Gordon Lewis Mills (March 30, 1928 – June 4, 2004) was a
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
in
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada. He served as a
New Democratic member of the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995 who represented the eastern Ontario riding of
Durham East.
Background
Mills was born in
Brighton, England
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
. He worked on a farm and cared for his aging parents. After they died in 1957 he relocated to Canada with his wife Cecilia and their two children. Upon arrival in Canada, he joined the army and served for 21 years and was posted to bases in Canada and Europe. During his time in the military he worked as an intelligence officer and military policeman. He received a General Service Medal from
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
(1964–67), a Canadian Forces Decoration (1970), and a
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
medal (1971).
After he left the army he worked as a tax auditor for the Ontario government. He had just retired from that job when he accepted the nomination as the
New Democratic Party candidate in
Durham East.
Politics
From 1976 to 1982, Mills was an
alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...
in the city of
Barrie
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically ...
and also served as deputy mayor.
In the
provincial election of 1990 he was elected, defeating
Progressive Conservative Kirk Kemp. The initial count was 10,930 to 10,922 votes so Kemp requested a recount. The recount increased the spread to 53 votes.
The NDP won a majority government in this election and he was appointed as the
parliamentary assistant
In UK politics, a parliamentary assistant is an unelected partisan member of staff employed by a Member of Parliament (MP) to assist them with their parliamentary duties. Parliamentary assistants usually work at the House of Commons in the ...
to the
Solicitor-General.
As one of the oldest members of the NDP caucus, he was a strong advocate for pension benefits and for including the residents of land-lease communities (many of whom are seniors) under the Landlord and Tenants Act.
In 1994, he came out against the proposed
Bill 167, a bill that would have extended spousal benefits to same-sex couples. He said, "Every time you walk down the street people would say 'there goes that guy that supports the queer people.'" He apologized for the remark and while there were calls for him to be removed from caucus he remained unrepentant. He said, "My life doesn't depend on being at Queen's Park, nor do I need the wages or anything. I don't have to be here... all it will mean is I pay less income tax." Premier
Bob Rae allowed a free vote on the bill. He was one of 12 NDP members who voted against the legislation. The bill failed on a vote of 59 to 68.
The NDP were defeated in the
1995 provincial election. Mills was defeated in Durham East, finishing second against
Progressive Conservative John O'Toole
John O'Toole (born ) is a retired politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2014, representing the riding of Durham for the Progressive Conservative Party.
Background
O'Toole is the son ...
.
Later life
Mills died at the Lakeridge Health Hospital in Bowmanville, Ontario, on June 4, 2004, at the age of 77.
Jim Bradley,
John O'Toole
John O'Toole (born ) is a retired politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2014, representing the riding of Durham for the Progressive Conservative Party.
Background
O'Toole is the son ...
and
Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos (October 7, 1952 – March 30, 2013) was a politician in Welland, Ontario, Canada. A lawyer by profession, he was first elected as an Ontario New Democratic Party (ONDP) Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) to the Legislative Ass ...
paid tribute to him in the legislature.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Gordon
1928 births
2004 deaths
Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs