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{{Short description|Canadian human rights activist and politician (1941–2022)}}
{{about|the Canadian politician|the New Zealand musician|David Kilgour (musician)|the American politician|David Kilgore}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name             = David Kilgour
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|size=100%}}
| image            = David Kilgour (cropped).jpg
| caption          = Kilgour in 2008
| office           = [[Secretary of State (Canada)#External Affairs|Secretary of State (Asia Pacific)]]
| primeminister    = [[Jean Chrétien]]
| minister         = [[Bill Graham (Canadian politician)|Bill Graham]]
| term_start       = January 15, 2002
| term_end         = December 12, 2003
| predecessor      = [[Rey Pagtakhan]]
| successor        = ''Position abolished''
| office1          = [[Secretary of State (Canada)#External Affairs|Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]]
| primeminister1   = [[Jean Chrétien]]
| minister1        = [[Lloyd Axworthy]]<br />[[John Manley]]
| term_start1      = June 11, 1997
| term_end1        = January 14, 2002
| predecessor1     = [[Christine Stewart]]
| successor1       = [[Denis Paradis]]
| office2          = [[Speaker of the House of Commons (Canada)#Deputy Speaker|Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada<br />Chairman of Committees of the Whole]]
| 1blankname2      = Speaker
| 1namedata2       = [[Gilbert Parent]]
| term_start2      = January 18, 1994
| term_end2        = April 27, 1997
| predecessor2     = [[Andrée Champagne]] (1993)
| successor2       = [[Peter Milliken]]
| parliament3      = Canadian
| riding3          = [[Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont]]<br />{{small|([[Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont#History|Edmonton–Beaumont]]; 2004)}}<br />{{small|([[Edmonton Southeast]]; 1988–2004)}}<br />{{small|([[Edmonton Strathcona|Edmonton—Strathcona]]; 1979–1988)}}
| term_start3      = May 22, 1979
| term_end3        = January 23, 2006
| predecessor3     = [[Douglas Roche]]
| successor3       = [[Mike Lake (politician)|Mike Lake]]
| birth_name       = David William Kilgour
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1941|02|18}}
| birth_place      = [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba, Canada
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2022|4|5|1941|2|18}}
| death_place      = [[Ottawa]], Ontario, Canada
| alma_mater       = [[University of Manitoba]]<br />[[University of Toronto Faculty of Law]]
| profession       = {{hlist|Politician|lawyer|author}}
| party            = [[Independent (politician)|Independent]] (2005–2006)
| otherparty       = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] (1979–1990)<br /> [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] (1990–2005)
| relatives        = [[Geills Turner]] (sister)
}}

'''David William Kilgour''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} (February 18, 1941 – April 5, 2022) was a Canadian [[human rights]] activist, author, lawyer, and politician. He also served as a senior fellow to the [[Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights]].

Kilgour earned a degree in economics from the [[University of Manitoba]] in 1962 and a law degree from the [[University of Toronto]] in 1966. His career spanned roles from a crown attorney in northern Alberta to [[Canadian Cabinet]] minister. He concluded his 27-year tenure in the [[House of Commons of Canada]] as an independent MP. Upon retirement, he was one of the longest serving members of parliament and one of the few who had been elected under both the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] and [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] banners.

==Member of Parliament==
Kilgour was originally elected as a member of the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] Party in 1979. He first sought election in [[1968 Canadian federal election|1968]] in the [[Electoral district (Canada)|riding]] of [[Vancouver Centre]] as a Progressive Conservative. He did not run again until the [[1979 Canadian federal election|1979 election]], in [[Edmonton]]; he won a seat this time and went on to serve as a member of parliament for about 27 years. In April 1990, he was expelled from the Tory national caucus after criticizing the [[Brian Mulroney|Mulroney]] government's policies.<ref>[https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1991/1/7/seeking-attention Seeking Attention] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925124904/https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1991/1/7/seeking-attention |date=September 25, 2021 }} Macleans</ref> He sat as an independent for several months before joining the Liberals.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

In the Liberal government, he served as the Deputy Speaker (1993–1997) and Chairman of Committees of the Whole of the House of Commons, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) (1997–2002), and [[Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)]] (2002–2003). In the Conservative governments of [[Joe Clark]] and Brian Mulroney he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Privy Council, the Minister for CIDA, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and the Minister of Transport.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=4f39de20-4cdf-4e88-8f70-e578854ca628&Language=E&Section=FederalExperience |title= KILGOUR, The Hon. David, P.C., B.A., J.D. (LL.B.) |access-date= January 15, 2013 |archive-date= May 8, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130508173234/http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=4f39de20-4cdf-4e88-8f70-e578854ca628&Language=E&Section=FederalExperience |url-status= dead }}</ref>

As a Secretary of State, Kilgour was continuously vocal on many human rights violations around the world.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}} In 2001 while visiting Zimbabwe, Kilgour was vocally critical of Mugabe's farm-invasions policy and pushed for increasing international pressure.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/28/zimbabwe.andrewmeldrum |title=Mugabe hounds anti-racist|date=October 28, 2001 |location=London|work=The Guardian |first=Andrew |last=Meldrum}}</ref> In December 2004, he was among the Ukrainian election monitor delegation of the federal run-off elections.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

In April 2005, he received media attention when he speculated about quitting the Liberal Party because of his disgust with the [[sponsorship scandal]], saying that the issue made Canada look like "a northern [[banana republic]]". On April 12, 2005, he announced that he would sit as an independent MP. He also cited Canada's lack of action on the [[Darfur conflict|crisis in Darfur]], [[Sudan]], as reasons for quitting. He asserted that he has no plans to move back to the Conservatives, and stated that he had no plans to run for re-election.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

From [[1979 Canadian federal election|1979]] to [[1988 Canadian federal election|1988]], he represented the riding of [[Edmonton Strathcona (federal electoral district)|Edmonton—Strathcona]], but with shifting constituency lines moved to the [[Edmonton Southeast]] in [[1988 Canadian federal election|1988]], and then again to [[Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont]] in [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004]], which he represented until he retired from politics at the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 election]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

Because of the unusual structure of the [[38th Canadian Parliament|38th House of Commons]], in May 2005, David Kilgour's lone vote had the power to bring down or support the government. He used this influence to urge the Martin government to send peacekeepers to Darfur. He was an endorser of the [[Genocide Intervention Network]]. Then-Prime Minister [[Paul Martin]] agreed to send humanitarian support but in the end, no peacekeepers were sent.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20050712.html |title=CBC Kilgour or Darfour |date=July 12, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051023032456/http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20050712.html |archive-date=October 23, 2005 }}</ref>

===Electoral history===
{{1968 Canadian federal election/Vancouver Centre}}

==Democracy activism==
While being a lifelong practicing Christian, Kilgour worked on issues such as inter-faith dialog, personal freedoms, and democratic government throughout his career.<ref name="Principled">{{cite web |title=Principled MP David Kilgour split from the Conservatives then from the Liberals|last=Petrou|first=Michael|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-principled-mp-david-kilgour-split-from-the-conservatives-then-from-the|publisher=The Globe and Mail|date=April 7, 2022|accessdate=August 9, 2022}}</ref> In Parliament, he was active in prayer groups while at venues and publications across the country he has spoken specifically on religious themes and politics. Commonly, his topics have been on global religious and political persecutions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.david-kilgour.com/faith/index.htm|title=Talks on Religion |publisher=david-kilgour.com }}</ref> He served as a fellow of the Queen's University Centre for the Study of Democracy; a director of the Washington-based [[Council for a Community of Democracies]] (CCD), and co-chair of the Canadian Friends of a Democratic Iran, and has hosted an Iran pro-democracy rally  attended by approximately 90,000 in France in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.david-kilgour.com/2009/Jul_02_2009_01.php|title=How Canada can help in Iran |date=July 2, 2009}}</ref>

His personal religious beliefs landed him in the news in 2003 when he abstained from the same-sex marriage bill and was reprimanded by then Prime Minister [[Jean Chrétien]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.david-kilgour.com/mp/kilgour_defends_traditional_marr.htm |title=Kilgour on 'Traditional Marriage' |date=November 26, 2003}}</ref>{{Non-primary source needed|date=October 2020}}

==Organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China==
{{main|Organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China|Persecution of Falun Gong#Organ harvesting}}
In 2006, allegations emerged that a large number of [[Falun Gong]] practitioners had been killed to supply China's organ transplant industry. With [[David Matas]] he released the [[Kilgour-Matas report]],<ref name=OH>David Kilgour, David Matas (July 6, 2006, revised January 31, 2007)  [http://organharvestinvestigation.net An Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China] (free in 22 languages) organharvestinvestigation.net</ref> which stated "the source of 41,500 transplants for the six-year period 2000 to 2005 is unexplained" and "we believe that there have been and continue today to be large-scale organ seizures from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners".<ref name=OH/> In 2009, they published an updated version of the report as a book.<ref>David Kilgour, David Matas (2009) [http://www.seraphimeditions.com/bloody-harvest.html Bloody Harvest, The killing of Falun Gong for their organs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018063316/http://www.seraphimeditions.com/bloody-harvest.html |date=October 18, 2014 }} p. 232 seraphimeditions.com</ref> They traveled to about 50 countries to raise awareness of the situation.<ref name=WFP/>

In 2012, ''State Organs: Transplant Abuse in China'', edited by David Matas and Dr. Torsten Trey, was published with essays from six medical professionals,<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Danovitch+G G Danovitch articles], US National Library of Medicine</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Caplan+AL AL Caplan articles], US National Library of Medicine</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Lavee+J J Lavee articles], US National Library of Medicine</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Ahmad+G G Ahmad articles], US National Library of Medicine</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Trey+T T Trey articles], US National Library of Medicine</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Fiatarone+Singh+M M Fiatarone Singh articles], US National Library of Medicine</ref> [[Ethan Gutmann]], David Matas and an essay co-written by Kilgour.<ref>[http://www.seraphimeditions.com/pdfs/Introduction-State-Organs "State Organs: Introduction"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527201924/http://www.seraphimeditions.com/pdfs/Introduction-State-Organs |date=May 27, 2013 }} seraphimeditions.com</ref><ref>Rebeca Kuropatwa (September 19, 2012) [http://www.jewishtribune.ca/arts-and-culture/2012/09/19/new-matas-book-reveals-transplant-abuse "New Matas book reveals transplant abuse"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402124932/http://www.jewishtribune.ca/arts-and-culture/2012/09/19/new-matas-book-reveals-transplant-abuse |date=April 2, 2015 }}, Jewish Tribune</ref><ref>[[Mark Colvin]] (November 27, 2012) [http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3642188.htm "Parliament to hear evidence of transplant abuse in China"], [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]</ref><ref>David Matas, Dr. Torsten Trey (2012) [http://www.seraphimeditions.com/state-organs.html State Organs, Transplant Abuse in China] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224121713/http://seraphimeditions.com/state-organs.html |date=February 24, 2015 }} seraphimeditions.com p. 144</ref> Ethan Gutmann interviewed over 100 witnesses and estimated that 65,000 Falun Gong practitioners were killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008.<ref name=Jay>[[Jay Nordlinger]] (August 25, 2014) [http://www.nationalreview.com/sites/default/files/nordlinger_gutmann08-25-14.html "Face The Slaughter: The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem, by Ethan Gutmann"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607203837/http://www.nationalreview.com/sites/default/files/nordlinger_gutmann08-25-14.html |date=June 7, 2017 }}, National Review</ref><ref>Viv Young (August 11, 2014) [http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/slaughter-mass-killings-organ-harvesting "The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019053030/http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/slaughter-mass-killings-organ-harvesting |date=October 19, 2015 }} ''New York Journal of Books''</ref><ref name=Tstar>Barbara Turnbull (October 21, 2014)  [https://www.thestar.com/life/2014/10/21/qa_author_and_analyst_ethan_gutmann_discusses_chinas_illegal_organ_trade.html "Q&A: Author and analyst Ethan Gutmann discusses China's illegal organ trade"] The Toronto Star</ref><ref name=Slaughter>Ethan Gutmann (August 2014) [https://www.amazon.com/The-Slaughter-Killings-Harvesting-Dissident/dp/161614940X The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem] "Average number of Falun Gong in Laogai System at any given time" Low estimate 450,000, High estimate 1,000,000 p 320. "Best estimate of Falun Gong harvested 2000 to 2008" 65,000 p 322. amazon.com</ref>

==Personal life and death==
Kilgour was married to Laura Scott, with whom he had five children.<ref name="Principled" /> He died on April 5, 2022, in Ottawa at the age of 81, from lung disease.<ref>{{cite web|title=David Kilgour, longtime MP who quit 2 different parties for ideological reasons, dies at 81|last=Boisvert|first=Nick|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/david-kilgour-obituary-1.6410769|publisher=CBC|date=April 6, 2022|accessdate=April 6, 2022}}</ref>

==Articles==
* [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/droi/dv/droi_20091130_7cspeechdk_/droi_20091130_7cspeechdk_en.pdf Organ Pillaging from Falun Gong in China] Subcommittee on Human Rights of European Parliament, Brussels, December 1, 2009

==Books==
* [https://www.amazon.com/Uneasy-patriots-Western-Canadians-confederation/dp/0919433537/ref=la_B001JSJJSG_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425578107&sr=1-3 Uneasy patriots: Western Canadians in confederation] (1988)
* [https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Outer-Canada-David-Kilgour/dp/0919433863/ref=la_B001JSJJSG_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425578107&sr=1-2 Inside Outer Canada] (1990)
* [https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Canada-abandoned-David-Kilgour/dp/0133256979/ref=la_B001JSJJSG_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425578107&sr=1-1 Betrayal: The spy Canada abandoned] (1994)
* [https://www.amazon.com/Uneasy-Neighbo-Dynamics-Industry-Culture/dp/0470153067 Uneasy Neighbours: Canada, The USA and the Dynamics of State, Industry and Culture] (2007) with David T. Jones
* [https://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Harvest-Organ-Harvesting-Practitioners/dp/0980887976/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425577193&sr=1-2 Bloody Harvest: The Killing of Falun Gong for Their Organs] (2009) with David Matas

==Recognition==
Throughout his parliamentary career, Kilgour has been awarded a wide range of awards, including: the Kaputiman Award from the Council of Edmonton [[Philippines|Filipino]] Associations; the Special Award from the [[Ukrainian Canadian]] Congress (Alberta Provincial Council); an Outstanding Service Award from the Edmonton [[Sikh]] community; the Religious Liberty Award from the International Religious Liberty Association in Washington, D.C., [[Liberty (Adventist magazine)|Liberty Magazine]] and the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]]; and as Chairman of the Parliamentary Group for Soviet Jewry, he was recognized by [[B'nai Brith Canada]] for his effort and commitment to bringing the plight of the Soviet Jewry to the attention of Canadians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.david-kilgour.com/bio.php |publisher=david-kilgour.com|title=David Kilgour's Biography}}</ref>{{Non-primary source needed|date=November 2020}}

In May 2006, he received an honorary [[Doctor of Divinity]] (D.D.(Hon)) degree from [[Knox College, University of Toronto]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://knox.utoronto.ca/david.kilgour | title=David Kilgour passes away; Knox College expresses condolences | date=April 9, 2022 }}</ref> Kilgour, a [[Presbyterian Church in Canada|Presbyterian]], was recognized for his commitment to human rights in Canada and abroad and particularly his challenge to the international community to respond to the plight of Darfur, as well as in Burma, and Zimbabwe.
For their [[Persecution of Falun Gong#Organ harvesting|organ harvesting]] work, Matas and Kilgour won the 2009 Human Rights Award from the German-based [[International Society for Human Rights]] and were nominated for the [[2010 Nobel Peace Prize]].<ref name=WFP>{{cite news |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/crusader-up-for-nobel-prize-84838397.html |newspaper= Winnipeg Free Press |title=Crusader up for Nobel Prize, Lawyer lauded for investigating abuses in China|date=February 20, 2010|last1= Santin |first1= Aldo }}</ref>

==Relations==
He is the brother of [[Geills Turner]], widow of former Canadian Prime Minister [[John Turner]]. Kilgour and his sister are the great nephew and niece of [[John McCrae]], the soldier and poet who wrote ''[[In Flanders Fields]]'', and also the great nephew and niece of [[John Wentworth Russell]], who painted the portrait of Sir [[Wilfrid Laurier]], which hangs in the House of Commons.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

==Documentaries==
He appeared in ''Red Reign: The Bloody Harvest of China's Prisoners'' (2013),<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwe_jxzomiw "Red Reign trailer"], (4 minutes) youtube, July 30, 2013,</ref> ''Davids and Goliath'' (2014),<ref>
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jbawt94Z_s "Davids and Goliath" (part 1 of 5)], (14 minutes) youtube, November 28, 2014
</ref> and was interviewed in ''[[Free China: The Courage to Believe]]''. He also has a brief appearance in the 2012 documentary film ''Death by China''.{{Non-primary source needed|date=November 2020}}

==See also==
* [[Organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China]]
* [[Persecution of Falun Gong]]
* [[Ethan Gutmann]]
* [[David Matas]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.David-Kilgour.com/ Official website] david-kilgour.com
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=15442}}
* [http://organharvestinvestigation.net An Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China] (2007) David Kilgour, David Matas
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvAOOwvJMZs Killed for Organs: China's Secret State Transplant Business] (2012) YouTube video, 8 minutes

{{S-start}}
{{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=26}}
{{ministry box sub-cabinet posts
| post2         = [[Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)]]
| post2years    = 2002–2003
| post2note     =
| post2preceded = [[Rey Pagtakhan]]
| post2followed =
| post1         = Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)
| post1years    = 1997–2002
| post1note     =
| post1preceded = [[Christine Stewart]]
| post1followed = [[Denis Paradis]]
}}
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{{Chrétien Ministry}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kilgour, David}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:Canadian Presbyterians]]
[[Category:Independent MPs in the Canadian House of Commons]]
[[Category:Members of the 26th Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:Lawyers in Alberta]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Politicians from Winnipeg]]
[[Category:Politicians from Edmonton]]
[[Category:University of Manitoba alumni]]
[[Category:University of Toronto Faculty of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung disease]]
[[Category:Canadian human rights activists]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]