John H. Long (political candidate)

Last updated

John H. Long is a Canadian political figure. He has sought election to the House of Commons of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on five occasions and has run for the leadership of the Social Credit Party of Canada, the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and the Canadian Alliance. He is strongly influenced by social credit economic theories and has often called for reform of the Bank of Canada.

Contents

Early candidacies

Long first sought election to the Canadian House of Commons in 1974, when he ran as a Social Credit candidate in Waterloo—Cambridge. He sought the party's leadership two years later, following the resignation of Réal Caouette. Long received thirty-one votes out of 1,143 on the first ballot and withdrew from the contest before the second round. A Montreal Gazette article from this period described him as manufacturer based in Cambridge, Ontario. [1]

He ran for Cambridge in the 1977 Ontario provincial election, appearing on the ballot as an independent candidate. He was presumably still aligned at this time with the federal Social Credit Party, which did not have a provincial affiliate in Ontario. (The official provincial wing of the party had previously been taken over by a group of neo-Nazis, to which Long had no connection.)

Long joined the Liberal Party of Canada in the 1980s and ran for delegate status at the party's 1984 leadership convention. The Cambridge branch of the party subsequently expelled him, saying that he had tried to recruit new members to support a "fusion" candidate who would be supported by both the Liberals and the New Democratic Party. (This initiative was undertaken without support from either party.) [2] Long later sought the Progressive Conservative nomination in Cambridge for the 1988 federal election. [3]

Long also ran mayor of Cambridge in 1985. [4]

1990s campaigns

Long campaigned for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 1993, following the resignation of Brian Mulroney. He promoted monetary reform, called for an end to official bilingualism in Canada, and said that he wanted to succeed John Crow as governor of the Bank of Canada. [5] Considered a fringe candidate, he nonetheless appeared at a public debate in Montreal with Kim Campbell, Jean Charest, and other contenders. [6] He received no delegate support and withdrew from the contest before the party's convention. [7] He later sought the Progressive Conservative nomination in Waterloo for the 1993 federal election but received only two votes. [8]

Long then ran for Guelph—Wellington in the 1993 election as a candidate of the Canada Party, an ideological successor to Social Credit. He was sixty years old at the time and lived in Guelph. [9]

He wanted to seek the Reform Party nomination for a 1995 by-election in Brome—Missisquoi, Quebec but his candidacy was rejected by the party. [10] He instead ran as a candidate of John Turmel's Abolitionist Party (another ideological successor to Social Credit) and finished a distant last in a field of ten candidates. He later ran as an independent candidate in Cambridge in the 1997 federal election.

Long supported the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in the 1995 provincial election. [11] He later criticized party leader Mike Harris and described the party's "Common Sense Revolution" as having been a "big bank revolution." [12]

Long was the first declared candidate in the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada's 1998 leadership election. He supported a merger of the Progressive Conservative and Reform parties, favoured bank mergers, and said that the Bank of Canada should set up reserve banks that would leave one hundred per cent of their deposit liabilities with the central bank. [13] He also opposed the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement and sought to peg the Canadian dollar at sixty-eight cents relative to the American dollar. [14] During this contest, Long described himself as a "product developer, mechanical engineer, environmentalist and homespun economist." [15] He withdrew from the campaign in July 1998, before voting took place. [16]

Long later sought the leadership of the Canadian Alliance in 2000, describing himself as a populist and calling for more plebiscites on controversial issues. Describing right wing and left wing labels as passé, he referred to himself as "an ultra-right-wing libertarian with a great, big, bushy socialist tail." [17] He once again withdrew from the contest before voting took place.

He sought the Progressive Conservative nomination in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound for the 2000 federal election, but was not given a response by the party. [18] Long reserved the rights to the name, "The Common Sense People's Party of Ontario," with Elections Ontario in 2002, but he did not seek election under the party name. [19] He does not appear to have been active in politics since this time.

IMICO and Kanmet controversies

In 1992, Long purchased an abandoned IMICO foundry in Guelph for one dollar. The foundry's previous owners had fled the country, leaving behind a company that was over one million dollars in debt.

One year after buying the property, Long was informed by the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy that he would be required to clean up toxic wastes at the site. The cost was estimated at half a million dollars. Long described the charge as politically motivated, said that the site was not producing new contaminants, and refused to pay. [20]

On December 31, 1993, Long transferred ownership of the site to the Assembly of the Church of the Universe, a religious sect based in Hamilton devoted to nudism and sacramental marijuana use. He argued that he was no longer responsible for the property after the transfer, although the ministry disagreed. [21] In 1997, he was fined ten thousand dollars for an environmental offense. [22]

Long also purchased an abandoned Kanmet Castings foundry in Cambridge for one dollar during the same period. In January 1996, he was sentenced to three months in jail and fined seventy-two thousand dollars for the improper storage of PCBs on the site. [23] This controversy took place during the 1997 election.

The Assembly of the Church of the Universe moved its headquarters from the IMICO foundry in Guelph to the Kanmet foundry in Cambridge in 1998, with Long's permission. [24] The city of Cambridge later tried to evict the church from the foundry, without success. In late 1998, the city reluctantly purchased the foundry from Long for fifty-eight thousand dollars and forgave him nine hundred thousand dollars in back taxes and hydro expenses. [25] The church was forced to leave the Cambridge area shortly thereafter.

Long has also served time in prison for infractions of Ontario's Highway Traffic Act and for refusing to pay a fine for improper labour practices, and he has been fined for evading payment of the retail sales tax. [26] When asked about his convictions in 2000, he said, "I'm not a criminal. I'm a firm believer in civil disobedience. I'm like Mahatma Gandhi in that regard." [27]

Electoral record

Federal
1997 Canadian federal election : Cambridge
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Janko Peric 17,67336.74−2.52$47,605
Reform Bill Donaldson10,76722.38−11.15$57,325
New Democratic Mike Farnan 9,81320.40+15.11$53,588
Progressive Conservative Larry Olney9,29919.33+1.99$48,139
Independent John H. Long 3110.65$0
Independent Jim Remnant2370.49$0
Total valid votes48,100 100.00
Total rejected ballots254
Turnout48,354 64.77 −1.75
Electors on the lists74,659
Percentage change figures are factored for redistribution.
Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.
Canadian federal by-election, February 13, 1995: Brome—Missisquoi
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Denis Paradis 19,07851.02+14.36$54,562
  Bloc Québécois Jean-François Bertrand 15,76442.16+1.40$53,734
  Progressive Conservative Guy Lever1,2353.30−13.85$36,225a
  Reform Line Maheux 5171.38$21,755
  New Democratic Party Paul Vachon 3710.99−0.27$9,325
  Christian Heritage Jean Blaquière 1260.34$2,321
 Non-AffiliatedYvon V. Boulanger1070.29$3,816
Green Éric Ferland 1010.27$412
  Natural Law Michel Champagne770.21−1.08$6,538
  Abolitionist John H. Long 150.04−1.61$1,219
Total valid votes37,391 100.00
Total rejected ballots288
Turnout37,679 64.32 −12.32
Electors on the lists58,579
a- Does not include unpaid claims.
1993 Canadian federal election : Guelph—Wellington
PartyCandidateVotes%Expenditures
Liberal Brenda Chamberlain 24,35939.24$42,976
  Reform Gerry Organ 15,48324.94$45,760
  Progressive Conservative Bill Scott12,82520.66$57,999
 Non-Affiliated Frank Maine 3,4655.58$29,745
  New Democratic Party Alex Michalos2,9044.68$27,092
  National Maggie Laidlaw2,0183.25$6,098
Green Simon C. Francis3180.51$0
  Natural Law David W. Mitchell2550.41$12
  Libertarian Tom Bradburn2470.40$0
Canada Party John H. Long 1080.17$600
 N/A (Renewal)Anna Di Carlo780.13$0
  Abolitionist Andrew Tait200.03$0
Total valid votes62,080 100.00
Total rejected ballots583 0.93
Turnout62,663 67.20
Electors on the lists93,250
Source: Thirty-fifth General Election, 1993: Official Voting Results, Published by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. Financial figures taken from official contributions and expenses provided by Elections Canada.
1974 Canadian federal election : Waterloo—Cambridge
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
New Democratic Max Saltsman 25,47941.58
Liberal Brian Goff18,03429.43
Progressive Conservative Glenn Carroll17,39428.38
Social Credit John H. Long 2530.41
Marxist–Leninist Richard E. Rathwell1220.20
Total valid votes61,282100.00
Total rejected ballots184
Turnout61,46675.65
Electors on the lists81,248
Provincial
1977 Ontario general election : Cambridge
PartyCandidateVotes%Expenditures
New Democratic Monty Davidson 11,12037.31$12,972
Progressive Conservative Bill Barlow 10,56635.45$25,056
Liberal Claudette Millar 7,87026.40$22,087
Independent Social Credit John H. Long 2520.85$768
Total valid votes29,808100.00
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots153
Turnout29,96165.02
Electors on the lists46,081

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Witmer</span> Canadian politician

Elizabeth Witmer is a former Deputy Premier of Ontario, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 until 2012, representing Waterloo North and later Kitchener—Waterloo as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Volpe</span> Canadian politician

Giuseppe "Joe" Volpe is a Canadian politician. He represented the Ontario riding of Eglinton-Lawrence as a member of the Liberal Party in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 until 2011, when he lost his seat to Conservative candidate Joe Oliver. Volpe held two senior positions in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Cabinet from 2003 to 2006, and served as transportation critic when his party became the Official Opposition. In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Ontario general election</span> 1995 Canadian provincial election

The 1995 Ontario general election was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada. The writs for the election were dropped on April 28, 1995.

Rick Borotsik is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as Mayor of Brandon from 1989 to 1997, was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2004, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 2007. Borotsik is a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Chong</span> Canadian politician

Michael David Chong is a Canadian politician who has represented the Ontario riding of Wellington—Halton Hills in the House of Commons since 2004. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport, as well as the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada from February 6, 2006 to November 27, 2006. On September 8, 2020, Chong was appointed the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Ron Wayne Johnson is a Canadian political figure who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 1999, representing the division of Brantford as a Progressive Conservative.

David John Johnson is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was the mayor of East York from 1982 to 1993, a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1993 to 1999, and a senior cabinet minister in the government of Mike Harris.

William John Vankoughnet is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1993, and a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 1999.

Gary L. Leadston was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 1999.

Michael Liam Farnan is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1995, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae.

Derek Fletcher is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, representing Guelph.

Brian Albert Charlton is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1995 who represented the riding of Hamilton Mountain. He served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae. He serves on the board of directors of a sustainable living non-profit called Green Venture.

Tristan Alexander Emmanuel is a Canadian political and religious activist. He is the founder and former president of the Equipping Christians for the Public-square Centre and an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage in Canada. He is now the president of Freedom Press Canada Inc., a niche publishing company that he founded in 2003.

Louis Plamondon is a Canadian politician who served as the interim speaker of the House of Commons of Canada from September 27 to October 3, 2023. A member of the Bloc Québécois, he has represented Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel since 1984. As the longest-serving current member of the House of Commons, Plamondon is Dean of the House, and holds the record as Canada's longest-serving dean.

This is page shows results of Canadian federal elections in Midwestern Ontario, which is roughly from Woodstock to Milton, and from Lake Erie to Goderich.

Barbara Greene is a former Canadian politician. She served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1993 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. She was previously a municipal politician in North York, and campaigned for mayor of the city in 1985. She is a Red Tory, and holds progressive views on most social issues.

William George Beatty is a judge and former politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. He currently serves on the Central East Region of the Ontario Court of Justice.

Line Maheux is a Canadian communications consultant and political strategist. At different times, she has worked for Preston Manning, Stockwell Day, Mike Harris, John Nunziata, and Stephen Harper.

Normand Cherry was a Canadian politician and union leader in the province of Quebec. He was a Liberal member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1989 to 1998 and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election</span>

The 1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election was held on October 24 and November 14, 1998 to choose a successor to Jean Charest. This was the first time the Progressive Conservatives used a one member, one vote system to choose a leader rather than a delegated leadership convention, which has been the norm since 1927. The 1998 election used a point system that allocated 100 points to each riding, regardless of the number of votes cast in the riding. The candidate who won a majority of points would win the leadership. All party members were eligible to cast a vote. If no candidate received a majority of points on the first ballot, the lowest ranking candidate would be automatically eliminated and a second ballot was to be held using a preferential ballot if more than two candidates remained. The 100-point-per-riding system was again used by the Conservative Party of Canada in their leadership elections.

References

  1. Mary Trueman, "Socreds to pick leader at weekend convention," Globe and Mail, 5 November 1976, p. 3.
  2. Ross Howard, "Liberal group ordered to reinstate member," Globe and Mail, 27 June 1984, M3.
  3. "Tory contender," Globe and Mail, 1 April 1993, A5.
  4. Gary Webb-Proctor, "Fancy footwork from Waterloo candidates," Globe and Mail, 11 November 1985, A18.
  5. Andre Picard, "Scrap bilingualism, Tories told," Globe and Mail, 22 April 1993, A1; Edison Stewart, "Catholic bishops, Campbell agree on 'demon' truce," Toronto Star, 22 May 1993, A10.
  6. Graham Fraser, "Charest reigns in French debate," Globe and Mail, 22 April 1993, A4.
  7. Kevin Crowley, "8 of 9 Guelph candidates make for busy meeting," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 25 September 1993, A4.
  8. Barry Ries, "Tories in Waterloo pick Woolstencroft," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 18 August 1993, B1.
  9. Kevin Crowley, "12 running in Guelph-Wellington," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 1 October 1993, B1.
  10. Peter O'Neil, "Reform party chooses its first Quebec candidate," Toronto Star, 8 January 1995, A7.
  11. Paula Schuck, "Hundreds come out to meet top Tory," Kitchener Record, 5 June 1995, A1. This article indicates that he had previously supported the New Democratic Party of Ontario. See Christian Aagaard, "Cambridge riding one to watch," Kitchener Record, 6 May 1997, A4.
  12. Eric Volmers, "Colourful character hopes to lead Canadian Alliance," Cambridge Reporter, 20 April 2000, A1.
  13. "Former Cambridge man seeks Tory leadership," Kitchener Record, 5 May 1998, A4.
  14. "Long shot," Ottawa Citizen, 6 July 1998, A9.
  15. "Tory contender emerges," Globe and Mail, 5 May 1998, A7.
  16. Sean Durkan, "Baldasaro still wants to lead Tories," 23 September 1998, E12.
  17. Eric Volmers, "Colourful character hopes to lead Canadian Alliance," Cambridge Reporter, 20 April 2000, A1.
  18. Jim Algie, "Wilford running for local Tories," Owen Sound Sun Times, 31 October 2000, A1.
  19. Stacey Ash, "Waiting: Does ballot beckon?", Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 30 August 2003, A1.
  20. "Owner of derelict foundry says cleanup order unfair," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 28 December 1993, B1.
  21. John Roe, "Church given bankrupt foundry : Environment ministry demands cleanup of controversial site," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 5 January 1994, B4.
  22. "Independent candidate faces jail," Kitchener Record, 28 May 1997, B2.
  23. "Ex-candidate in jail for PCBs violation," Kitchener Record, 12 June 1997, B2; Bob Burtt, "Church founders say city consultants messed up property," Kitchener Record, 20 April 1998, B2. Some newspaper articles confuse the Guelph and Cambridge cases
  24. Tony Reinhart, "Pot-smoking 'priests' move to empty Cambridge foundry," Kitchener Record, 22 January 1998, B3; "Church members can stay, foundry/home owner says," Kitchener Record, 28 January 1998, B2.
  25. Curtis Gloade, "Tucker-ed out Cambridge taxpayers give Long a golden handshake and Tucker the boot," Kitchener Record, 9 October 1998, A19.
  26. Kevin Crowley, "Long takes shot at Tory leadership," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 20 March 1993, B4; Agnes Bongers, "Winter in the Church of the Universe," Hamilton Spectator, 16 November 1994, B1; Philip Jalsevac, "Eccentric entrepreneur John Long fined for not filing tax returns," Kitchener Record, 3 March 1999, B3.
  27. Eric Volmers, "Colourful character hopes to lead Canadian Alliance," Cambridge Reporter, 20 April 2000, A1.