Chuck Cadman

2025-08-23T02:35:41Z

2001:569:74E3:4000:ACD2:8827:B662:B7CD: /* Death */

{{short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Chuck Cadman
| image = Chuck Cadman, 2005 budget vote.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Cadman votes during a confidence vote on the federal budget in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, May 19, 2005
| birth_name = Charles Cadman
| birth_date = {{birth date|1948|2|21}}
| birth_place = [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2005|7|9|1948|2|21}}
| death_place = [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]], [[British Columbia]], Canada
| residence =
| office = [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Surrey North (federal electoral district)|Surrey North]]
| term_start = June 2, 1997
| term_end = July 9, 2005
| predecessor = [[Margaret Bridgman]]
| successor = [[Penny Priddy]]
| party = [[Reform Party of Canada|Reform]] (1997–2000)<br />[[Canadian Alliance]] (2000–2004)<br /> [[Independent politician|Independent]] (2004–2005)
| religion =
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Dona Cadman]]|1969}}
| occupation = Engineering technician
| children = 2
}}

'''Charles Cadman''' (February 21, 1948 – July 9, 2005) was a [[Politics of Canada|Canadian politician]] and [[Members of the Canadian House of Commons|Member]] of [[House of Commons of Canada|Parliament]] (MP) from 1997 to 2005, representing the [[electoral district (Canada)|riding]] of [[Surrey North (federal electoral district)|Surrey North]] in [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]], [[British Columbia]].

Originally a [[Canadian Alliance]] MP, Cadman won re-election as an independent after losing a nomination race in his own riding.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}} This history garnered him national media attention when, on May 19, 2005, Cadman cast a deciding tie vote to save a minority Liberal government supported by the NDP that the Conservative party at the time was trying to defeat to trigger an election.

== Early life ==
Cadman was born in [[Kitchener, Ontario]], and grew up in [[North Bay, Ontario]]. He was a guitarist with a band called ''The Fringe'', which toured Canada. He also played backup to [[The Guess Who]] on [[CBC Television]]. He eventually settled in Surrey, British Columbia. He attended the [[British Columbia Institute of Technology]] and became a certified electrical and electronics engineering technician. He worked for ten years as a [[microfiche]] camera technician for the [[Insurance Corporation of British Columbia]]. He married [[Dona Cadman]] in 1969; they had two children: Jodi and Jesse.<ref>[https://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca/obituary/chuck-cadman-1065921144 Vancouver Sun & Province Obituary on Chuck Cadman] Published July 14, 2005</ref>

== Political career ==
On October 18, 1992, Cadman's 16-year-old son Jesse was stabbed to death in a random street attack by a group of young people. In response to Jesse's death, Cadman and his wife Dona created the group CRY – Crime Responsibility and Youth – and counselled teens likely to become violent. He also campaigned for a tougher [[Young Offenders Act]].<ref name="globeandmail"/> His activism against youth violence propelled him into politics, first to carry on his fight against youth violence and for victims' rights. He was first elected to Parliament for Surrey North in the [[1997 Canadian federal election|1997 election]] as a member of the [[Reform Party of Canada]]. He introduced a private members bill which proposed to raise the maximum jail term for parents whose children commit crimes while under their supervision. This bill was later incorporated into Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act in November 2000. He was also known for wearing a [[ponytail]] and [[Jeans|blue jeans]] in Parliament.

He was re-elected under the banner of the [[Canadian Alliance]] in the [[2000 Canadian federal election|2000 election]], and was appointed Justice Critic. However, prior to the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 election]] Cadman lost the nomination for the [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]] to Jasbir Singh Cheema, a former television news anchor who brought a very large number of new party members to the vote. Cadman was also diagnosed with cancer in early May 2004 and underwent surgery to remove a tumour from his groin. He then ran as an independent in that election and was elected. He heard about the election call from his hospital bed.

He was the only candidate not affiliated with a party to win a seat in the 2004 election, and remained an independent, refusing offers to rejoin the Conservatives. Originally sitting as the only independent in a [[minority government]], Cadman held considerable power. ([[Carolyn Parrish]], [[David Kilgour]], and [[Pat O'Brien (Canadian politician)|Pat O'Brien]] – all elected as [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberals]] – would later sit as independents.)

===2005 budget vote===
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2018}}
On May 19, 2005, Cadman flew to Ottawa for a confidence vote not long after undergoing [[chemotherapy]] treatment for malignant [[melanoma]], the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Cadman voted with the government on the 2005 budget, which had incorporated amendments proposed by the NDP, and forced a tie in the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]]. The tie was broken by [[Peter Milliken]] the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (Canada)|Speaker of the House of Commons]], who voted in favour of the Liberal budget (who explained he simply did so because the Speaker traditionally votes to continue a government). The budget was later passed in Cadman's absence on June 23, 2005. In an interview after the budget vote, Cadman said he voted in favour of the budget simply because he was obeying the wishes of constituents who did not want to face another election a year after giving the minority Liberals their shaky mandate.

=== Allegations of bribery, the tape, the lawsuit ===
Dona Cadman says that her husband told her that prior to the vote, two Conservative Party officials, later suggested to be [[Tom Flanagan (political scientist)|Tom Flanagan]] and [[Doug Finley]], offered her husband a million-dollar life insurance policy in exchange for his vote against the Liberal budget in May 2005, the rationale being replacement of the life insurance that is part of an MP's compensation package (since Cadman was not running for re-election and would thus not die an MP if he voted down the government).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080227.wcadmann0227/BNStory/National/home |title=Tories tried to sway vote of dying MP, widow alleges |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |accessdate=2008-02-27 |last=Gloria Galloway and Brian Laghi |location=Toronto |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302105906/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080227.wcadmann0227/BNStory/National/home |archivedate=March 2, 2008 }}</ref> An audio tape suggests then-opposition leader [[Stephen Harper]] was not only aware of a financial offer to Chuck Cadman but gave it his personal approval.<ref name=canadianpress-2008-02-28>{{cite web
|url=http://news.sympatico.msn.ca/Harper+heard+on+tape+discussing+financial+inducements+for+late+MP/National/ContentPosting.aspx?isfa=1&newsitemid=64918030&feedname=CP-NATIONAL&show=True&number=5&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True
|title=Harper heard on tape discussing financial inducements for late MP
|publisher=The Canadian Press
|accessdate=2008-02-28
|last=Panetta
|first=Alexander
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317003523/http://news.sympatico.msn.ca/Harper%2Bheard%2Bon%2Btape%2Bdiscussing%2Bfinancial%2Binducements%2Bfor%2Blate%2BMP/National/ContentPosting.aspx?isfa=1&newsitemid=64918030&feedname=CP-NATIONAL&show=True&number=5&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True
|archivedate=2008-03-17
|url-status=dead
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news
|url=https://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/video/308220
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305004754/http://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/video/308220
|archive-date=2008-03-05
|title=Harper on Cadman
|newspaper=Toronto Star
|accessdate=2008-03-10
|last=Zytaruk
|first=Tom
|url-status=dead
}}
</ref> According to Dona Cadman, Harper "looked me straight in the eyes and told me he had no knowledge of an insurance policy offer. I knew he was telling me the truth; I could see it in his eyes."<ref name=thestar-08-03-03>{{cite news
|url=https://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/308898
|title=Dona Cadman's full statement
|newspaper=The Toronto Star
|accessdate=2008-03-03
|last=Dona
|first=Cadman
| date=2008-03-03
}}
</ref> Cadman's daughter also acknowledged that her father had been disturbed by the offer. Harper later stated in an August 2008 court deposition that he personally authorized an offer made to Cadman in 2005; however, this offer was of the normal amount offered to a candidate running in an election campaign.<ref>{{Cite web
|last=Cornell Catana Reporting Services
|title=Stephen Harper, Sworn: Cross-Examination by Mr. Paliare
|work=Macleans.ca
|accessdate=2008-09-04
|date=2008-09-04
|url=http://www.macleans.ca/files/pdf/harperdepo.pdf
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910215333/http://www.macleans.ca/files/pdf/harperdepo.pdf
|archivedate=2008-09-10
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
| last = Tim Naumetz
| title = Harper testifies he authorized offer to Cadman
| work = Globe and Mail
| accessdate = 2015-10-15
| date = 2008-09-04
| url = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/harper-testifies-he-authorized-offer-to-cadman/article955217/
| location=Toronto
}}</ref> The Conservative Party, based upon analysis by forensic experts who concluded that the tape was edited, asked an Ontario court to order to Liberals to stop using the tape. But neutral expert testimony showed that the tape has not been edited.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/audio-expert-says-cadman-tape-not-altered-1.700925 | work=CBC News | title=Audio expert says Cadman tape not altered | date=2008-10-11 |accessdate=2014-04-02}}</ref><ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tories-ask-court-to-stop-liberals-from-using-harper-tape-1.751531 CBC story 4 June 2008]</ref>

Under section 119 of the ''[[Criminal Code (Canada)|Criminal Code]]'', it is illegal to bribe an MP. Accordingly, Opposition Liberal party Intergovernmental Affairs critic [[Dominic LeBlanc]] asked the RCMP in February 2008 to investigate the allegation that the Conservatives had offered Cadman a million-dollar life insurance policy in exchange for his support on the budget vote. In May 2008, the RCMP announced that there was no evidence to support charges.<ref name=cbc-2008-05-16>{{cite news
|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/no-charges-to-be-laid-in-cadman-affair-rcmp-1.710397
|title=No charges to be laid in Cadman Affair: RCMP
|publisher=CBC News
|date=2008-05-16
|accessdate=2014-04-02}}
</ref>

[[James Moore (Canadian politician)|James Moore]], Conservative MP for [[Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam]] told a news conference June 4, 2008, that two top audio specialists found that the tape<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/video/308220 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305004754/http://www.thestar.com/fpLarge/video/308220 | archive-date=2008-03-05 | work=The Star | location=Toronto | accessdate=2010-04-30 | url-status=dead }}</ref> in which PM Stephen Harper confirms financial considerations had been offered to Chuck Cadman had been altered. But LeBlanc said on June 5, 2008, that the Tories have not been clear about what they claim was doctored on the tape. He said the Tories have also forgotten a huge part of the allegations – the testimony of Cadman's widow, Dona Cadman. In her affidavit, Dona Cadman "repeats very clearly her recollection of her husband's words to the effect that two Conservative operatives ... offered him a million dollar life insurance policy in exchange for his vote", said LeBlanc.<ref>
{{cite web
|url = http://www.ctvnews.ca/tories-using-cadman-to-distract-from-bernier-grits-1.300279
|title = Tories using Cadman to distract from Bernier: Grits
|publisher = CTV
|access-date = 2008-06-05
|last = CTV.ca News Staff
|date = 5 June 2008
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080606172157/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080604/cadman_follow_080605/20080605?hub=QPeriod
|archive-date = 2008-06-06
}}
</ref>

Tom Zytaruk, the reporter who made the recording said "I know I didn't doctor any tape. So in a sense all this stuff that [Conservative MP] James Moore is saying is meaningless. I know what happened."<ref>
{{cite news
|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/tories-trying-to-bully-an-honest-reporter-over-a-split-second-tape-glitch/article720070/
|title=Tories trying to bully an honest reporter over a 'split-second' tape glitch
|newspaper=The Globe and Mail
|accessdate=2015-10-15
|last=Mason
|first=Gary
|location=Toronto
}}
</ref>

In early July 2008, Dona Cadman swore an affidavit that challenged some of Tom Zytaruk's assertions. She denied specific public accounts by Zytaruk of how he came to meet Harper that day, and he professed himself "extremely surprised, disappointed and deeply distressed" by her statement.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=34023fbf-aef0-44bd-9b60-4448079e94e6
|title=Cadman's Widow denies authors story
|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen
|accessdate=2008-07-09
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511122925/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=34023fbf-aef0-44bd-9b60-4448079e94e6
|archivedate=2011-05-11
}}
</ref>

=== Political libel chill ===
Liberals redoubled their use of the Cadman material – some{{who|date=April 2019}} argued that the RCMP inaction was possibly due to political interference while others argued that the standard of proof for criminal law was too high to satisfy when an official was willing to commit [[perjury]]. Neither of these allegations were made through official channels.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

However, the bold statement that "Harper knew of Conservative bribery" did appear as the title of a press release. In a rare [[political libel]] case, Prime Minister Harper filed a libel lawsuit against the Liberal Party over statements on the party's website regarding the Chuck Cadman affair published under this title.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/pm-threatens-to-sue-liberals-over-cadman-allegations-1.706119 | work=CBC News | title=PM threatens to sue Liberals over Cadman allegations | date=2008-03-03 |accessdate=2014-04-02}}</ref>

With the filing of the suit, open political comment on the case effectively stopped, an example of [[Chilling effect (term)|libel chill]].

The suit was settled in February 2009 after [[Michael Ignatieff]] took over leadership of the Party.

== Death ==
On July 9, 2005, Cadman died at his home after a two-year-long bout with [[Melanoma|malignant melanoma]].<ref name="globeandmail">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/chuck-cadman/article1121860/ |title=Chuck Cadman |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=July 11, 2005 |accessdate=September 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/independent-mp-cadman-dies-1.560590 |title=Independent MP Cadman dies |work=[[CBC News]] |date=July 9, 2005 |accessdate=September 17, 2014 }}</ref> Cadman's memorial service was held on July 16, 2005, at Johnston Heights Church in Surrey. Over 1,500 people were in attendance: in addition to family, friends, and politicians of all parties in the church itself, Cadman's constituents packed the neighbouring assembly hall and courtyard to pay their last respects by watching the service on television screens. Speeches honouring Cadman as a family man, parliamentarian, and advocate for victim's rights were made by Cadman's daughter, Jodi, Prime Minister [[Paul Martin]], BC MLA [[Kevin Falcon]], BC MLA [[Dave Hayer]], [[Surrey City Council]]lor [[Penny Priddy]] and several others.

On 15 March 2008, Vancouver journalist [[Tom Zytaruk]] published a biography of Cadman entitled ''Like A Rock: The Chuck Cadman Story'', in which the bribery allegations are explored in depth.<ref name="cbc-2008-02-27">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/conservatives-made-million-dollar-offer-to-mp-cadman-book-1.752439|title=Conservatives made million-dollar offer to MP Cadman: book|work=CBC News|date=2008-02-27|access-date=2014-04-02}}
</ref>

His widow, [[Dona Cadman|Dona]], endorsed Penny Priddy as Cadman's successor in the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 federal election]]. Priddy, a longtime member of the [[New Democratic Party]], had been friendly with the Cadmans for many years despite their sharp political differences. Dona Cadman subsequently reconciled with the Conservatives and was elected to her husband's seat in 2008. She only held it for one term before it fell to the NDP in 2011.

==Electoral record==
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2004|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{CANelec|XX|Independent|Chuck Cadman|15,089|43.79%|* |$67,419}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|[[Jim Karpoff]]|8,312|24.12%| +16.77%|$42,786}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Dan Sheel|5,413|15.71%| −13.16%|$62,788}}
{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Jasbir Singh Cheema|4,340|12.59%| −48.32%|$68,848}}
{{CANelec|CA|Green|Sunny Athwal|658|1.91%|–|$6,169}}
{{CANelec|CA|Christian Heritage|Gerhard Herwig|460|1.33%|–|$5,235}}
{{CANelec|CA|Communist|Joyce Holmes|93|0.26%| −0.22%|$512}}
{{CANelec|CA|Canadian Action|Roy Tyler Whyte|85|0.24%|–|$444}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|34,450|100.00%|}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|254|0.73%|+0.29%}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|34,704|55.4%|}}
{{end}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Note: Chuck Cadman's share of the popular vote as an independent candidate declined by -12.31% from his share as the Canadian Alliance candidate in the 2000 election.

Note: Conservative Party vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative vote in the 2000 election.

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2000|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|Canadian Alliance|Chuck Cadman|19,973|56.10%| +9.30%|$54,054}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Shinder Purewal|10,279|28.87%| +0.71%|$60,897}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Art Hildebrant|2,619|7.35%| −11.70%|$6,657}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|Dareck Faichuk|1,714|4.81%| +1.65%|$2,651}}
{{CANelec|CA|Green|Brian Lutes|556|1.56%| +0.75%| }}
{{CANelec|XX|Independent|Gerhard Herwig|285|0.80%|–|$2,138}}
{{CANelec|CA|Communist|Tyler Campbell|174|0.48%|–|$189}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|35,600|100.00%|}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|192|0.54%|−0.13%}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|35,792|55.4%|−6%}}
{{end}}

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform Party vote in the 1997 election.

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1997|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|Reform|Chuck Cadman|16,158|46.80%| +9.84%|$56,674}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Clayton J. Campbell|9,723|28.16%| +1.82%|$55,219}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Judy Villeneuve|6,579|19.05%| +1.93%|$44,861}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|David Sikal|1,093|3.16%|−10.64% |$11,791}}
{{CANelec|CA|Christian Heritage|Allen Gray|291|0.84%| −0.65%|$1,573}}
{{CANelec|CA|Green|Suzanne Shephard|280|0.81%|–| }}
{{CANelec|XX|Independent|Donald I. Knight|200|0.57%|–|$10,505}}
{{CANelec|CA|Canadian Action|Vlad Marjanovic|87|0.25%|–|$2,335}}
{{CANelec|CA|Natural Law|Anthony Quance|70|0.20%| −0.43%| }}
{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Mardi Couture|42|0.12%|–| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|34,523|100.00%|}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|234|0.67%|}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|34,757|61%|}}
{{end}}

== Archives ==
There is a Chuck Cadman [[fonds]] at Library and Archives Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Finding aid to Chuck Cadman fonds, Library and Archives Canada|url=https://data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf001/p000002271.pdf|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=2020-05-14}}</ref> Archival reference number is R13269.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=12887}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cadman, Chuck}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:British Columbia Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Canadian Alliance MPs]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in British Columbia]]
[[Category:Deaths from melanoma in Canada]]
[[Category:Independent MPs in the Canadian House of Commons]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia]]
[[Category:Politicians from Kitchener, Ontario]]
[[Category:People from Surrey, British Columbia]]
[[Category:Reform Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Technicians]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]

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Chuck Cadman