Robert Wilson (politician)

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Robert George Wilson (born November 2, 1934 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1975 to 1980. Subsequently, he was expelled from the Progressive Conservative Party and the legislature after being convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to seven years in prison. Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Wolseley Bob Wilson was the first and only sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba to be impeached and removed from office prior to a complete judicial process.

[edit] Early life and education

Bob Wilson was educated at Glenlawn College, Success Business College and Daniel McIntyre College. Wilson graduated with a BA in Political Studies and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Winnipeg. Wilson excelled in Diploma courses in Public Speaking and Sales Marketing.

Wilson was President of Imperial Travel in North Kildonan and Charter Organizer, tour guide to Portugal and Spain. He was elected as a founding member of the Winnipeg Convention Centre and re-appointed for three terms until he resigned in 1981. He was owner manager of Western Canada's largest bailiff industry firm in Winnipeg, Simpson & Co, (established 1922) served the legal community for over fifty years which served Bob Wilson's leadership as Chairperson of Public Accounts and guardian of the public purse. He worked as an office manager and credit management consultant during his terms in politics, and served as a board member of the Winnipeg Convention Bureau and the Winnipeg Tourist and Visitors Bureau. In federal politics he served as Mannitoba Organizer for the Hon. Paul Hellyer and was an important influence in the final voting for the Hon. Joe Clark at the 1976 Progressive Conservative leadership convention in Ottawa.

[edit] Politics

Bob Wilson was first elected to city council by defeating incumbent for 42 years NDP's Andy Robertson. The Inner-City rising influence served as a city councillor in Winnipeg from 1971 to 1975. He ran against incumbent New Democrat Bud Boyce in Winnipeg Centre in the provincial election of 1973, but lost. He was elected over Liberal candidate D'Arcy McCaffery in a 1975 by-election in Wolseley, following the resignation of former Liberal leader Izzy Asper. In defeating the replacement as Leader of the Liberal Party of Manitoba D'arcy McCaffrey QC the party never recovered its former majorities.

He was re-elected in the provincial election of 1977, defeating NDP candidate Murdoch MacKay by 74 votes. The Tories won this election, and Wilson supported the government of Sterling Lyon. MLA Bob Wilson was Consumers Affairs Critic under the Premier Ed Schreyer era. Since Bob Wilson was impeached by one term Premier Lyon before due process resulted in a permanent third place finish for the Progressive Conservative Party in Wolseley.

[edit] Scandal

In September 1979, Wilson was arrested on charges of conspiring to import and traffic marijuana. Released on bail, he continued to function as a Progressive Conservative member of the legislature until his trial was held in late 1980. An ill advised special election lead by Sterling Lyon split the Progressive Conservatives in order to punish the remaining Hon Sidney Spivak loyalists Morris McGregor and Bob Wilson. The special Wilson Bill # 3 was the first rectroactive legislation in the history of provincial politics. Mr Wilson continues his efforts to have his earned monies returned and his name cleared. His organization the Association for the Wrongfully Accused (Manitoba) hope to have the Hon. Justice Peter Cory British model adopted for the Federal Government of Canada.

On September 26, 1980, Wilson was asked not to attend any meetings and was excluded from the Progressive Conservative Party caucus until his hearing in court had taken place. He was convicted of Criminal Code of Canada charges on November 7, and sentenced to seven years in prison on November 12. Wilson was formally expelled from the Progressive Conservative caucus on November 20, 1980, and from the Progressive Conservative Party on November 28 of the same year. On December 16, 1981, the Manitoba legislature voted 47-1 to suspend Wilson from the house without pay pending a legal appeal; the sole MLA to vote against his suspension was Sidney Green. Green later represented Wilson in a famous national jury tampering by a Federal Crown and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) drug squad. The all-male jury selection resulted in reforms in jury selection in Canada.

Wilson's appeal was turned down on June 15, 1981, and he was formally expelled from the legislature on June 17, 1981. Mr Lyon's rants against a fellow caucus MLA led to a landslide defeat over the Wilson case.