| John C. Turmel | |
|---|---|
| Born | John C. Turmel February 22, 1951 Rouyn, Quebec, Canada |
| Other names | The Engineer, The Gambler, The Banking System Engineer, Bank Fighter Extraordinaire, TajProfessor, Great Canadian Gambler, KingofthePaupers |
| Occupation | Professional gambler |
| Known for | Perennial candidate for elections in Canada |
John C. Turmel (born February 22, 1951, Rouyn, Quebec, Canada[1]) is a perennial candidate for election in Canada, and according to the Guinness Book of Records holds the records for the most elections contested and for the most elections lost having contested 75 elections and lost 74. The other contest was a by-election that was pre-empted by a general election call.
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Turmel believes in Louis Even's Quebec social credit theory of monetary reform.[2] He has also campaigned for the legalization of gambling, the adoption of "Local Employment Trading Systems" (LETS) which are interest-free barter arrangements, and for the legalization of marijuana.[3] He has participated in several protests outside of Canada's major banking institutions, saying that bank interest promote poverty and starvation in the third world.[4]
Turmel, who lists his occupation as "professional gambler" known as TajProfessor or Great Canadian Gambler,[5] was active in the Social Credit Party of Canada and the Social Credit Party of Ontario in the 1980s, and founded the Christian Credit Party in the 1980s, and the Abolitionist Party of Canada in the 1990s and the Pauper Party of Ontario in 2011. He wears a trade-mark white construction helmet when campaigning, and calls himself "the Engineer". The colour of his helmet is said to not only refer to the white construction helmets worn by engineers and architects on construction sites, but also to the berets blanc (white berets), the nickname of the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, a radical monetarist faction within the Quebec social credit movement.
Turmel's grandfather, Adelard Turmel, supported the Social Credit Party of Canada from its inception in 1935, and he passed on a belief in social credit monetary theories to his descendants.[6]
Turmel describes himself as a follower of Jesus "the Nazoraean", though his beliefs are distinct from mainstream Christianity. He frequently refers to Jesus as a radical debt reformer, and often quotes the line, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors", from the Lord's Prayer (This line is usually translated as "Forgive us our trespasses" or "Forgive us our sins", which Turmel regards as a distortion of its proper meaning because Thomas 95 says: Jesus said: "If you have money, do not lend it out at interest." He has argued that Jesus died to bring salvation for mankind in this world, rather than in an afterlife.)
He has composed several poems[7] outlining his beliefs, all of which are written in doggerel verse. The following example is typical:
Turmel's brother, Raymond Turmel, has also campaigned for public office on several occasions.
Turmel received a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa in 1976 with a specialization in the Mathematics of gambling and became Teaching Assistant to Dr. Walter Schneider in the course until 1978 when he was fired for running a highly publicized Blackjack "21" game in the Faculty Club. The next year he received his first conviction for keeping a common gaming house for running Blackjack games at home. In 1981, Turmel was convicted and jailed for 21 days for keeping a gaming house and playing 21, lost the appeal but had the sentence converted to 100 hours community service playing accordion in old-age homes. In 1991, Turmel was convicted in Gatineau, Quebec, of running a common gaming house and sentenced to 4 months in jail. Before getting out after one month, Turmel ran for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality while in jail, collecting approximately 3,500 votes. In 1993, Ottawa and Ontario Provincial Police raided the private 28-table Casino Turmel in Project Robin Hood, the largest gaming house raid in Canadian history. Turmel eventually convicted and sentenced to 200 hours community service playing accordion in retirement homes
His crusade to legalize gambling and the notoriety he received as a result, combined with his family's background in social credit ideology, led Turmel to seek election at the federal level for the first time at the age of 28, as an independent candidate in Ottawa West in the May 1979 federal election in which he argued interest on money, usury, was the evil instability in financial affairs and swore to "abolish interest rates". He won 193 votes.
He ran again as an independent in the February 1980 federal election in Ottawa Centre. His application to run as a Social Credit candidate was rejected by party leader Fabien Roy. He won 64 votes. The party lost all its seats.
Because of the death of the Social Credit candidate in Frontenac riding in Quebec during the election, a by-election was held in March. When Fabien Roy accepted the nomination without a convention, Turmel ran again as an independent against the Social Credit candidate. He ran as an independent candidate in the April 13 federal by-election in London West, claiming to be interim leader of the "Ontario Social Credit Party". Turmel won 77 votes as an "independent Social Credit" candidate in a September 8 by-election in Hamilton West.
He also sought the Social Credit Party of Canada’s interim national leadership unsuccessfully at a convention in November in Calgary. Turmel opposed the appointment of Martin Hattersley as interim leader of the federal Social Credit party as being undemocratic. The party executive claimed that the party did not have sufficient funds to hold a convention.
Turmel ran for Mayor of Ottawa in November, collecting 1,928 votes. At the same time, he was a candidate in a provincial by-election in Carleton riding coming in last as the Social Credit candidate.
With grandfather Adelard, mother Therese and brother Ray Turmel in support, Turmel started picketing the Bank of Canada on every Thursday when the interest rate was set and then picketing Parliament too. This continued for 5 years until the retirement of Governor Gerald Bouey.
In the March 1981 provincial election, Turmel ran as a Social Credit candidate in Ottawa Centre, while his brother Raymond ran for the party in Ottawa South, Serge Girard, Dale Alkerton and Andrew Dynowski ran in neighbouring ridings. It was reported that he became interim leader of the Ontario Social Credit Party in early March, although it is not clear if other members of the party agreed.
In September, Turmel was a candidate in the federal by-election in Spadina riding in Toronto, collecting 98 votes. The national Social Credit party president Carl O’Malley refused to endorse a candidate on the basis that the Liberal candidate, Jim Coutts, a former adviser to Pierre Trudeau, was a personal friend. Raymond Turmel ran as an independent against O’Malley in the by-election held in Joliette, Quebec on the same day, claiming to be the "real Social Credit" candidate.
In October, the Ontario Social Credit Party conducted a leadership vote. The eleven delegates, who represented about 100 party members throughout the province, elected former Toronto mayoral candidate Anne McBride as their new interim leader in a vote of 7 to 1 with 3 spoiled ballots. One vote was cast for Bruce Arnold. Turmel, his brother Ray and their mother, Therese, wrote the word "unconstitutional" across the ballots. Turmel argued that the party was violating its constitution by holding a vote without providing four months' notice to its members. McBride was a Christian fundamentalist minister who vowed to run the party "on Christian principles".
In September, Turmel was reported to be fighting his expulsion from the federal Social Credit party, and seeking its leadership. Further, he was reported to be seeking to replace Joe Clark as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Turmel denied the report, but the journalist stood by her story.
In June 1982, Turmel returned to Hamilton West to run in a provincial by-election as a candidate of the Christian Credit Party that he had recently founded. He won 173 votes.
The Christian Credit Party was formed after the Social Credit party refused to renew the memberships of Turmel and his brother Raymond. The Turmel brothers said that they left the party because it had compromised its principles on interest rates.
He also ran for the Christian Credit Party in the September federal by-election in Broadview—Greenwood (in Toronto), winning an all-time low 16 votes. Raymond ran for the party in Leeds—Grenville in eastern Ontario.
In July, Turmel attempted to recruit members for his new party at the Social Credit national convention in Regina. In September, the party claimed to have 75 members.
In November 1982, Turmel ran for alderman in the Ottawa suburb of Gloucester, and appears to have abandoned an attempt to run in a provincial by-election in Toronto-York South. His brother, Raymond, ran for mayor of Gloucester, while their colleague Marc Gauvin ran for mayor of Ottawa.
By 1983, the Christian Credit Party appears to have died. Turmel said he disbanded his party because he realized voters would not give it a chance. "People won't vote for a new party. They've been voting for one colour all their lives. The only way to do anything is to get into a recognized party."
Turmel, with Therese and Ray, Marc and Emi Gauvin and Serge Girard picketed the Bilderberger conference held at Chateau Montebello.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the Central Nova (Nova Scotia) riding by-election in September 1983 against Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney. He claimed to be a "member of the Abolitionist wing of the PC party".
Turmel won 97 votes as a candidate in a provincial by-election in Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry, Ontario.
In the months before the 1984 federal election, Turmel attempted to take over the Ottawa branch of the fledgling Green Party of Canada by signing up new members, seeking the party’s nomination in Ottawa Centre. After the party had appointed a candidate in Ottawa Centre rather than hold nominations, Turmel claimed that it was undemocratic and called a meeting at which all Greens were invited to elect candidates to run in various Ottawa area ridings under the Green Party banner. The party rejected those nominations, and then held its own meeting to nominate new candidates.
In the election, Turmel ran as an independent against Green Party leader Trevor Hancock in Toronto—Beaches, Marc Gauvin ran in Ottawa Centre, supporter Serge Girard in Ottawa—Vanier, and John and Ray’s mother, Therese Turmel ran in Ottawa West, and Ray Turmel ran as an "independent Green" in Nepean—Carleton.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the December 13, 1984, provincial by-election in Ottawa Centre, and Serge Girard ran in Ottawa East. Turmel also ran for mayor of Ottawa.
In 1985, the Executive of the Ontario Branch of the Green Party expelled Ontario member John Turmel and Quebec member Ray Turmel.
Also in 1985, Turmel appears to have founded the "Social Credit Party of Ontario", which was not affiliated with other social credit parties. Turmel led a campaign against the practice of cheque cashing agencies that cashed social assistance (welfare) cheques at a discount to the face value. Turmel issued ID card to SA recipients and recruited local retailers to cash the cheques at no discount. The Social Credit Party of Ontario guaranteed these cheques. In November, Turmel supporter Walter McPhee ran for Ottawa mayor and Turmel for Nepean mayor. This proved to be Turmel's best performance in terms of % of the vote, as he collected 7.25% of the vote, as he was the only other candidate against mayor Ben Franklin.
Turmel ran in an April 1986 provincial by-election in Toronto-York East and an August 14 provincial by-election in Cochrane, Ontario, apparently under the "Social Credit Party of Ontario" banner.
In September, he ran as an "independent créditiste" claiming to be the heir of Réal Caouette in a federal by-election in St.-Maurice, Quebec when future federal Liberal leader Jean Chrétien resigned.
In June 1987, Turmel ran in a federal by-election in Hamilton Mountain. He was reported to be "attempting to form" an Ontario Social Credit Party.
In the autumn of 1988, Turmel ran for mayor of Ottawa, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre and Member of Provincial Parliament for Welland—Thorold in the Niagara peninsula in a November 3 provincial by-election.
Turmel founded the Abolitionist Party of Canada, which nominated 80 candidates in the 1993 federal election, one more than the Green Party of Canada.
In 1994, Turmel won over 4,500 votes running for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality, the largest number of votes in his career.
He won 46 votes as the Abolitionist Party candidate in the February 13, 1995, Ottawa—Vanier federal by-election. The party also nominated John Long in Brome—Mississquoi, Quebec, who won 15 votes.
In June 1996, Turmel ran under the Abolitionist Party of Canada banner in a Hamilton East federal by-election. One month after the Ottawa Sun announced his loss in an article headlined, "Super Loser Fails Again", the Hamilton Spectator reported that the Hamilton Self-Help Centre was starting a Hamilton LETS.
Turmel won 4,126 votes (2.5% of the total) running for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality in 1997, in which Bob Chiarelli defeated Peter Clark by 2,798 votes. Turmel won 214 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West—Nepean in the 1997 federal election. In September, Turmel won 201 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West in a provincial by-election.
Turmel ran for the board of the National Capital Freenet (ncf.ca) after the previous board reduced the number of seats from 7 to 5. He came 6th, and argues he was cheated out of the only election he ever won.
Turmel first appeared in the 1997 Guinness World Book of Records for most elections contested at 41.
he ran as an "independent Abolitionist" in a September 14, 1998, federal by-election in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
In 1999, he won 106 votes as an Abolitionist Party candidate in a March federal by-election in Windsor—St. Clair, Ontario, which was more than the margin by which Liberal candidate Rick Limoges defeated Joe Comartin of the New Democratic Party.
In 2000, Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the September Kings—Hants (Nova Scotia) federal by-election against Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark. He won 89 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West—Nepean in the November federal election. Raymond Turmel won 728 votes in Ottawa—Vanier as a candidate for the Marijuana Party of Canada; John had previously attempted to run for the party's leadership, but was blocked.
In the same year, he made a presentation to the United Nations on the interest-free UNILETS resulting in Millennium Declaration Resolution C6 to governments to use an alternative time-based currency to restructure the global financial architecture.
In 2002, Turmel attempted to run for the leadership of the Marijuana Party of Canada but the leadership election was called off after Turmel showed up to contest the election.
Turmel won 295 votes as an independent candidate in Brant riding in the 2003 October provincial election. His 56th campaign was for Mayor of Ottawa in the November 2003 municipal election, when he collected 1,166 votes.
He also tried to resurrect the Libertarian Party of Canada, but was prevented from doing so when former members re-registered the name first.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate and placed fifth with 120 votes in a May 13, 2004 provincial by-election in Hamilton East. He placed last of eight candidates as an independent candidate in the March 17, 2005 provincial by-election in Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey and placed last in Brant riding with 213 votes in the 2006 federal election.
Turmel was convicted of drug possession in March 2006, resulting from a one-man protest on Parliament Hill in Ottawa three years earlier. Turmel had taken three kilograms of marijuana to the hill, and openly smoked a joint in front of politicians and security officials. He announced plans to appeal.[9]
The conviction was rendered on the same day as a provincial by-election in Nepean—Carleton, in which Turmel was a candidate.
Turmel ran as an independent candidate in a 2008 by-election in the riding of Guelph.[10] On Monday, August 25, he disrupted a televised debate involving candidates from the four major political parties to which the other four candidates had not been invited to participate. He yelled out his objections so loudly that the moderator of the debate could not be heard. He was eventually removed from the premises (River Run Centre) by the [Guelph police].[11] The by-election was pre-empted by a federal election call in which Turmel re-filed his candidacy for the same riding – he came in tenth out of eleven candidates receiving 58 votes.
On September 10, 2009, police were called after Turmel disrupted an all-candidates meeting during the provincial by-election in Ontario's St. Paul's riding. Angry at a moderator's rule which forced residents to direct their questions at 4 of 8 candidates, thus effectively limiting his opportunity to speak, Turmel lashed out and walked around the church hall shouting at debate panelists and audience members. At one point, the debate had to pause as a group of attendees attempted a citizen's arrest. Turmel stated that he would "ruin everyone's night" because "mine was ruined".[12]
On January 13, 2010 Turmel appeared on the CBC show Dragons' Den pitching his LETS scheme.[13][14] Turmel initiated a lawsuit against the CBC as a result of the program.[15] His complaint was rejected by the Ontario Court of Appeal in July 2011.[16]
After contesting every Canadian general election from 1979 to 2008, Turmel did not contest the 2011 federal election.[17] He indicated, however, that he would be willing to serve as prime minister if offered the role by Canada's elected parliamentarians, as per William Aberhart's rise to the premiership of Alberta in 1935 if The Engineer's Dream Team of chosen other party candidates were elected.[18]
Turmel contested the 2011 Ontario provincial election as founder and leader of the newly formed Pauper Party of Ontario[20] stating "we want no cops gambling, sex or drugs or rock and roll, we want no usury on loans, pay cash or time, no dole."[21]
| Date | Level | Location | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | May 22, 1979 | Federal | Ottawa West | Independent | 193 | 0.35 |
| 2. | February 20, 1980 | Federal | Ottawa Centre | Independent | 62 | 0.13 |
| 3. | March 24, 1980 | Federal by-election | Frontenac | Independent | 101[22] | 0.31 |
| 4. | September 8, 1980 | Federal by-election | Hamilton West | Independent Social Credit | 88 | 0.28 |
| 5. | November 10, 1980 | Municipal | Ottawa | N/A | 1,928 | 2.21 |
| 6. | November 20, 1980 | Provincial by-election | Carleton | Social Credit | 95 | |
| 7. | March 19, 1981 | Provincial | Ottawa Centre | Social Credit | 376 | 1.48 |
| 8. | April 12, 1981 | Federal by-election | London West | Independent | 37 | 0.08 |
| 9. | May 4, 1981 | Federal by-election | Lévis | Independent | 172 | 0.51 |
| 10. | August 17, 1981 | Federal by-election | Spadina | Independent | 69 | 0.31 |
| 11. | June 17, 1982 | Provincial by-election | Hamilton West | Christian Credit Party | 173 | 0.75 |
| 12. | October 12, 1982 | Federal by-election | Broadview-Greenwood | Christian Credit Party | 19 | 0.07 |
| 13. | November 4, 1982 | Provincial by-election | York South | Independent | 66 | 0.27 |
| 14. | November 8, 1982 | Municipal/Alderman | Gloucester | N/A | 1,193 | 1.27 |
| 15. | August 29, 1983 | Federal by-election | Central Nova | Independent | 46 | 0.15 |
| 16. | December 15, 1983 | Provincial by-election | Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry | Independent | 97 | 0.46 |
| 17. | September 4, 1984 | Federal | Beaches | Independent | 112 | 0.31 |
| 18. | December 13, 1984 | Provincial by-election | Ottawa Centre | Independent | 90 | 0.46 |
| 19. | May 2, 1985 | Provincial | Ottawa Centre | Independent | 364 | 1.33 |
| 20. | November 12, 1985 | Municipal | Nepean | N/A | 1,405 | 7.25 |
| 21. | April 17, 1986 | Provincial by-election | York East | Social Credit Party of Ontario | 44 | 0.17 |
| 22. | August 14, 1986 | Provincial by-election | Cochrane North | Social Credit Party of Ontario | 75 | 0.74 |
| 23. | September 29, 1986 | Federal by-election | Saint-Maurice | Independent creditiste | 104 | 0.31 |
| 24. | July 20, 1987 | Federal by-election | Hamilton Mountain | Independent | 166 | 0.50 |
| 25. | September 10, 1987 | Provincial | Ottawa Centre | Independent | 598 | 2.03 |
| 26. | March 31, 1988 | Provincial by-election | London North | Independent | 115 | 0.35 |
| 27. | November 3, 1988 | Provincial by-election | Welland-Thorold | Independent | 187 | 0.65 |
| 28. | November 14, 1988 | Municipal/ Mayor | Ottawa | N/A | 3,123 | 3.88 |
| 29. | November 21, 1988 | Federal | Ottawa Centre | Independent | 152 | 0.31 |
| 30. | August 13, 1990 | Federal by-election | Oshawa | Independent | 50 | 0.20 |
| 31. | September 6, 1990 | Provincial | Ottawa Centre | Independent | 160 | 0.53 |
| 32. | December 10, 1990 | Federal by-election | York North | Independent | 97 | 0.23 |
| 33. | November 12, 1991 | Municipal/Regional Chair | Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton | N/A | 3,574 | 1.81 |
| 34. | October 23, 1993 | Federal | Frontenac | Abolitionist | 195 | 0.63 |
| 35. | December 2, 1993 | Provincial by-election | Essex South | Independent | 84 | 0.46 |
| 36. | March 17, 1994 | Provincial by-election | Victoria-Haliburton | Independent | 123 | 0.52 |
| 37. | November 14, 1994 | Municipal/Regional Chair | Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton | N/A | 4,563 | 2.35 |
| 38. | February 13, 1995 | Federal by-election | Ottawa-Vanier | Abolitionist Party | 46 | 0.23 |
| 39. | June 8, 1995 | Provincial | Ottawa Centre | Independent | 173 | 0.61 |
| 40. | March 25, 1996 | Federal by-election | Etobicoke North | Abolitionist Party | 75 | 0.28 |
| 41. | June 17, 1996 | Federal by-election | Hamilton East | Abolitionist Party | 21 | 0.08 |
| 42. | June 2, 1997 | Federal | Ottawa West-Nepean | Independent | 211 | 0.39 |
| 43. | September 4, 1997 | Provincial by-election | Ottawa West | Independent | 201 | 0.93 |
| 44. | November 10, 1997 | Municipal/Regional Chair | Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton | N/A | 4,126 | 2.50 |
| 45. | September 14, 1998 | Federal by-election | Sherbrooke | Independent Abolitionist | 97 | 0.27 |
| 46. | April 12, 1999 | Federal by-election | Windsor-St. Clair | Abolitionist Party | 106 | 0.33 |
| 47. | June 3, 1999 | Provincial | Ottawa West-Nepean | Independent | 94 | 0.20 |
| 48. | November 15, 1999 | Federal by-election | Hull-Aylmer | Independent | 51 | 0.29 |
| 49. | September 7, 2000 | Provincial by-election | Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot | Independent | 80 | 0.24 |
| 50. | September 11, 2000 | Federal by-election | Kings-Hants | Independent | 221 | 0.81 |
| 51. | November 13, 2000 | Municipal/Mayor | Ottawa | N/A | 677 | 0.27 |
| 52. | November 27, 2000 | Federal | Ottawa West-Nepean | Independent | 89 | 0.17 |
| 53. | March 22, 2001 | Provincial by-election | Parry Sound-Muskoka | Independent | 61 | 0.23 |
| 54. | May 2, 2002 | Provincial by-election | Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey | Independent | 120 | 0.37 |
| 55. | October 2, 2003 | Provincial | Brant | Independent | 295 | 0.66 |
| 56. | November 10, 2003 | Municipal/Mayor | Ottawa | N/A | 1,166 | 0.63 |
| 57. | May 13, 2004 | Provincial by-election | Hamilton East | Independent Abolitionist | 120 | 0.50 |
| 58. | June 28, 2004 | Federal | Brant | Independent | 371 | 0.69 |
| 59. | March 17, 2005 | Provincial by-election | Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey | Independent Abolitionist | 85 | 0.31 |
| 60. | January 23, 2006 | Federal | Brant | Independent | 219 | 0.36 |
| 61. | March 30, 2006 | Provincial by-election | Nepean-Carleton | Independent | 112 | 0.37 |
| 62. | September 14, 2006 | Provincial by-election | Parkdale-High Park | Independent | 77 | 0.27 |
| 63. | November 13, 2006 | Municipal/Mayor | Brantford | N/A | 226 | 0.84 |
| 64. | February 8, 2007 | Provincial by-election | Burlington | Independent | 90 | 0.40 |
| 65. | September 17, 2007 | Federal by-election | Outremont | Independent | 30[23] | 0.13 |
| 66. | October 10, 2007 | Provincial | Brant | Independent | 272[24] | 0.57 |
| 67.* | September 8, 2008 | Federal by-election | Guelph | Independent | N/A[25] | N/A |
| 68. | October 14, 2008 | Federal | Guelph | Independent | 58 | 0.10 |
| 69. | March 5, 2009 | Provincial by-election | Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock | Independent | 92 | 0.26 |
| 70. | September 17, 2009 | Provincial by-election | St. Paul's | Independent | 51 | 0.19 |
| 71. | November 9, 2009 | Federal by-election | Hochelaga | Independent | 71 | 0.39 |
| 72. | February 4, 2010 | Provincial by-election | Toronto Centre | Independent | 67 | 0.25 |
| 73. | March 4, 2010 | Provincial by-election | Ottawa West-Nepean | Independent | 230 | 0.81 |
| 74. | October 25, 2010 | Municipal/Mayor | Brantford | N/A | 61 | 0.22 |
| 75. | October 6, 2011 | Provincial | Brant | Pauper Party | 87 | 0.2 |
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