Blair MacLean

For the Canadian comedian, see MacLean & MacLean.

Blair MacLean is a Canadian politician. He has campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons on two occasions, for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Conservative Party of Canada.

Early life

MacLean was born in Ottawa, Ontario, moved to Kingston as a child, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Queen's University in 1974.[1] MacLean worked with his father in the firm of John B. MacLean Real Estate Broker after graduating, and was an executive assistant to provincial cabinet minister Keith Norton during the 1980s.[2]

He is a communications consultant and longtime party organizer, and has volunteered for groups such as the Community Foundation, the Salvation Army and the Arthritis Society.[3]

Elective career

He campaigned for the provincial Kingston and the Islands Progressive Conservative nomination for the 1987 provincial election, but left the contest before the nomination meeting when he realized he could not win.[4] He also sought the federal Progressive Conservative nomination for the 1993 election, but was not successful.[5] MacLean was a frequent columnist for the Kingston Whig-Standard newspaper in the 1990s, and often wrote columns supporting the provincial government of Mike Harris and opposing local Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Milliken.[6]

He sought the federal Progressive Conservative nomination to face Milliken in 1997, but lost to former mayor Helen Cooper.[7] In 1998, he was the local organizer for Joe Clark's bid to lead the federal PCs.[8]

MacLean won the federal Progressive Conservative nomination for the 2000 federal election, defeating Hans Westenberg.[9] He finished second against Milliken in the general election. In 2003, he supported Peter Mackay's bid to succeed Clark as party leader.[10]

After being chosen as federal PC leader, Peter Mackay led his party into a merger with the Canadian Alliance as the Conservative Party of Canada. MacLean supported the merger, and defeated Stephen Taylor and Ron Turley to win the new party's nomination for the 2004 election.[11] He finished second against Milliken with 12,582 votes (23.12%).

MacLean sought the Conservative nomination again for the 2006 campaign, but withdrew a week before the nomination.[12]

References

  1. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 25 October 2000
  2. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard 23 March 1987
  3. ^ CBC Canada Votes
  4. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 30 March 1987
  5. ^ Globe and Mail, 10 May 1993
  6. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 15 April and 17 July 1995
  7. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 17 February 1997
  8. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 16 September 1998
  9. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 25 October 2000
  10. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 5 April 2003
  11. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 23 May 2004
  12. ^ Kingston Whig-Standard, 16 May 2005