Jack Ramsay (politician)

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This article refers to the Canadian politician. For the basketball coach, see Jack Ramsay.

F.J. "Jack" Ramsay Born August 23, 1937 in Biggar, Saskatchewan, is a former Reform Party of Canada member of the Canadian House of Commons Ramsay is better known for his personal problems rather than any kind of parliamentary flair. He is a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer.

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[edit] Western Canada Concept

Ramsay took over the leadership of the Western Canada Concept (WCC), a party that advocated the separation of western Canada to form an independent nation, at the end of 1982. He acted as its leader until 1987, the year he joined the Reform Party. In April 1982, the party's executive drew up a Statement of Independence which committed any future WCC government to "prepare for independence in a peaceful and democratic manner". While the WCC under Ramsay's leadership had a brief period when it pursued a Triple E Senate as an alternative to outright independence, in late 1986 Ramsay declared the WCC would revert to its Western separatist goals. Only two years after making this renewed commitment to Western separatism as WCC leader.

[edit] Reform Party

Ramsay ran as a Reform candidate in the staunch conservative riding of Crowfoot in a 1987 by-election, Ramsay did surprisingly well in the riding, coming in second to Arnold Malone. Ramsey lost by 7,685 votes, which at that time had been the narrowest margin of victory by any winner in the history of the riding. It was also the best showing of any Reform Party candidate. In the 1993 federal election, Ramsay ran again for the Reform Party. He won in part because of the collapse in support for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He was re-elected in the 1997 election.

He served as the party's Justice Critic from 1996 until 1998, and as Citizenship and Immigration Critic from 1998 until 2000.

He continued to sit as a member of the Reform Party, and its successor, the Canadian Alliance, until April 5, 2000. He sat as an "Independent Canadian Alliance" member from April 6, 2000 until June 27, 2000, at which point his membership was terminated. He sat as an independent until that Parliament was dissolved.

Ramsay ran in the 2000 federal election as an independent candidate, was defeated overwhelmingly by Kevin Sorenson, a candidate of the Canadian Alliance.

[edit] Rape charges

On November 13, 1998, Ramsay was charged with sexual assault of one woman and attempted sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl while a member of the RCMP in Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan in 1969. Ramsay claimed the crime "would never have happened" if she had not let him see her panties. Ramsay admitted that, while questioning the girl as a crime victim in 1969, he needed to know whether she understood the concept of sexual intercourse, and thus asked her to demonstrate it. Ramsay said it was when she unfastened her jeans that he caught the glimpse of her panties.

Ramsay was convicted in November 1999 of the attempted sexual assault, and was acquitted in the sexual assault trial of the other woman, however that verdict was overturned, and a new trial was ordered.

On October 26, 2001, Ramsay was handed a suspended sentence after he decided to plead guilty to indecent assault. Besides the suspended sentence, he was also given one year probation and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.

On May 26, 2002, Ramsay sued the Government of Saskatchewan for malicious prosecution. In his statement of claim, Ramsay said the RCMP and the Crown proceeded with charges against him even though they knew the woman accusing him had a history of making rape allegations against police and other public figures. He also said the crown prosecutor Robin Ritter knew one of the women lied at Ramsay's preliminary hearing but did nothing about it.


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Parliament of Canada
Preceded by
Arnold Malone		 Member of Parliament Crowfoot
1993-2000		 Succeeded by
Kevin Sorenson