Vernon Singer
Encyclopedia
Vernon Milton Singer was a politician in Ontario
, Canada
.
Singer was the son of Toronto lawyer and politician Joseph Singer who was the first Jewish-Canadian to be elected to the Toronto Board of Control
.
After serving in World War II
with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Vernon Singer returned to Canada and became president of the Young Liberals in 1947. While practicing as a lawyer, he entered politics as an alderman
in North York, Ontario
serving ultimately as reeve from 1957 to 1958. He ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party
at the 1958 Ontario Liberal leadership convention
, placing fourth. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
in the 1959 provincial election
.
Singer became deputy leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and, as an Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), pushed for reforms to municipal law, automobile insurance and electoral laws as well as for the establishment of a provincial ombudsman
.
He served as Liberal House Leader
in the 1970s and, in 1973, sued fellow Liberal MPP Eddie Sargent
for libel after Sargent made remarks about Singer's retainer fee from a developer while he was appearing before a legislative committee to explain how he obtained the contract to build Ontario Hydro's new headquarters in Toronto.
Singer was re-elected to the legislature on four successive occasions before retiring in 1977. His retirement was controversial as he announced it on the eve of that year's election campaign without giving his Liberal colleagues advance notice. The Progressive Conservatives won Singer's previously safe seat in the election and, the next year, the government appointed Singer to the first of five two-year terms on the Ontario Municipal Board including several years as its chairman. The incident resulted in accusations by NDP
MPP Ed Ziemba
that the government had bought Singer's seat, and that of fellow Liberal Phil Givens who left in similar circumstances, through political patronage.
Following his retirement from the Ontario Municipal Board in 1989, Singer won election to North York's committee of adjustment filling a seat vacated by Patti Starr
when she was forced to resign as the result of a wider political scandal.
Singer had three children, Stephanie, Eric and Melanie. He had 5 grandchildren: Daniel, Geoffery, Arielle, Michael, and Corinne.
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...
.
Singer was the son of Toronto lawyer and politician Joseph Singer who was the first Jewish-Canadian to be elected to the Toronto Board of Control
Toronto Board of Control
Toronto Board of Control was a part of the municipal government of Toronto, Canada from 1904 until its abolition in 1969 and served as the executive committee of Toronto City Council. It consisted of four councillors elected city wide and was presided over by the mayor. Each voter could vote for up...
.
After serving in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Vernon Singer returned to Canada and became president of the Young Liberals in 1947. While practicing as a lawyer, he entered politics as an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in North York, Ontario
North York, Ontario
North York is a dissolved municipality within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the central part of the northern section of Toronto. As of the 2006 Census, it has a population of 635,370. The official 2001 census count was 608,288...
serving ultimately as reeve from 1957 to 1958. He ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party
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...
at the 1958 Ontario Liberal leadership convention
Ontario Liberal leadership conventions
Ballot-by-ballot results of leadership elections in the Ontario Liberal Party, a political party in the Province of Ontario, Canada.Note: Before 1919, the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party were chosen by the party's elected Members of the Legislative Assembly...
, placing fourth. He was first elected to 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...
in the 1959 provincial election
Ontario 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....
.
Singer became deputy leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and, as an Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), pushed for reforms to municipal law, automobile insurance and electoral laws as well as for the establishment of a provincial ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
.
He served as Liberal House Leader
House Leader
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament and an expert in parliamentary procedure...
in the 1970s and, in 1973, sued fellow Liberal MPP Eddie Sargent
Eddie Sargent
Edward Carson Sargent was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1987, as a member of the Liberal Party....
for libel after Sargent made remarks about Singer's retainer fee from a developer while he was appearing before a legislative committee to explain how he obtained the contract to build Ontario Hydro's new headquarters in Toronto.
Singer was re-elected to the legislature on four successive occasions before retiring in 1977. His retirement was controversial as he announced it on the eve of that year's election campaign without giving his Liberal colleagues advance notice. The Progressive Conservatives won Singer's previously safe seat in the election and, the next year, the government appointed Singer to the first of five two-year terms on the Ontario Municipal Board including several years as its chairman. The incident resulted in accusations by NDP
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
MPP Ed Ziemba
Ed Ziemba
Ed Ziemba was an New Democratic Party MPP in the Ontario legislature representing the provincial electoral district of High Park—Swansea.He was first elected in the 1975 provincial election succeeding retired NDP MPP Morton Shulman and was re-elected in 1977 by fewer than 800 votes before being...
that the government had bought Singer's seat, and that of fellow Liberal Phil Givens who left in similar circumstances, through political patronage.
Following his retirement from the Ontario Municipal Board in 1989, Singer won election to North York's committee of adjustment filling a seat vacated by Patti Starr
Patti Starr
Patricia "Patti" Starr was the chair of Ontario Place from 1987 to 1989 and involved in a scandal that damaged the Liberal government of David Peterson in the late 1980s, contributing to its defeat in the 1990 provincial election...
when she was forced to resign as the result of a wider political scandal.
Singer had three children, Stephanie, Eric and Melanie. He had 5 grandchildren: Daniel, Geoffery, Arielle, Michael, and Corinne.