View source for Chris Stockwell

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]]
|honorific-suffix =[[Executive Council of Ontario|ECO]]
| name                = Chris Stockwell
| image               = 
| caption             = 
| office              = 36th [[Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
| term_start          = October 3, 1996
| term_end            = October 19, 1999
| predecessor         = [[Al McLean (politician)|Al McLean]]
| successor           = [[Gary Carr (politician)|Gary Carr]]
| office1             = [[Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario)|Member of Provincial Parliament for Ontario]]
| term_start1         = 1999
| term_end1           = 2003
| predecessor1        = ''New riding''
| successor1          = [[Donna Cansfield]]
| constituency1       = [[Etobicoke Centre (provincial electoral district)|Etobicoke Centre]]
| term_start2         = 1990
| term_end2           = 1999
| predecessor2        = [[Linda LeBourdais]]
| successor2          = ''Riding abolished''
| constituency2       = [[Etobicoke West]]
| party               = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1957|03|09}}
| birth_place         = [[London, Ontario]], Canada
| death_date          = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|2018|02|10|1957|03|09|mf=yes}}}}
| death_place         = [[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada
| residence           = 
| occupation          = Political consultant
| children            = Kale Stockwell, 1987

Victoria Stockwell, 1989
| Children            = 
| parents             = Bill Stockwell, 1934

Loretta Stockwell, 1935
}}

'''Chris Stockwell''' (March 9, 1957 – February 10, 2018) was a Canadian [[politician]] from [[Ontario]]. He was a [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]] member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] from 1990 to 2003, and served as [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]] of the legislature and [[cabinet minister]] in the governments of [[Mike Harris]] and [[Ernie Eves]].  Before entering provincial politics, he had been a member of [[Etobicoke|Etobicoke City Council]] and the [[Metropolitan Toronto|Metro Toronto Council]]. Stockwell's father, Bill Stockwell, was also a prominent municipal politician.

==Politics==

===Municipal===
Stockwell was elected as a city of [[Etobicoke]] [[Board of Control (municipal government)|Controller]] in 1982, was defeated in his attempt at re-election in 1985, but was elected to the [[Metropolitan Toronto]] council in November 1988 representing Lakeshore-Queensway, in the Etobicoke region, and also served as chair of the Metro O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts during this period.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

===Provincial===
Stockwell was elected to the Ontario provincial legislature in the [[1990 Ontario general election|1990 provincial election]], defeating incumbent [[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] [[Linda LeBourdais]] by about 4,000 votes in [[Etobicoke West]].<ref name="1990 results">{{cite news |title=Ontario election: Riding-by-riding voting results |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 7, 1990 |page=A12}}</ref>  The [[Ontario New Democratic Party|New Democratic Party]] won the election, and Stockwell sat on the opposition benches for the next five years.<ref name="tvo.org">{{Cite web|title=Remembering Chris Stockwell|url=https://www.tvo.org/article/remembering-chris-stockwell|access-date=2021-02-18|website=TVO.org|language=en}}</ref>

The Tories won a majority in the [[1995 Ontario general election|provincial election of 1995]], and Stockwell was easily elected in his own riding.<ref name="1995 results">{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=etobicoke+west&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 8, 1995 |accessdate=March 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407092415/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=etobicoke+west&flag=E&layout=G |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Despite his experience, he was not appointed to [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] by the new [[Premier of Ontario|Premier]], [[Mike Harris]].<ref name="tvo.org"/>  He soon developed a reputation as one of the more prominent [[Red Tory|Red Tories]] in the Tory caucus.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

Stockwell was elected [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]] of the Assembly on October 3, 1996.  He was not Harris's preferred choice for the position, but won with support from members in all three parties.  Stockwell won a reputation for independence in the Speaker's chair, and was not afraid to criticize members of his own party.<ref name="tvo.org"/>

Stockwell played a key role in the [[Filibuster#Bill 103|anti-megacity filibuster of 1997]], where the Opposition parties proposed thousands of amendments identical except for a few words. He ruled against the government when they moved that the legislature did not need to vote on each amendment, but in their favor when they suggested that the identical text did not need to be read aloud each time.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

In the [[1999 Ontario general election|provincial election of 1999]], Stockwell's personal popularity was such that he was able to win an easy re-election in the redistributed riding of [[Etobicoke Centre (provincial electoral district)|Etobicoke Centre]] after defeating fellow MPP [[Doug Ford, Sr.]] for then Progressive Conservative nomination.<ref name=death/><ref name="1999 results">{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=Etobicoke+Centre&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 3, 1999 |accessdate=March 2, 2014}}</ref> On June 17, 1999, he was appointed to cabinet as [[Ministry of Labour (Ontario)|Minister of Labour]].<ref name="1999HarrisCab">{{cite news |title=Ontario Cabinet |newspaper=The Spectator |location=Hamilton, Ont |date=June 18, 1999 |page=C8}}</ref>

Despite Stockwell's reputation as a [[Red Tory]]{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}}, he implemented a number of right-wing policy directives as Labour Minister.  He was largely credited with shepherding through the legislature a bill to increase the maximum work-week to 60 hours, and also promoted the Harris government's "Workplace Democracy Act", which made union organization more difficult.  In addition to the Labour portfolio, Stockwell also served as Commissioner of the Board of Internal Economy for a few months in 2001.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

Stockwell was a candidate to succeed Mike Harris in the [[2002 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election|2002 PC leadership campaign]].  During this campaign, he claimed that the right-wing initiatives of Harris's "[[Common Sense Revolution]]" were necessary in 1995, but no longer made sense in 2003.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}} He won little support from party insiders, and placed last with four per cent of the vote.  He supported [[Ernie Eves]], the winning candidate, on the second ballot.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

On April 15, 2002, Eves appointed Stockwell as Government House Leader and [[Ministry of the Environment (Ontario)|Minister of Environment and Energy]].<ref name="2002EvesCabinet">{{cite news |title=Ont-Cabinet |publisher=Canadian Press NewsWire |location=Toronto, Ont |date=April 15, 2002}}</ref>  The Energy and Environment portfolios were broken up on August 22, 2002, with Stockwell keeping [[Ministry of the Environment (Ontario)|Environment]].{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

On June 17, 2003, he resigned from cabinet in the wake of a controversy concerning the misuse of expenses.<ref name="resignation">{{cite news |title=Chris Stockwell resigns from Ontario cabinet |publisher=CTV News |date=June 17, 2003}}</ref> All expenses were referred to the provincial Integrity Commissioner who at that time was the Honourable Coulter A. Osbourne, a former Ontario Supreme Court judge. He undertook an exhaustive review. In his first report dated January 31, 2003, covering the period from June 26, 1995, to December 31, 2002, the Honourable Coulter A. Osbourne concluded: "I am satisfied that the expenses which I have reviewed, net of reimbursements made, are allowable expenses (see section 15 of the Act)." On June 9, 2003, he stated: "I am pleased to report that all expense claims made for the period January 1st to March 31st met with the requirements of the Act and the Rules Governing the Expenses of Cabinet Ministers, Opposition Leaders and other persons." On June 3, 2004, covering the period April 3, 2003 to March 31, 2004, the Commissioner again stated: "I am pleased to report that all requests for reimbursements were complied with and all expense claims reviewed were subsequently approved."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Commissioner's Reports|url=http://www.oico.on.ca/home/expenses-review/commissioner%27s-reports|access-date=2021-02-18|website=www.oico.on.ca}}</ref>

On July 25, 2003, Stockwell announced that he would not run in the [[2003 Ontario general election|2003 election]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Ontario Tory Chris Stockwell to quit politics |publisher=CTV News |date=July 25, 2003}}</ref> He was later employed as a political consultant.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

===Attempted return to Toronto City Council===

In 2013, Stockwell was one of several candidates for appointment to [[Toronto City Council]] to replace [[Doug Holyday]] in Ward 3.<ref name=council>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/community-council-recommends-chris-stockwell-for-ward-3-seat-1.1874406 |title=Community council recommends Chris Stockwell for Ward 3 seat |publisher=CBC News |date=October 1, 2013}}</ref> The Etobicoke Community Council recommended him to the city council as its preferred candidate for the appointment;<ref name=council /> however, October 10, 2013, the final city council vote selected [[Peter Leon]].<ref name=appointed>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/10/10/peter_leon_to_replace_doug_holyday_in_ward_3.html |title=Peter Leon to replace Doug Holyday in Ward 3 |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=October 10, 2013}}</ref>  In September 2014, Stockwell registered as a candidate for [[Toronto City Council]] in Ward 4 in Etobicoke. He came in fourth place, with 9.24% of the vote, losing to [[John Campbell (Ontario politician)|John Campbell]].{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

==Death==
Stockwell died in Toronto of cancer at the age of 60.<ref name="death">{{Cite web|date=2018-02-11|title=Former Etobicoke MPP Chris Stockwell dead after fight with cancer|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/02/11/former-etobicoke-mpp-chris-stockwell-dead-after-fight-with-cancer.html|access-date=2021-02-18|website=thestar.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CHRIS STOCKWELL Obituary - (2018) - Toronto, ON - Toronto Star|url=https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/thestar/188292158|access-date=2021-02-18|website=www.legacy.com|language=en}}</ref>

==Cabinet positions==
{{s-start}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Ernie_Eves}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post2preceded = Ministry re-established
| post2         = [[Ministry of the Environment (Ontario)|Minister of Environment]]
| post2years    = August 22, 2002 – October 22, 2003
| post2note     =
| post2followed = [[Jim Wilson (Ontario politician)|Jim Wilson]]

| post1preceded = [[Elizabeth Witmer]] (Environment)<br />[[Jim Wilson (Ontario politician)|Jim Wilson]] (Energy)
| post1         = [[Ministry of the Environment (Ontario)|Minister of Environment and Energy]]
| post1years    = April 15, 2002 – August 22, 2002
| post1note     =
| post1followed = [[John Baird (Canadian politician)|John Baird]] (Energy)
}}
{{ministry box special parl
| post1preceded = [[Janet Ecker]]
| post1         = [[Government House Leader (Ontario)|Government House Leader]]
| post1years    = 2002–2003
| post1note     =
| post1followed = [[John Baird (Canadian politician)|John Baird]]
}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Mike_Harris}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post1preceded = [[Jim Flaherty]]
| post1         = [[Ministry of Labour (Ontario)|Minister of Labour]]
| post1years    = 1999–2002
| post1note     =
| post1followed = [[Brad Clark]]
}}
{{s-end}}

==Electoral record (partial)==

===Ward 4 - Etobicoke Centre (October 27, 2014)===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Colspan="3" align="center"|'''Ward 4'''
|-
! width="150px" | Candidate
! | Votes
! | %
|-
|[[John Campbell (Ontario politician)|John Campbell]] || 8,227 || 34.44
|-
|Niels Christensen || 6,847 || 28.66
|-
|Angelo Carnevale || 4,968 || 20.79
|-
|'''Chris Stockwell''' || 2,208 || 9.24
|-
|Adam Slobodian || 384 || 1.60
|-
|Tony Chun || 286 || 1.19
|-
|William Murdoch || 278 || 1.16
|-
|Rosemarie Mulhall || 267 || 1.11
|-
|Mario Magno || 216 || 0.90
|-
|Oscar Vidal-Calvet || 205 || 0.85
|-
!Total||align=right| 23,886 ||align=right|  100
|}
{{1999 Ontario general election/Etobicoke Centre}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ '''[[1995 Ontario general election]]: [[Etobicoke West]]'''
!
! scope="col" width="175" |Party
! scope="col" width="150" |Candidate
! Votes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=etobicoke+west&flag=E&layout=G|title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate|publisher=Elections Ontario|date=1995-06-08|accessdate=2012-08-31|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407092415/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=etobicoke+west&flag=E&layout=G|archivedate=2014-04-07}}</ref>
! Vote %
|-
| {{Canadian party colour|ON|Conservative|background}} | &nbsp; &nbsp;
|Progressive Conservative
| '''Chris Stockwell'''
|align=right| 18,349
|align=right| 55.3
|-
| {{Canadian party colour|ON|Liberal|background}} | &nbsp; &nbsp;
|Liberal
| Michael Brown
|align=right| 9,826
|align=right| 29.6
|-
|{{Canadian party colour|ON|NDP|background}} | &nbsp; &nbsp;
|New Democrat
| Judy Jones
|align=right| 4,608
|align=right| 13.9
|-
|{{Canadian party colour|ON|Natural Law|background}} | &nbsp; &nbsp;
|[[Natural Law Party of Ontario|Natural Law]]
| Laureen G. Amos
|align=right| 399
|align=right| 1.2
|-| 
|
|
|Total
|align=right|33,182
|
|}
{{1990 Ontario general election/Etobicoke West}}

===[[1988 Toronto municipal election|Metropolitan Toronto Council, 1988]]===
;Lakeshore [[Queensway (Toronto)|Queensway]]
:'''Chris Stockwell''' - 10,442
:[[Morley Kells]] - 7,790

=== Toronto municipal election, 1985 ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|Colspan="2" align="center"| Etobicoke Board of Control, 1985 (4 elected)
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="150px" | Candidate
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF"  | Votes
|-
|'''Dick O'Brien''' (incumbent)||align=right|34,248
|-
|'''[[Lois Griffin (politician)|Lois Griffin]]'''  ||align=right|33,175
|-
|'''[[Leonard Braithwaite]]''' (incumbent) ||align=right|33,085
|-
|'''[[Morley Kells]]'''||align=right|29,817
|-
|Chris Stockwell  (incumbent)||align=right|29,629
|-
|[[Doug Holyday]] ||align=right|28,982
|-
|James Shawera||align=right|5,473
|}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=note}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Ontario MPP biography|id=chris-stockwell|old_id=94|name=Chris Stockwell}}

{{Harris Ministry}}
{{Eves Ministry}}
{{Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stockwell, Chris}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Ontario]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Toronto councillors]]
[[Category:People from Etobicoke]]
[[Category:Politicians from London, Ontario]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs]]
[[Category:Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Ontario]]