John Mercer Reid
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John Mercer Reid, (8 February 1937 – 25 August 2022) was a Canadian politician and an Information Commissioner of Canada who served as president of the
Canadian Nuclear Association The Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA), founded in 1960, is the trade association for the nuclear industry in Canada. The CNA undertakes several advocacy tasks related to nuclear technology in Canada, such as participating in relevant regulatory ...
.


History

He earned university degrees in history from the
University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...
and was studying for his doctorate from the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
when he was offered a job as special assistant to member of parliament William Benidickson. In 1965 Benedickson was nominated to the
Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada () is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons, they compose the Bicameralism, bicameral le ...
and Reid was nominated to replace him as candidate for his seat as an MP in the 1965 election. He was first elected to the
House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...
in the 1965 election as a
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
Member of Parliament (MP). In the 1968 federal election, he was returned as Canada's sole Liberal-Labour MP, although he remained in the Liberal
caucus A caucus is a group or meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures. The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to ...
. The Liberal-Labour label was a reflection of a longstanding tradition in the riding of
Kenora—Rainy River Kenora—Rainy River could refer to: *Kenora—Rainy River (federal electoral district) *Kenora—Rainy River (provincial electoral district) Kenora—Rainy River is a provincial electoral district (Canada), electoral district (riding) in northw ...
aimed at deflecting votes from the
New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...
, rather than as a mark of political dissent. After the 1972 election, Reid was redesignated as a Liberal MP and became parliamentary secretary to the
President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsidente ...
, and worked on issues such as improving the access of MPs to government records. In 1978, Reid joined the
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
of
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was a Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his no ...
as
Minister of State Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...
for federal-provincial relations, and remained in that position until the defeat of the Liberal government in the 1979 election. Reid remained an MP until his own defeat in the 1984 election. In his post-political career, Reid became a public affairs consultant. He served as president of the Canadian Nuclear Association from 1990 until 1995. He then represented Canada on the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the p ...
's Mission to
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, and was also a member of the Provisional Election Commission responsible for writing and implementing an Election Act. He was also an advisor to the Chief Electoral Officer on UN Transitional Administration in Eastern
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
. In 1998, Reid was appointed Information Commissioner of Canada for a seven-year term. The Information Commissioner of Canada is an independent
ombudsman An ombudsman ( , also ) is a government employee who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations (binding or not) or mediation. They are usually appointed by the government or by parliament (often with a sign ...
who investigates complaints from those who believe they have been denied rights to government information under the ''Access to Information Act''. In 2001, Reid was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the
Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians (CAFP) is a non-profit organization, established by an Act of the Parliament of Canada, the membership of which is composed of former members of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada. Histo ...
, awarded to a former parliamentarian "who has made an outstanding contribution to the country and its democratic institutions." He died on 25 August 2022 at the age of 85, from cancer.Former Kenora MP of over 20 years passes away
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References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, John Mercer 1937 births 2022 deaths Ombudsmen in Canada Liberal Party of Canada MPs Liberal-Labour (Canada) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada People from Kenora District 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada