George Ernest (Ernie) Jackson (1921 – January 20, 1995) was a Canadian insurance executive, member of the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

from 1955 to 1959, and senior political advisor to Ontario Premier

John Robarts John Parmenter Robarts (January 11, 1917 – October 18, 1982) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th premier of Ontario from 1961 to 1971. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Early life Roba ...

in the 1960s as well as a senior political strategist in the

Ontario Progressive Conservative Party The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC; ), often shortened to the Ontario PC Party, or simply the PCs, colloquially known as the Tories, is a centre-right political party in Ontario, Canada. During its uninterrupted governance from 1 ...

during Robarts's leadership.Robarts confidant once ran Ontario Tories: G Ernest Jackson, DONN DOWNEY The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail (1936-); Jan 25, 1995; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Globe and Mail pg. C5

Biography

Jackson was born in Toronto but moved to

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

when he was seven. His father was a travelling salesman. He left high school in the middle of grade 13 to join

The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canad ...

, serving with them during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and rising to the rank of captain.The man who has come to the aid of the party, Miller, John. The Globe and Mail (1936-); Toronto, Ont. oronto, Ont 10 Nov 1962: 66 Disagreeing with the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...

's position on

conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...

, he joined the Progressive Conservatives after the war and served as a backroom strategist for Harry Oliver White in Middlesex East in the

1949 Canadian federal election The 1949 Canadian federal election was held June 27, 1949, to elect members of the House of Commons of Canada of the 21st Canadian Parliament, 21st Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Canada was re-elected with its fourth consecutive gove ...

. Jackson first met Robarts socially in 1950, becoming friends. When Robarts entered politics as the Progressive Conservative candidate in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

in the

1951 Ontario general election The 1951 Ontario general election was held on November 22, 1951, to elect the 90 members of the 24th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario. Background Because of Canada's partic ...

, Jackson volunteered to be one of his campaign workers. In the

1955 Ontario general election The 1955 Ontario general election was held on June 9, 1955, to elect the 98 members of the 25th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario. The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party ...

, the London riding was split into two and Jackson ran and won in the new riding of

London South London South was an electoral riding in Ontario, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward ...

. Jackson chose not to run for re-election in the

1959 Ontario general election The 1959 Ontario general election was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario. The Ontario Progressive Conservative Part ...

in order to concentrate on his insurance business and family, but co-managed Robarts's own re-election campaign in

London North London North was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was first created for the 1926 provincial election when the London riding was divided in two sections, and then eliminated prior to the 1934 provincial election when the ci ...

. In 1959, he suggested to Robarts that he run for the party leadership once Premier

Leslie Frost Leslie Miscampbell Frost (September 20, 1895 – May 4, 1973) was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the province's 16th premier from May 4, 1949, to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man O ...

retired and managed Robarts's

dark horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is exp ...

leadership campaign in the 1961 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election, which Robarts won on the sixth ballot. Jackson went on to be the new premier's closest political confidant. Robarts charged Jackson with the assignment of re-organizing the provincial party and was the party's campaign chairman in the

1963 Ontario general election The 1963 Ontario general election was held on September 25, 1963, to elect the 108 members of the 27th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario. The Ontario Progressive Conservative ...

and

1967 Ontario general election The 1967 Ontario general election was held on October 17, 1967, to elect the 117 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Ontario Progressive Co ...

,Violating the law, BBG says: PCs asked to withdraw 2 TV plugs, The Globe and Mail (1936-); Toronto, Ont. oronto, Ont 07 Oct 1967: 1 both of which the Conservatives won with large majorities. Jackson died of cancer in 1995 at the age of 73.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, George 1921 births 1995 deaths Canadian Army personnel Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs Politicians from Toronto Royal Canadian Regiment soldiers 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Canadian Army personnel of World War II