David Lewis (politician)

David Lewis, CC , MA (June 23, 1909-May 23, 1981) was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and politician. He was national secretary of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and, with Stanley Knowles, was one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1961.

Related Topics:
CC - MA - June 23 - 1909 - May 23 - 1981 - Russia - Canadian - Cooperative Commonwealth Federation - 1936 - 1950 - Stanley Knowles - New Democratic Party - 1961

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Lewis was born in the town of Svisloch in Russia to a Jewish family active in the Bund. He and his family emigrated to Montreal in 1921 where he grew up and attended McGill University. He won a Rhodes Scholarship and went to study at Oxford University where he became president of the Oxford Union. He was active in the British Labour Party and was offered a safe seat in the British House of Commons but declined and returned to Canada to practice law.

Related Topics:
Russia - Jew - Bund - Montreal - 1921 - McGill University - Rhodes Scholarship - Oxford University - Oxford Union - British Labour Party - Seat - British House of Commons

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An active member of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, Lewis became the party's national secretary in 1936 and was for many years the party's sole paid employee. He ran for the Canadian House of Commons in 1940, 1943, 1945 and 1949 but was defeated on each occasion. In the 1943 by-election in Cartier, Quebec, he lost to Fred Rose who became Canada's first and only Member of Parliament (MP) for the Communist Party of Canada).

Related Topics:
Cooperative Commonwealth Federation - Canadian House of Commons - By-election - Fred Rose - Member of Parliament - Communist Party of Canada

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Lewis resigned as national secretary in 1950 and moved to Toronto to practice law in partnership with Ted Jolliffe. He became the chief legal advisor to the United Steel Workers of America's Canadian division, and assisted them in their organising efforts and in their battles with the Communist-led Mine, Mill union.

Related Topics:
Toronto - Ted Jolliffe - United Steel Workers of America - Mine, Mill

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Lewis was elected as a Member of Parliament from 1962 to 1963 and 1965 to 1974. He established himself as one of the leading debaters in the House of Commons. In 1971, he ran to succeed retiring NDP leader Tommy Douglas, and won the leadership convention. He led the NDP through the 1972 federal election in which he uttered his best known quotation calling Canadian corporations "corporate welfare bums". That election campaign returned a minority government and elected the greatest number of NDP MPs until 1988, and left the NDP holding the balance of power until 1974. Lewis and the NDP propped up the Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau in exchange for the implementation of NDP proposals such as the creation of Petro-Canada as a crown corporation.

Related Topics:
1962 - 1963 - 1965 - 1974 - Tommy Douglas - Leadership convention - 1972 federal election - Minority government - Liberal - Pierre Trudeau - Petro-Canada - Crown corporation

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In the 1974 election, however, Lewis lost his seat in Parliament, leading him to resign as party leader. It was revealed immediately after the election that he had been battling cancer. It is reported that Lewis had kept everyone, including his family, unaware of his condition. In 1976, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Related Topics:
1974 election - Order of Canada

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David Lewis died in 1981. He is the father of Stephen Lewis, a former Ontario New Democratic Party leader who is now the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Related Topics:
Stephen Lewis - Ontario New Democratic Party - United Nations

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Those related in Lewis include:

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• Stephen Lewis - son and former United Nations ambassador
• Nina Libeskind - daughter and wife of architect Daniel Libeskind
• Broadcaster Avi Lewis - grandson and son of Stephen Lewis