John Duncan (Canadian politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = John Duncan

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|size=100%}}

| image =

| office = Chief Government Whip

| primeminister = Stephen Harper

| term_start = July 15, 2013

| term_end = 4 August 2015

| predecessor = Gordon O'Connor

| successor = Andrew Leslie

| office2 = Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

| primeminister2 = Stephen Harper

| term_start2 = August 6, 2010

| term_end2 = February 15, 2013

| predecessor2 = Chuck Strahl

| successor2 = James Moore

| parliament3 = Canadian

| riding3 = Vancouver Island North
{{small|(North Island—Powell River; 1993–1997)}}

| term_start3 = October 25, 1993

| term_end3 = January 23, 2006

| predecessor3 = Ray Skelly

| successor3 = Catherine J. Bell

| term_start4 = October 14, 2008

| term_end4 = October 19, 2015

| predecessor4 = Catherine J. Bell

| successor4 = Rachel Blaney

| birth_name = John Morris Duncan

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|12|19}}

| birth_place = Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Conservative

| portfolio =

| profession = Forestry

| residence = Courtenay, British Columbia

}}

John Morris Duncan {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} (born December 19, 1948) is a Canadian politician. He served as a Member of the Parliament of Canada from 1993 to January 2006 and again from October 2008 until August 2015. On August 6, 2010, he was appointed to the Canadian Cabinet as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency until his resignation on February 15, 2013 over his inappropriate written communication to the Tax Court of Canada.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/aboriginal-affairs-minister-john-duncan-resigns-from-cabinet-1.1301619|title=Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan resigns from cabinet|work=CBC News|date=February 15, 2013|access-date=2015-06-29}} He later returned to Cabinet as Chief Government Whip, and served in that capacity until the 2015 election, which saw both Duncan's own defeat and the defeat of the government.

Education

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in British Columbia, Duncan attended the University of British Columbia and graduated with a B.Sc. F from their Faculty of Forestry in 1972. Duncan's first experience as an elected official was as an alderman in Ucluelet, British Columbia from 1982 to 1983.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news2/canadavotes/riding/300/candidate.html|title=Canada Votes 2008 – Vancouver Island North|work=CBC News|access-date=2015-06-29}}

Entrance to politics

In the 1993 election, Duncan was elected as a member of the Reform Party. He has served in all that party's incarnations up until the 2006 federal election, when he lost his seat to Catherine J. Bell of the New Democratic Party by 630 votes.

Duncan was the Conservative Party's Official Opposition Critic for Natural Resources. During that time he served on the Natural Resources Committee. He helped shape Conservative Party policy on west coast offshore oil and gas, softwood lumber trade and the pine beetle epidemic.

While in parliament, he was a member of the "Restaurant Caucus" in the House of Commons, a group of MPs who have interests in the restaurant industry.

Duncan's Private Member's Bill C - 259 passed the 38th Parliament to receive Royal Assent to eliminate the excise tax on jewelry. Duncan made parliamentary history as the first MP to have a Private Member's bill related to cutting taxation pass.

He won the Vancouver Island North Conservative Party nomination for the 2008 federal election and was elected with 45.78% of the vote.

On December 2, 2008, the New Democratic Party asked the RCMP to investigate John Duncan's alleged secret recording of a private NDP conference. He had apparently received the invitation to participate by mistake, in place of NDP MP Linda Duncan who had "a similar email address".{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/comoxvalleyecho/news/story.html?id=f439f25e-207a-4d6b-b3a3-f89b31d9e035|title=North Vancouver Island MP John Duncan accused of taping NDP caucus call|work=CanWest News|date=December 2, 2008|access-date=2015-06-29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150917103617/http://www.canada.com/comoxvalleyecho/news/story.html?id=f439f25e-207a-4d6b-b3a3-f89b31d9e035|archive-date=September 17, 2015}}[http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/35389534.html Duncan accused by NDP]. BCLocalNews. December 2, 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206090350/http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/35389534.html |date=December 6, 2008 }} This happened within the context of the 2008–09 Canadian parliamentary dispute.

On August 6, 2010, in a minor cabinet shuffle, he joined cabinet as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/b-c-s-duncan-named-indian-affairs-minister-1.896875|title=B.C.'s Duncan named Indian Affairs minister|work=CBC News|date=August 6, 2010|access-date=2015-06-29}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/3642/|title=Indigenous leaders, activists raise concerns about John Duncan's track record}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/john-baird-says-he-ll-be-a-pussycat-in-new-post-1.539793|title=John Baird says he'll be a 'pussycat' in new post|work=CTV News|date=August 6, 2010|access-date=2018-05-11}}

Under the Harper government, several key bills with a direct effect on aboriginal communities have stalled. As a result, First Nations across Canada have embarked on a widespread and prolonged series of demonstrations under the banner of "Idle No More". In addition, Attawapiskat chief Theresa Spence began a fast in December 2012 to demand a meeting with Harper and a Crown representative.

In response, Duncan wrote to Spence requesting she give up her hunger strike and meet with him. "I didn't ask for Minister Duncan," Spence replied. "And I have dealt with him before. When I observe him, he doesn't have a mind of his own because, before he would answer a question, he would always look at his people. He's not the Prime Minister."{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/as-protests-swell-attawapiskat-chief-stands-firm-on-hunger-strike/article6734968/|title=As protests swell, Attawapiskat chief stands firm on hunger strike|work=The Globe and Mail|date=December 26, 2012|access-date=2015-06-29}}

On February 15, 2013, he resigned from his cabinet position as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development after improperly advocating to a tax court on behalf of a constituent in June 2011,{{cite web|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/393571/john-duncan-resigns-as-minister-of-aboriginal-affairs-over-2011-reference-letter/|title=John Duncan resigns as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs over 2011 reference letter|work=Global News|date=February 15, 2013|access-date=2015-06-29}} and was replaced by James Moore.{{cite web|title=James Moore the right man for the job as aboriginal affairs minister, fellow MP says|url=https://vancouversun.com/life/James+Moore+right+aboriginal+affairs+minister+fellow+says/7973632/story.html|work=The Vancouver Sun|access-date=16 February 2013}} He returned to cabinet in the more junior role as Minister of State and Chief Government Whip in July 2013.{{cite web|url=http://o.canada.com/news/national/stephen-harpers-new-cabinet-features-new-blood-more-women-and-maintains-economic-team|title=Stephen Harper's new cabinet features new blood, more women and maintains economic team|work=Ottawa Citizen|date=July 15, 2013|access-date=2015-06-29}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/harper-adds-8-new-faces-in-major-cabinet-shakeup-1.1307385|title=Harper adds 8 new faces in major cabinet shakeup|work=CBC News|date=July 15, 2013|access-date=2015-06-29}}

In the 2015 Canadian federal election, Duncan sought reelection in the newly created riding of Courtenay—Alberni, but was defeated by Gord Johns of the NDP.

Electoral record

{{CANelec/top|CA|2011|Vancouver Island North|percent=yes|change=yes}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|2008|Vancouver Island North|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|John Duncan|26,166|45.78|+5.17|$76,173}}

{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|57,162|100.0 | |$171,130}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|2006|Vancouver Island North|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|John Duncan|22,931|40.61|+5.20|$91,651}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|2004|Vancouver Island North|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Conservative|John Duncan|18,733|35.41|-15.62|$47,274}}

{{CANelec/note|Change for the Conservatives is based on the combined total of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives.}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|2000|Vancouver Island North|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec|CA|Canadian Alliance|John Duncan|24,844|51.03|+3.49|$42,203}}

{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Daniel P. Smith|12,092|24.84|+3.92|$52,728}}

{{CANelec/note|Change for the Canadian Alliance is based on the 1997 results of the Reform Party.}}

{{CANelec/top|CA|1997|Vancouver Island North|percent=yes|expenditures=yes}}

{{CANelec/note|This riding was created from Comox—Alberni and North Island—Powell River, both of which elected a Reform candidate in the previous election. John Duncan was the incumbent from North Island—Powell River.}}