David Wilkins

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David H. Wilkins

David Horton Wilkins (born October 12, 1946) is a former South Carolina politician and an American diplomat. He is accredited as the current United States Ambassador to Canada. Prior to the appointment, he was the Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

The son of William Walter and Evelyn Wilkins of South Carolina, Wilkins was first elected to the state legislature in 1981. He is a Republican, and is reputed to be a close friend of U.S.President George W. Bush. He served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army in the early 1970s.

On April 4, 2005, CBC News reported that he would be chosen as the new U.S. ambassador to Canada, replacing Paul Cellucci. President Bush officially nominated him for the post on April 27, and he formally became U.S. Ambassador to Canada on June 29 when he presented his credentials to Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. The Associated Press reported that before his appointment, Wilkins had only been to Canada once, while he was in the U.S. Army Reserve three decades prior.

David H. Wilkins was elected by Clemson University to a life trustees seat on its 13 member board on March 28, 2007. Wilkins had attended Clemson on a tennis scholarship, graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in 1968 and received his law degree from University of South Carolina. After service in the Army, he returned to Greenville, where he practiced law for more than 30 years. Wilkins has served on Clemson University's board of visitors, was awarded an honorary doctorate of humanities from Clemson in 2003, and has earned the Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award.

1 State Legislator
2 Ambassador to Canada
3 Rendition controversy
4 References
5 External links

[edit] State Legislator

In his 25 years in the Legislature, David Wilkins was on the cutting-edge of most major reform legislation including South Carolina’s historic ethics bill and the Education Accountability Act. Wilkins played a key role in the relocation of the Confederate flag from the State Capitol Building. In a late night speech to his colleagues on the House floor Wilkins said:

This is a defining moment in our state’s history. Future generations will judge us by what we do -- or fail to do -- at this pivotal moment. Our decision is that important. This is not about winning or losing. Nor is it about a Republican solution or a Democratic solution. It's about the right solution. It's not about fixing the blame for the past. It's about fixing the problem at hand. This is an emotional issue for all of us. I've been threatened. My wife has been threatened. I will not be bullied anymore!
- Speaker David H. Wilkins, May 11, 2000

As Speaker he also played a key role in banning video gambling from South Carolina and worked to prevent a state lottery.

Under his watch, the state adopted the Martin Luther King, Junior holiday. A staunch Republican, Wilkins was widely respected by members of both political parties for being fair and even-handed in running the House. While the country experienced a severe economic downturn during Wilkins’ years as speaker, he refused to raise taxes and as a result, South Carolina was one of only a handful of states that did not raise taxes during the recession of the 1990s.

Throughout his distinguished career, Wilkins has received numerous awards including the 2004 Excellence in State Legislative Leadership Award from the National Conference of State Legislatures. In naming Wilkins for this prestigious national award, his staunch position for relocating the Confederate flag was cited as well as his refusal to cancel a national conference in the wake of the 9-11 terror attacks:

It was September 13, 2001 and I was on the phone talking to Speaker David Wilkins, the newly elected president of the National Speakers Conference. On the phone also with us were about a dozen other House Speakers. The following weekend we were scheduled to convene the annual meeting of the NSC and well over 40 speakers and chiefs of staff and guests were signed up to attend. But the question that day on everyone’s mind was, “what’s next?” “Do we go ahead or do we cancel?” We all remember those days of shock and disbelief and then supreme anger. It was a brief conversation. I put the question out there and Speaker Wilkins took charge in unequivocal terms. ‘Let’s do it, I’m not going to let any damn terrorists dictate to me.’ This is a time for all of us to pull together.’ This is the David Wilkins I know and have come to respect and admire over the years.
- Stephen G. Lakis,National Conference of State Legislatures Annual Meeting Luncheon Honoring Speaker David H. Wilkins, July 22, 2004

Wilkins has been named Outstanding Legislator of the Year by a wide range of organizations. He was past President of the National Speakers’ Association and past chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference.

A strong supporter of President George W. Bush, Wilkins served as state chairman of the Bush–Cheney ’04 campaign and as co-chair of the campaign in 2000. He was appointed by the President to the Board of Visitors to the United States Academy at West Point in 2002.

A native of Greenville, South Carolina, David Wilkins graduated from Greenville High School and received his undergraduate degree from Clemson University and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. After service in the Army, he returned to Greenville where he practiced law for more than 30 years.

David and his wife Susan have two sons – James and Robert. Both are married and work in Greenville, South Carolina.

[edit] Ambassador to Canada

The Wilkins arrived in Canada in June 2005 and quickly got to work listening to and learning from Canadians. In less than nine months on the job, the Ambassador had traveled to every province and territory in Canada.

Upon his arrival in Canada, the Ambassador immediately pledged his steadfast commitment to “strengthening the ties that bind our two great nations.” There is tangible evidence that his engaging personality and Southern charm are having a positive impact. Two recent polls (Woodrow Wilson Institute and GlobeScan survey) both show Canadians feel more warmly about their neighbors to the south than they did at the same time last year.

Indeed, in the 20 months the Ambassador has been on the job, the top irritant between the nations – softwood lumber – has been resolved, despite protests by the Canadian lumber industry.

David Wilkins is a strong advocate for his country's positions. The United States has long maintained, for example, that the Northwest Passage is a strait used for international navigation, despite being Canadian territory. Under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention this means that all ships and aircraft enjoy the right of transit passage.

Ambassador Wilkins will serve in Canada until the end of President Bush’s term in 2008. He is frequently named as a potential candidate for governor of South Carolina in the next election. He has given no indication of future plans.

[edit] Rendition controversy

On September 18, 2005, in an interview with the Canadian Press, Wilkins was asked whether the United States regretted "rendering" innocent Canadian Maher Arar to Syria, where he was tortured.^[1]

"You talking about regrets by the United States?" Wilkins said in an interview with the Canadian Press. "The United States made that decision based on the facts it had, in the best interests of the people of the United States, and we stand behind it." He also said: "Will there be other deportations in the future? I'd be surprised if there's not."

Wilkins seemed unfamiliar with The Monterey Accord, which Canadian politicians had assured Canadians would preclude a repeat of Arar's rendition and torture.

The Canadian government has publicly apologized for the wrongful detention and treatment of Arar and paid him $10 million in compensation.

Stockwell Day (Canadian Minister of Public Safety) has repeatedly asked for the reason Arar was extradited, the U.S. has ignored Day and refuses to answer the question.

The United States refusal to participate in the inquiry was front page news in Canada and works further to frustrate Canadians.