Lyle MacWilliam

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Lyle Dean MacWilliam

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Lyle MacWilliam.jpg

| imagesize =

| constituency_MP = Okanagan—Shuswap{{cite book | title=Canadian Parliamentary Guide | publisher=Globe and Mail Publishing | date=Spring 1992 }}

| parliament1 = Canadian

| predecessor1 = riding created

| successor1 = Darrel Stinson

| term_start1 = 1988

| term_end1 = 1993

| office2 = Member of the
British Columbia Legislative Assembly

| predecessor2 = Donald James Campbell

| successor2 = Lyall Franklin Hanson

| term_start2 = 1984

| term_end2 = 1986

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1949|07|31}}

| birth_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality =

| spouse = Arlene L. (m. 21 August 1971)

| party = Liberal

| otherparty = New Democratic Party (1988–1997)
British Columbia New Democratic Party (1983–1997)

| relations =

| children =

| residence =

| alma_mater =

| occupation =

| profession =

| footnotes=

}}

Lyle Dean MacWilliam (born 31 July 1949) was a New Democratic member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1993, representing the constituency of Okanagan-Shuswap.{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=13239|nolist=yes}}

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the son of John Michael MacWilliam and Doris Louise Coghill,{{cite book |title=Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1985 |last=Normandin |first=P G |year=1985}} MacWilliam studied at Simon Fraser University. In 1971, he married Arlene Leslie Sundvick.

MacWilliam ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1983. He was elected to represent Okanagan North in the assembly as a New Democratic Party member in a 1984 by-election held following the death of Donald James Campbell. At the time, MacWilliam's victory was considered a major upset as he was a 35-year old high school teacher facing off against Harold

Thorlakson, a popular area rancher representing the governing Social Credit Party in a seat the party had held consistently since 1952.{{cite news |title=NDP picks up two seats in B.C. by-election battle |date=9 November 1984 |work=Globe and Mail}}{{cite news |title=Timing on Liberal leadership vote gets Campbell off the hook |first=Vaughn |last=Palmer |date=5 February 1997 |work=Vancouver Sun}}

In the lead-up to the 1986 provincial election, MacWilliam became embroiled in an internal party debate over whether to force the resignation of then-leader Bob Skelly, with some in the party concerned about Skelly's popularity compared to that of the new Premier Bill Vander Zalm. MacWilliam spoke candidly about the party's internal discussions to the Canadian Press, commenting "This is a very sensitive topic and I think I might be overstepping my limits on this."{{cite news |title=NDP caucus 'discussed' leadership |date=25 October 1986 |work=Globe and Mail}} MacWilliam was defeated in his bid for reelection in the province's 1986 election.{{cite book |url=https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/1871-1986_ElectoralHistoryofBC.pdf |title=Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871–1986 |date=1988 |publisher=Elections BC |accessdate=2022-05-18|isbn=0-7718-8677-2}}

MacWilliam entered federal politics after winning the 1988 federal election at the Okanagan—Shuswap electoral district for the New Democratic Party. During his tenure in parliament, MacWilliam earned a reputation as a rebellious partisan, often breaking with his caucus on votes. Notably, in 1992, MacWilliam was one of five NDP MPs who publicly broke with party leader Audrey McLaughlin over Bill C-81, which updated legislation surrounding referendums. The party's official position was that the bill needed firm spending caps for referendum sides, which MacWilliam disregarded in his vote.{{cite news |title=House passes referendum bill Five New Democrats break ranks to back amended measure |first=Graham |last=Fraser |date=5 June 1992 |work=Globe and Mail}} By the end of 1992, Vancouver Sun columnist Peter O'Neil gave MacWilliam a grade of "C−" on his performance, writing that the MP's "judgment [was] in question."{{cite news |title=Demoralized NDP MPs ponder impending joblessness |first=Peter |last=O'Neil |date=31 December 1992 |work=Vancouver Sun}} In his 1993 bid for re-election, MacWilliam lost to Darrel Stinson of the Reform Party.{{cite web |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/FederalRidingsHistory/hfer.asp?Include=Y&Language=E&rid=935&Search=Det |title=Okanagan—Shuswap, British Columbia (1987–1996) |work=History of Federal Ridings since 1867 |publisher=Parliament of Canada |accessdate=2012-02-14}}

In 1997, MacWilliam announced he would be joining the Liberal Party and contest his former seat in the 1997 federal election. In an interview given to the Okanagan Saturday, MacWilliam indicated that he had grown disillusioned with the NDP not long after being elected to parliament, claiming he "came very close to sitting as an independent." This was despite his position as the party's communications critic and decision to run again under the party's banner.{{cite news |title=CBC Chief Quits 2 Months After Doomsday Letter |first=Paul |last=Gessell |date=30 July 1993 |work=Vancouver Sun}} MacWilliams also stated the Liberals were courting him during the 1993 election and critiqued the party's ideology and ties to organized labour. In the general election, he was again defeated by Stinson, placing second with only 175 fewer votes than he had received running as a New Democrat in 1993.{{cite web |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/FederalRidingsHistory/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&rid=1228&Include= |title=Okanagan—Shuswap, British Columbia (1997–2003) |work=History of Federal Ridings since 1867 |publisher=Parliament of Canada |accessdate=2012-02-14}}