Keith Brown (Ontario politician)

Keith Brown (born November 7, 1926) is a retired businessperson and politician in the Canadian province of Ontario. He was a Progressive Conservative Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1959 to 1967.

Private life and career

Brown was born in Bonarlaw, Ontario. He is a member of the United Church of Canada and a freemason. He has owned several businesses in Peterborough, including a car dealership and a property development company.^[1]

Political career

Brown was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1959 general election, winning by a significant margin in Peterborough. He was re-elected in 1963 and stood down in 1967, citing business pressure.^[2] The Progressive Conservatives held a majority government in the legislature throughout this period, and Brown served as a backbench supporter of the Leslie Frost and John Robarts administrations.

Brown served as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House (i.e., Deputy Speaker) for a period in the 1960s. On one occasion, he was the target of a motion of non-confidence by the opposition.^[3] He was later the campaign manager for Sam Murphy in the 1967 election; Murphy was defeated by New Democratic Party candidate Walter Pitman.^[4]

During the 1967 election, a controversy arose over property that Brown had purchased for $85,000 in 1964 and sold for $210,000 in early 1967. The Ontario Housing Corporation (OHC) expressed interest in the land shortly thereafter, and some reports suggested the possibility of an improper relationship between Brown, the subsequent landowners, and the OHC. Brown dismissed this, saying that he was uninvolved in the OHC proposal and that in light of later developments his selling price had been too low.^[5] Trade and Development Minister Stanley Randall later confirmed that Brown had not been involved in the OHC's discussions and described the accusations against him as "wholly unreasonable and completely unwarranted."^[6]

Recent years

Brown's automobile firm gave financial support to Chris Stockwell in his bid to succeed Mike Harris as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in the party's 2002 leadership election.^[7] His son-in-law, Daryl Bennett, was elected as the mayor of Peterborough in 2010; Brown was in attendance for the campaign launch.^[8]

Electoral record

References

1. ^ Brendan Wedley, "Men who would be mayor: Bennett, Peterborough Examiner, 2010, accessed 13 November 2010; Jack Marchen, "'The Taxi Guy with the taxi cap,'" Peterborough Examiner, 3 August 2004, C1; "Del Mastro is a family affair," Peterborough This Week, 16 March 2005, p. 18.
2. ^ Scott Young, "The snowballing effect (in dollars) of buying and selling a piece of land," Globe and Mail, 11 October 1967, p. 7.
3. ^ "Inexperienced but still right, Chairman says," Globe and Mail, 23 March 1962, p. 5; "Ask the Premier," Globe and Mail, 13 February 1963, p. 4.
4. ^ John Dafoe, "Two ministers lose seats," Globe and Mail, 18 October 1967, p. 1.
5. ^ Scott Young, "The snowballing effect (in dollars) of buying and selling a piece of land," Globe and Mail, 11 October 1967, p. 7.
6. ^ James MacKenzie, "Minister clears ex-MPP in OHC land deal," Globe and Mail, 20 July 1968, p. 5.
7. ^ Chris Stockwell: Statement of Campaign Period Income and Expenses (2002 leadership election), Elections Ontario, accessed 13 November 2010. Keith Brown Car-Truck Rentals Limited donated five hundred dollars to Stockwell's campaign.
8. ^ Brendan Wedley, "Bennett touts leadership," Peterborough Examiner, 2010, accessed 13 November 2010.