View source for Gordon Gibson Jr

{{Short description|Canadian politician (1937–2023)}}
{{about||the Australian cricketer|Gordon Gibson (cricketer)|another British Columbia politician|Gordon Lionel Gibson}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = 
| name             = Gordon Gibson
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OBC|size=100%}}
| birth_name       = Gordon Fulerton Gibson
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1937|08|23}}
| birth_place      = 
| death_date       = {{death date and age|2023|11|10|1937|08|23}}
| death_place      =
| father           = [[Gordon Gibson Sr.]]
| office1          = Leader of the [[BC United|British Columbia Liberal Party]]
| term_start1      = September 28, 1975
| term_end1        = February 19, 1979
| predecessor1     = [[David Anderson (British Columbia politician)|David Anderson]]
| successor1       = [[Jev Tothill]]
| office2          = Member of the [[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]] for [[North Vancouver-Capilano]]
| term_start2      = 1974
| term_end2        = 1979
| predecessor2     = [[David Maurice Brousson]]
| successor2       = [[Angus Creelman Ree]]
| party       = [[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Liberal Party]]
| otherparty = [[Liberal Party of Canada]]
}}

'''Gordon Fulerton Gibson''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OBC}} (August 23, 1937 – November 10, 2023), often referred to as '''Gordon Gibson Jr.''', was a Canadian author, political columnist, and politician in [[British Columbia]]. He was a [[British Columbia Liberal Party|Liberal]] member of the [[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]] from 1974 to 1979, and served as the leader of the [[BC Liberal Party]] between 1975 and 1979. He was the son of [[Gordon Gibson Sr.]], who was a prominent businessman and [[British Columbia Liberal Party|Liberal Party]] politician in British Columbia in the 1950s and 1960s.

==Education==
Gibson received a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] (honours) in mathematics and physics at the [[University of British Columbia]] and an [[Master of Business Administration|MBA]] from [[Harvard Business School]], and he did research work at the [[London School of Economics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fcpp.org/publication.php/724 |title=Conversations from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy: Gordon Gibson, Author, Columnist and Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute |date=April 5, 2004 |work=[[Frontier Centre for Public Policy]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929214811/http://www.fcpp.org/publication.php/724 |archive-date=September 29, 2011 |access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref>

==Political career==

=== Aide to [[Arthur Laing]] and [[Pierre Trudeau]] ===
Gibson worked for [[Arthur Laing]], the federal [[Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources]] and the senior cabinet minister from British Columbia in the [[19th Canadian Ministry|Pearson Ministry]], from 1963 to 1968. He became executive assistant to [[Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada|Justice Minister]] and [[1968 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election|leadership contender]] [[Pierre Trudeau]] in 1968 on the suggestion of [[Marc Lalonde]], then an advisor in Pearson's [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|Prime Minister's Office (PMO)]] and later [[Principal Secretary (Canada)|Principal Secretary]] to Trudeau, and joined PMO upon Trudeau's appointment as [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/nrm_news_releases/2002AG0089-001026-Attachment1.htm |title=Gordon Gibson |date=September 20, 2002 |work=[[Attorney General of British Columbia|Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia]] |publisher=[[Government of British Columbia]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021223030356/http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/nrm_news_releases/2002AG0089-001026-Attachment1.htm |archive-date=December 23, 2002 |access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref> He was known to be one of few who could get Trudeau to consider western Canada perspectives on issue. 

=== Unsuccessful bids for the House of Commons ===
Gibson contested his first election in the [[1972 Canadian federal election|1972 federal election]], running as the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] candidate in [[Vancouver South (federal electoral district)|Vancouver South]] to succeed his former boss Laing, but lost to [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] candidate [[John Allen Fraser|John Fraser]] by 3,000 votes.

After a stint as a provincial legislator and party leader, Gibson ran again for a seat in the federal House of Commons, in the riding of [[North Vancouver—Burnaby]]. He was defeated in both the [[1979 Canadian federal election|1979]] and [[1980 Canadian federal election|1980 federal elections]] by Progressive Conservative candidate [[Chuck Cook]] by less than 1,500 votes on each attempt.

=== BC Liberal MLA and Leadership ===
In 1974, Gibson ran in a provincial by-election as a [[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Liberal]] in the riding of [[North Vancouver-Capilano]] upon the resignation of incumbent Liberal MLA [[David Maurice Brousson]]. During BC Liberals' long period of wilderness between the collapsed of the Liberal-PC Coalition in [[1952 British Columbia general election|1952]] and its [[2001 British Columbia general election|2001]] return to government, North Vancouver was one of the very rare spot where it had residual electoral strength. [[Gordon Gibson Sr.|Gibson's father]] and party leader [[Ray Perrault]] held the duo seat between [[1960 British Columbia general election|1960]] and 1966. Brousson won three elections with comfortable margin. However with the continual declined of both the BC Liberals and Progressive Conservatives as centrist options, Gibson won the seat with a margin of only 57 votes out of 15,222 valid ballots, a margin smaller than the number of rejected ballots. 

Three months before [[1975 British Columbia general election|1975 election]], three Liberal MLAs, including former leader [[Pat McGeer]] and future [[Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia|lieutenant governor]] [[Garde Gardom]], defected to the [[British Columbia Social Credit Party|Social Credit Party]], leaving Gibson and party leader [[David Anderson (British Columbia politician)|David Anderson]] as the only two Liberals in the legislature. Anderson declined to be renominated to the leadership, and Gibson was approached to lead the party into the election. Just over a month before the election call on September 28, Gibson was acclaimed as leader, again following the footstep of his former boss Authur Laing. Given the party's disarray, voters abandoned the party en masse. For the first time in the province's history Liberals received less than 10% of the popular vote. That election saw former leader Anderson going down in defeat, and [[List of mayors of Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey Mayor]] [[Bill Vander Zalm]], who Anderson defeated in the 1972 leadership contest, securing his first victory at the provincial level and immediately elevated to cabinet, commencing his long march toward the Premier's chair. As the only Liberal in the legislature, Gibson remained party leader until 1979, when he resigned to seek a federal seat again.
=== Bid to reclaim leadership ===
Gibson attempted to return to politics as a candidate in a contest colloquially referred to as the "Battle of the Three Gordons", the 1993 [[British Columbia Liberal Party leadership elections#1993 leadership challenge|B.C. Liberal leadership challenge]] to incumbent leader [[Gordon Wilson (British Columbia politician)|Gordon Wilson]] after an extramarital affair between him and caucus member [[Judi Tyabji]] came to light. Gibson's campaign was dealt a fatal blow just over a month before the vote, when [[List of mayors of Vancouver|Vancouver Mayor]] [[Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)|Gordon Campbell]]'s supporters mobilized and successfully secured approval, by a single vote out of close to 700 cast, for a proposal to change the leadership election process from one where all electoral districts would have equal weight, to one where all member votes are counted with equal weight. Campbell was already seen as the front runner prior to that change, but a Gibson win remained a possibility given the broad respect he commanded among long-time members across the province. The amendment made Campbell's lead prohibitive given the large number of members recruited in Vancouver the political machine he headed as mayor, as evident by the swollen membership roll of 15,000. Campbell easily defeated Gibson on the first ballot by a margin of 63% to 24%, with incumbent leader Wilson securing only 8%. Campbell was the only BC Liberals leader elected where all votes are count equal. The party soon reverted back to a system where with equal weights for all electoral districts.

==Post-political career==
Gibson largely stayed out of partisan politics after the 1993 leadership bid, even when his immediate family members played prominent roles in the [[Liberal Party of Canada|federal Liberal Party]] or the Vancouver municipal party [[Non-Partisan Association]]. He called himself non-partisan in a 2018 column, and have remained active and visible through public policy commentary throughout his retirement years.

Gibson was a senior fellow in Canadian Studies at the [[Fraser Institute]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fraserinstitute.org/profile/gordon-gibson |title=Gordon Gibson |date=September 29, 2009 |publisher=[[Fraser Institute]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803224354/https://fraserinstitute.org/profile/gordon-gibson |archive-date=August 3, 2023 |access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref> and has written several books on [[Canadian federalism]] and governance. Following the [[2001 British Columbia general election|2001 British Columbia provincial election]], he was hired by the government to make recommendations on the structure and mandate of the [[Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform (British Columbia)|Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform]]. His report was substantially adopted. He also wrote extensively and critically about the Indian Act and first nation reserve system it created, calling it "both a fortress and a prison" and was critical about the policies guiding ongoing modern treaties negotiations.

His columns appeared frequently in the ''[[Vancouver Sun]]'',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/topic.html?t=Person&q=Gordon+Gibson |title=Gordon Gibson |url-status=dead |work=[[Vancouver Sun]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918063152/http://www.vancouversun.com/news/topic.html?t=Person&q=Gordon+Gibson |archive-date=September 18, 2018 |access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref> the ''[[Winnipeg Free Press]]'' and ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/yankee-protectionism-this-time-dressed-in-green/article1206793/ |title=Yankee protectionism, this time dressed in green |date=December 7, 2009 |last=Gibson |first=Gordon |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307040440/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/yankee-protectionism-this-time-dressed-in-green/article1206793/ |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref>

== Personal ==
Gibson was first married to Valerie Gauthier, with who he had three children before their divorce. 

His second marriage was with Kilby Tobin, with whom he had two daughters. Kilby died in 2009.

He was married to Jane Baynham at this death.  Gibson died on November 10, 2023, at the age of 86.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gordon Gibson |url=https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/gordon-gibson-obituary?id=53621479 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |via=[[Legacy.com]] |access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vaughn-palmer-gordon-gibson-jr-was-a-strong-and-independent-voice |title=Vaughn Palmer: Gordon Gibson Jr. was a strong and independent voice |date=November 17, 2023 |last=Palmer |first=Vaughn |work=[[Vancouver Sun]] |access-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref> Suffering from [[heart failure]] from early 2023, he opted for [[Euthanasia in Canada|medical assistance in dying]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Andrew |title=B.C. Liberal Gordon Gibson was a formidable presence in Canada's political life |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-bc-liberal-gordon-gibson-was-a-formidable-presence-in-canadas/ |access-date=December 26, 2023 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226210609/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-bc-liberal-gordon-gibson-was-a-formidable-presence-in-canadas/ |archive-date=December 26, 2023 |date=December 26, 2023}}</ref>

==Honours==
In May 2008, Gibson was awarded the [[Order of British Columbia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orderofbc.gov.bc.ca/members/obc-2008/2008-gordon-gibson/ |title=2008 Recipient: Gordon F. Gibson – Vancouver |publisher=[[Government of British Columbia]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602162812/https://orderofbc.gov.bc.ca/members/obc-2008/2008-gordon-gibson/ |archive-date=June 2, 2023 |access-date=2014-01-10}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
{{CANelec/top|CA|1972|Vancouver South|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|[[John Allen Fraser]]|17,762|40.03|+16.29}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Gordon Gibson|14,549|32.79|-16.47}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Roger Howard|11,145|25.12|+2.47}}
{{CANelec|CA|Social Credit|Tony Jefferson|765|1.72|-2.23}}
{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Sean Griffin|102|0.23|&ndash;}}
{{CANelec|CA|Independent|Rick Hundal|44|0.10|&ndash;}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|44,367|100.0 &nbsp;}}
{{CANelec/gain|CA|PC|Liberal|+16.38}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|BC|1974|North Vancouver-Capilano|percent=yes|by=yes}}
{{CANelec|BC|Liberal|Gordon Fulerton Gibson|4,736|31.11}}
{{CANelec|BC|Social Credit|Ronald Clayton Andrews|4,679|30.74}}
{{CANelec|BC|Progressive Conservative|Peter Stewart Hyndman|3,151|20.70}}
{{CANelec|BC|NDP|Diane Mackenzie Baigent|2,637|17.32}}
{{CANelec|BC|Christian Democratic|Norman Gareth Dent|19|0.13}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|BC|1975|North Vancouver-Capilano|percent=yes}}
{{CANelec|BC|Liberal|Gordon Fulerton Gibson|8,836|44.74}}
{{CANelec|BC|Social Credit|Ronald Clayton Andrews|8,530|43.19}}
{{CANelec|BC|NDP|Michael Ian Copes|2,393|12.07}}
{{end}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|1979|North Vancouver—Burnaby|percent=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|[[Chuck Cook]]|16,545|38.18}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Gordon F. Gibson|14,377|33.18}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|Russ Hicks|12,084|27.89}}
{{CANelec|CA|Social Credit|Poldi Meindl|188|0.43}}
{{CANelec|CA|Communist|Eric H. Waugh|92|0.21}}
{{CANelec|CA|Independent|A. Neila Taylor|29|0.07}}
{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Kitti Hundal|20|0.05}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|43,335|100.0 &nbsp;}}
{{CANelec/note|<small>This riding was created from parts of [[Burnaby—Seymour]] and [[Capilano (electoral district)|Capilano]], which elected a Liberal and a Progressive Conservative, respectively, in the previous election.</small>}}
{{end}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|1980|North Vancouver—Burnaby|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|CA|PC|[[Chuck Cook]]|16,774|38.10|-0.08}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Gordon F. Gibson|15,307|34.77|+1.59}}
{{CANelec|CA|NDP|[[Jack Woodward]]|11,820|26.85|-1.04}}
{{CANelec|CA|Social Credit|Poldi Meindl|88|0.20|-0.23}}
{{CANelec|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Kitti Hundal|38|0.09|+0.04}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|44,027|100.0 &nbsp;}}
{{CANelec/hold|CA|PC|-0.84}}
{{end}}

==Writings==
*''A New Look at Canadian Indian Policy: Respect the Collective - Promote the Individual'' (2009). {{ISBN|978-0-88975-243-6}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Gordon}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Leaders of BC United]]
[[Category:BC United MLAs]]
[[Category:Canadian columnists]]
[[Category:Harvard Business School alumni]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1972 Canadian federal election]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1979 Canadian federal election]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 1980 Canadian federal election]]
[[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of British Columbia]]
[[Category:University of British Columbia alumni]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons]]
[[Category:Deaths by euthanasia]]
[[Category:British Columbia candidates for Member of Parliament]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]]