Stewart McInnes
Encyclopedia
Stewart Donald McInnes, PC
, QC
(born July 24, 1937) is a lawyer
, arbitrator and former politician.
From 1961 to 1999, McInnes was a senior partner in the Halifax, Nova Scotia law firm of McInnes, Cooper, and appeared before the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, the Federal Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada. He also served as the president of the Nova Scotia
branch of the Canadian Bar Association from 1983 to 1984.
In the 1984 general election
, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
as the Progressive Conservative
Member of Parliament
for Halifax
, defeating Liberal
Cabinet minister and former Premier of Nova Scotia
Gerald Regan
.
In 1985, he was appointed to Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
's cabinet as Minister of Supply and Services. From 1986 until 1988, he concurrently held the positions of Minister of Public Works
and Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
.
McInnes was defeated in the 1988 federal election
by Liberal Mary Clancy
due, in part, to the unpopularity of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement in Atlantic Canada
. He returned to his law practice full time.
He is a certified arbitrator and mediator, and has focussed professionally in those areas since leaving politics. McInnes served as Director of the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada from 1993 to 1995, and as director of the Atlantic Arbitration and Mediation Institute from 1993 to 1994. In 1996, he was on the International Mediation Centre’s advisory board, and in 1999, he was a panel member of the Canadian Foundation for Dispute Resolution. He has lectured and written extensively on the topic of mediation and arbitration.
Since leaving the House of Commons, McInnes has remained active in politics as a fundraiser for the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia.
He now resides in Halifax with his wife Shirley and daughters Sarah, who is in her first year at Dalhousie Law School and Connie, who is in her final year at St. Fx.
In 1954, while studying at Dalhousie University, he became a brother in the Sigma Chi
fraternity, who later named him a Significant Sig.
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,...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born July 24, 1937) is a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, arbitrator and former politician.
From 1961 to 1999, McInnes was a senior partner in the Halifax, Nova Scotia law firm of McInnes, Cooper, and appeared before the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, the Federal Court of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada. He also served as the president of the Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
branch of the Canadian Bar Association from 1983 to 1984.
In the 1984 general election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, he was elected 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...
as the 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....
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,...
for Halifax
Halifax (electoral district)
Halifax is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1867.Since October 14, 2008, its Member of the Parliament has been Megan Leslie of the New Democratic Party....
, defeating 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...
Cabinet minister and former Premier of Nova Scotia
Premier of Nova Scotia
The Premier of Nova Scotia is the first minister for the Canadian province of Nova Scotia who presides over the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. Following the Westminster system, the premier is normally the leader of the political party which has the most seats in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly...
Gerald Regan
Gerald Regan
Gerald Augustine Regan, PC is a Canadian politician, who served as the 19th Premier of Nova Scotia from 1970 to 1978....
.
In 1985, he was appointed to 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...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
's cabinet as Minister of Supply and Services. From 1986 until 1988, he concurrently held the positions of Minister of Public Works
Minister of Public Works (Canada)
The position of Minister of Public Works existed as part of the Cabinet of Canada from Confederation to 1995.As part of substantial governmental reorganization, the position was merged with that of the Minister of Supply and Services to create the position of Minister of Public Works and Government...
and Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is a Crown corporation, owned by the Government of Canada, founded after World War II to provide housing for returning soldiers...
.
McInnes was defeated in the 1988 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
by Liberal Mary Clancy
Mary Clancy
Mary Catherine Clancy was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. By career, she was a lawyer....
due, in part, to the unpopularity of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
. He returned to his law practice full time.
He is a certified arbitrator and mediator, and has focussed professionally in those areas since leaving politics. McInnes served as Director of the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada from 1993 to 1995, and as director of the Atlantic Arbitration and Mediation Institute from 1993 to 1994. In 1996, he was on the International Mediation Centre’s advisory board, and in 1999, he was a panel member of the Canadian Foundation for Dispute Resolution. He has lectured and written extensively on the topic of mediation and arbitration.
Since leaving the House of Commons, McInnes has remained active in politics as a fundraiser for the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia.
He now resides in Halifax with his wife Shirley and daughters Sarah, who is in her first year at Dalhousie Law School and Connie, who is in her final year at St. Fx.
In 1954, while studying at Dalhousie University, he became a brother in the Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
fraternity, who later named him a Significant Sig.