal election, 1962
The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 25th Parliament of Canada...
, representing the Toronto riding of Parkdale
Parkdale (electoral district)
Parkdale was a Canadian federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1979. It included the community of Parkdale in the western part of Toronto...
. He retained his seat through five succeeding elections until 1978 when he became the first Canadian of Polish descent
Polish Canadians
Polish Canadians are Citizens of Canada with Polish ancestry, and Poles who immigrated to Canada from abroad. According to the 2001 census by Statistics Canada, 984,585 Canadians claim full or partial Polish ancestry.-History:...
to be appointed to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
.
In 1964, he served as head of Canada's delegation to the World Food Program
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, and as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
.
He served as parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to a number of ministers in the 1960s. In 1972, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Canada's first Minister of State
Minister of state (Canada)
A Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area....
for multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
and served in that position until 1974.
During his career, Haidasz was instrumental in the passage of Medicare
Medicare (Canada)
Medicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
, the Canada Pension Plan and Income Supplement
Canada Pension Plan
The Canada Pension Plan is a contributory, earnings-related social insurance program. It forms one of the two major components of Canada's public retirement income system, the other component being Old Age Security...
, the Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act
A Clean Air Act is one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of airborne contaminants, smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans...
and other legislation. He also initiated the Anti-Smoking Tobacco Bill.
He retired from the Senate in 1998 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Books about Stanley Haidasz
- Aleksandra Ziółkowska "Senator Haidasz", Toronto 1983,ISBN 0-919786-10-3;
- Aleksandra Ziółkowska "Kanadyjski senator", Warszawa 1989, ISBN 83-7021-023-6;
- Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm "Amerykanie z wyboru inni", Warszawa 1998, ISBN 83-900358-7-1;
- Aleksandra Ziółkowska Boehm "The Roots Are Polish" Toronto 2004, ISBN 0-920517-05-6.