Bill Rowe

Last updated

William Neil Rowe [1]
KC
Personal details
Born (1942-06-04) June 4, 1942 (age 81)
Grand Bank, Newfoundland
Residence St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

William Neil Rowe, QC (born June 4, 1942) is a former politician, lawyer, broadcaster, and writer in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Rowe was born in Grand Bank and is the son of the late Liberal Senator Frederick William Rowe and the late Edith Laura Butt.

Rowe attended Memorial University of Newfoundland where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. He studied for a Bachelor of Law at the University of New Brunswick on a Sir James Hamet Dunn Scholarship, and went on to become a Rhodes Scholar, graduating with an Honours M.A in Law from the University of Oxford.

He entered politics and was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly five times as a Liberal MHA, first at the age of twenty-four. He was appointed, at twenty-six, as a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Joey Smallwood and became responsible for several departments. He was later elected as Leader of the Opposition, holding that position from 1977 to 1979. He resigned his position prior to the 1979 general election, in favour of Don Jamieson, but kept his own seat.

One of Rowe's political aides while he was Opposition Leader was a young Brian Tobin.

In 1982, Rowe lost his seat in the Newfoundland general election, which saw the Progressive Conservatives under the leadership of Brian Peckford, win by a landslide, taking 44 seats.

After leaving politics, Rowe resumed his law practice. As a lawyer, he practiced in St. John's for over three decades, concentrating for years on labour-management arbitrations. During the 1980s he was retained by the federal Minister of National Revenue to conduct a nationwide inquiry into fishermen's perceived income tax problems with Revenue Canada.

Rowe was appointed to Queen's Counsel in 2007. [2]

A long-time public affairs commentator, Rowe has appeared regularly on national and local television and radio. He has hosted a daily call-in show on VOCM and CFCB radio for nearly thirty years, which focuses on public issues and is carried throughout the province and around the world. Rowe was instrumental in exposing the Mount Cashel Orphanage scandal when he was host of VOCM's Open Line radio show.

Rowe also wrote weekly public affairs columns for St. John's daily newspaper, The Telegram , the Corner Brook Western Star, and other newspapers.

In 2004, Premier Danny Williams appointed him Provincial Representative in Ottawa, [3] where he advised the Premier during the crucial negotiations with the Government of Canada that led to the Atlantic Accord, which secured more than two billion dollars for Newfoundland and Labrador. [4]

Rowe has written five books: Clapp's Rock, a best-selling novel published by McClelland & Stewart of Toronto and serialized on CBC Radio; The Temptation of Victor Galanti, a second novel published by McClelland and Stewart; Is That You, Bill?, a volume of essays on politics and public affairs published by Jesperson Press of St. John's; Danny Williams: The War with Ottawa, published in 2010 by Flanker Press; and Danny Williams, Please Come Back, a compilation of his columns and commentaries, published in 2011 by Flanker Press. [5] In 2012, Flanker Press published Rosie O'Dell, a novel whose cover featured a prominent "Warning: Graphic Content and Mature Subject Matter."

Rowe is a member of the Writers' Union of Canada and has served on the executive of the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador.

On June 22, 2011, Rowe announced on his radio show his intention to retire from VOCM after nearly thirty years to write full-time. He has agreed to fill in periodically for the regular talk show hosts. His last day as host of his show, BackTalk, was Friday, June 24, 2011. Paddy Daly took over for him on August 1, 2011. On March 8, 2013, Rowe once again took over the hosting duties at VOCM Open Line, a week after the resignation of Open Line host Randy Simms over controversial comments made on-air to Natuashish Innu Band Chief Simeon Tshakapesh.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Smallwood</span> Canadian politician and premier of Newfoundland

Joseph Roberts Smallwood was a Newfoundlander and Canadian politician. He was the main force who brought the Dominion of Newfoundland into Canadian Confederation in 1949, becoming the first premier of Newfoundland, serving until 1972. As premier, he vigorously promoted economic development, championed the welfare state, and emphasized modernization of education and transportation. The results of his efforts to promote industrialization were mixed, with the most favourable results in hydroelectricity, iron mining and paper mills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Williams (Canadian politician)</span> Canadian politician

Daniel E. Williams is a Canadian politician, businessman, and lawyer who served as the ninth premier of Newfoundland and Labrador between November 6, 2003, and December 3, 2010.

The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a political party in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The party is the provincial branch, and affiliate of the federal Liberal Party of Canada. It has served as the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador since December 14, 2015. The NL Liberals were re-elected to a majority government in the 2021 provincial election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador</span> Political party in Canada

The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The party was founded in 1949 and most recently formed the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador from the 2003 general election until the 2015 general election. The party has served as the official opposition to the government of Newfoundland and Labrador since 14 December 2015. On October 14, 2023, MHA Tony Wakeham was elected leader.

Thomas "Tom" Gerald Rideout is a former Canadian politician who served as the fourth premier of Newfoundland from March 22, 1989 to May 5, 1989.

Beaton Tulk was a Canadian educator, civil servant and politician. He served as the seventh premier of Newfoundland from 2000 to 2001 as a member of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. To date, he is the last premier of the province to be born in the British dependent territory of Newfoundland, before its accession to Canada as a province.

Alfred Brian Peckford is a Canadian politician who served as the third premier of Newfoundland from March 26, 1979 to March 22, 1989. A member of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Peckford was first elected as the Member of the House of Assembly (MHA) for Green Bay following the 1972 general election. He served as a cabinet minister in Frank Moores' government before he was elected as PC leader in 1979 following Moores' retirement.

Edward Moxon Roberts was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He first served as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly (MHA) from 1966 to 1985 representing White Bay North, and again from 1992 to 1996 representing Naskaupi. He went on to serve as the eleventh lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador from 2002 until 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VOCM (AM)</span> Radio station in St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

VOCM is an AM radio station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, broadcasting at 590 kHz. Owned by Stingray Group, VOCM first went on the air on October 19, 1936. Through the "VOCM/Big Land FM Radio Network" of stations owned by Stingray, VOCM programming is carried throughout the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Harris (journalist)</span> Canadian writer and radio personality

Michael Terry Harris is a Canadian investigative journalist, radio personality, documentary filmmaker, novelist, iPolitics columnist and the author of nine books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seamus O'Regan</span> Canadian politician

Seamus Thomas Harris O'Regan is a Canadian politician who has been the federal minister of labour since October 26, 2021, and minister of seniors since July 26, 2023. A member of the Liberal Party, O'Regan was elected to the House of Commons in 2015, representing St. John's South—Mount Pearl. He has been in Cabinet since 2017, previously serving as minister of natural resources from 2019 to 2021, minister of Indigenous services in 2019, and minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence from 2017 to 2019. Before he entered politics, O'Regan was a correspondent with CTV National News, and a host of Canada AM, which he co-hosted from 2003 to 2011 with Beverly Thomson.

Frederick William Rowe was a Canadian politician and Senator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newfoundland National Convention</span> 1946–48 forum established to decide the constitutional future of Newfoundland

The Newfoundland National Convention of 1946 to 1948 was a forum established to decide the constitutional future of Newfoundland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Newfoundland and Labrador general election</span>

The 2007 Newfoundland and Labrador general election was held on October 9, 2007, to elect members of the 46th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry French (politician)</span> Canadian politician

Terry French, is a Canadian politician in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. French represented the district of Conception Bay South in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 2002 to 2014. He was acclaimed as mayor of Conception Bay South in the 2017 Newfoundland and Labrador municipal elections.

Felix Collins, is a Canadian educator, lawyer and politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, and a former Attorney General. Collins served as the member of the House of Assembly for Placentia—St. Mary’s from 2006 to 2015 for the Progressive Conservatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Harris (Newfoundland and Labrador politician)</span> Canadian politician

John James "Jack" Harris is a former Canadian lawyer and politician from Newfoundland and Labrador. Harris served as the New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament for St. John's East. He represented the riding from 1987 to 1988 and again from 2008 to 2015, when he was defeated. He won the seat again in the 2019 federal election, becoming the only NDP member of the House of Commons from Atlantic Canada. He retired from politics in 2021. Harris is also the former leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party (1992-2006).

Paul Gerard Lane is a Canadian politician in the provincial legislature of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He represents the electoral district of Mount Pearl-Southlands in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly.

Malcolm H. Rowe is a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Rowe is the first judge from Newfoundland and Labrador to sit on the Supreme Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Furey</span> Canadian politician (born 1975)

Andrew John Furey is a Canadian politician and surgeon who has served as the 14th premier of Newfoundland and Labrador since August 19, 2020. A member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party, Furey represents Humber-Gros Morne in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. As of 2024, he is the only premier of a province whose government is controlled by the Liberal Party.

References

  1. ↑ Normandin, P G (1974). Canadian Parliamentary Guide.
  2. ↑ "Rowe, 9 others named to Queen's Counsel". Archived from the original on 2007-05-25.
  3. ↑ "Premier announces appointment of Bill Rowe to newly established Ottawa office".
  4. ↑ "VOCM Back Talk". Archived from the original on 2008-08-01. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
  5. ↑ A biography of Bill Rowe Archived June 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , retrieved October 20, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.