Bill Davis

William Grenville "Bill" Davis, PC, CC, O.Ont, QC ( born July 30, 1929 in Brampton ) is a Canadian lawyer, politician and served from March 1, 1971 to February 8, 1985, the 18th Premier of Ontario. Davis is a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, whose party he chaired as Premier in the years.

Life

Education and political beginnings

Bill Davis was born in 1929 the son of Albert Grenville and Vera M. ( Hewetson ) Davis in Brampton. Davis was politically active at a young age and was appointed at 17 the youngest delegates of a national Congress of Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He studied and graduated from the University of Toronto Law and attended the 1951 Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

On June 11, 1959, he was - then 29 years old - elected for the electoral district of Peel in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. In the elections could then Conservative Leslie Frost under win 71 % of votes. The election took place a few months after the general election in 1958, in which already prevailed at the federal level the Conservative John Diefenbaker. Diefenbaker continued the politically controversial program interceptor Avro Canada from February 20, 1959. About 14,000 workers went on strike at the time and protested against the decision of the Conservatives. Davis still could be penetrated by a narrow margin of 1203 votes against challenger Bill Brydon.

He supported two years as a backbencher, the government of Leslie Frost. Following the resignation of David Frost was instrumental in the election of John Robarts in 1961. Under his government, he was appointed on 25 October 1962 Minister of Education. Two years later, his portfolio expanded to the university area and remained until 1971 in this office. It proved to be very assertive politician, founded many new public schools. Under his tenure, the expenditure on education increased in Ontario between 1962 to 1971 to over 454 %. He reformed the school system and created new universities, including the Trent University in Peterborough and the Brock University and established the educational television program TVOntario. His profile and commitment meant that he established himself as the new top candidate for the upcoming elections.

Prime minister

In the elections of 1971 he was able to hold 78 % compared to the Liberals Robert Nixon. Immediately after taking office, he announced that he would prevent the construction of the Spadina Expressway into downtown Toronto. He also rejected a proposal to full funding of Catholic schools, which some saw as an appeal to the rural Protestant party base of the Progressive Conservative Party. Davis ' first term as Prime Minister was initially marked by successes, but weakened in the course of a series of scandals. There were allegations that the company Fidinam on urban development program underwent a special consideration in exchange for the Progressive Conservative Party gave her donations. In 1973 it was announced that Davis ' friend Gerhard Moog received a lucrative contract for the construction of the new head office of the Ontario Hydro. Whether appropriate investigations exonerated the government lost the Conservatives in 1973 and 1974 four major elections. Accordingly, the elections to the Parliament of Ontario in 1975 were significantly harder. Although Davis could leave with 51 % over the second-placed Stephen Lewis confirmed by the Ontario New Democratic Party with 38% as Premier, but had to form a minority government. 1977 early elections were called, according to the Bill Davis again could only lead a minority government.

Unlike most other Canadian Prime Minister Davis supported the then Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau in his plans in 1981 to make Canada the United Kingdom and independently to rewrite and parts of the Canadian Constitution. These efforts eventually culminated a year later in the adoption of the Canada Act.

A few months before the end of the regular term Davis resigned after nearly 14 years back as Prime Minister of Ontario. It is the second longest serving prime minister in Ontario. He was succeeded by his party colleague Frank Miller. With his resignation, Davis appeared also on the political stage.