David Sweet

For other people named David Sweet, see David Sweet (disambiguation).
David S. Sweet
MP
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale
Incumbent
Assumed office
2006
Preceded by Russ Powers
Personal details
Born June 24, 1957
Kingston, Ontario
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Almut Sweet
Residence Hamilton, Ontario
Profession business consultant, real estate broker

David S. Sweet (born June 24, 1957 in Kingston, Ontario) is a Canadian politician who began serving his first term of office in January 2006. He is a former CEO of Promise Keepers Canada.[1]

Political career

In 2004, he defeated sitting Liberal-turned-Conservative MP John Bryden for the Conservative Party nomination in the riding of Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale. In the 2004 election, Sweet placed second to former Hamilton city councillor Russ Powers (Liberal). In the January 2006 election, he defeated Powers.

On June 22, 2006, Sweet obtained the unanimous consent of the House of Commons for a motion awarding honorary Canadian citizenship to the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso.[2] Tenzin Gyatso was the 3rd person to receive such an honor by the House of Commons after Nelson Mandela in 2001.

Sweet makes an annual Members Statement in the House of Commons each June to recognize Scleroderma Month in Canada, saying on June 1, 2006,[3]"If there is a note of passion in my voice, it is because my own family has had to deal with the devastating effects of scleroderma. My mother passed away from complications of this disease and cancer." The environment,[4] Veterans Week[5] and seniors[6] have been among the other topics addressed by Sweet in the House of Commons.

On February 10, 2011, Sweet introduced a Private Member's Bill, Bill C-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement)[7] which was debated only once, on March 23, 2011,[8] before the 40th Parliament was dissolved for the 2011 General Election.

Sweet is chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, a role he has held since September 30, 2010. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the Canadian Parliamentary Committee to Combat Antisemitism Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (CPCCA). He also served on the CPCCA's Inquiry Panel which released a public report on July 7, 2011. . In November 2012, Sweet received the 2012 Humanitarian Award from the Hamilton Jewish Federation for his work on CPCCA and in speaking out against racism.

Sweet has served on three Parliamentary Committees: The Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the Public Accounts Committee and the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. On February 17, 2009 he was elected Chair of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which he served on since he was elected in 2006. Sweet also served as Vice-Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.[9]

Sweet voted to reopen the issue of same-sex marriage on December 16, 2006 in order to "restore the traditional definition of marriage".[10]

During his tenure, Sweet has presented a number of petitions to Parliament on varied topics. On May 14, 2009, Sweet presented two petitions to the House of Commons. "Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions I would like to table. The first on employment insurance. Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from 200 individuals asking the government to recognize its obligations under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and to particularly focus on the right to life. Since 1969 there has been no law to limit abortion in Canada. They are asking the government to enact legislation to the protect the life of the unborn."[11] On October 26, 2009, Sweet presented the House with a petition of 100 signatures, including constituents. "Mr. Speaker, I have a petition here signed by 100 signatories who want to draw the attention of the House to the fact that there has been no legislation regarding abortion and life for the last 40 years. They would like to draw the attention of the House to the fact that legislation is needed in order to protect life from the time of conception until natural death. It is my pleasure to present this to the House."[12]

Electoral record

Canadian federal election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
ConservativeDavid Sweet 26,297 46.5% +7.4% $69,185
LiberalArlene MacFarlane-VanderBeek 15,322 27.1% -7.4% $42,231
New DemocraticGordon Guyatt 9,632 17.0% -4.3% $44,859
GreenPeter Ormond 5,149 9.1% +4.7% $21,445
Marxist–LeninistJamilé Ghaddar 148 0.3% +0.1%
Total number of valid votes 56,548 99.7%
Rejected ballots 170 0.3%
Total number of votes 56,718 100%
Canadian federal election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
ConservativeDavid Sweet 24,530 39.1% +4.5%
LiberalRuss Powers 21,656 34.5% -5.2%
New DemocraticGordon Guyatt 13,376 21.3% +0.4%
GreenDavid Januczkowski 2,767 4.4% -0.4%
IndependentBen Cowie 303 0.5% -
Marxist–LeninistJamilé Ghaddar 112 0.2% -
Total number of valid votes 62,744 99.9%
Rejected ballots 175 0.1%
Total number of votes 62,919 100%
Canadian federal election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalRuss Powers 21,935 39.7%
ConservativeDavid Sweet 19,135 34.6%
New DemocraticGordon Guyatt 11,557 20.9%
GreenDavid Januczkowski 2,636 4.8%
Total number of valid votes 55,263 99.5%
Rejected ballots 252 0.5%
Total number of votes 55,515 100%

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "4,000 Promise Keepers vow to be better Christian men", Hamilton Spectator, 24 September 2001, A8.
  2. ↑ http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?pub=hansard&mee=46&parl=39&ses=1&language=E&x=1#T1505 |chapter-url= missing title (help). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 2006-06-22.
  3. ↑ http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2239731&Language=E&Mode=2&Parl=39&Ses=1
  4. ↑ http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2286704&Language=E&Mode=2&Parl=39&Ses=1, http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2644301&Language=E&Mode=2&Parl=39&Ses=1, http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3005880&Language=E&Mode=2&Parl=39&Ses=1
  5. ↑ http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2502857&Language=E&Mode=2&Parl=39&Ses=1
  6. ↑ http://parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=2&Parl=41&Ses=1&DocId=5108140#T1410
  7. ↑ http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=4947748&Language=E&Mode=2&Parl=40&Ses=3
  8. ↑ http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5063137&Language=E&Mode=2&Parl=40&Ses=3
  9. ↑ "39th Parliament, 2nd Session Committee Memberships". Parliament of Canada.
  10. ↑
  11. ↑
  12. ↑

External links