Vernon Singer

Vernon Milton Singer (March 26, 1919 - September 20, 2003) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1959 to 1977 who represented the North York ridings of York Centre, Downsview and Wilson Heights.

Vern Singer
Ontario MPP
In office
1975–1977
Preceded byNew riding
Succeeded byDavid Rotenberg
ConstituencyWilson Heights
In office
1963–1975
Preceded byNew riding
Succeeded byOdoardo Di Santo
ConstituencyDownsview
In office
1959–1963
Preceded byThomas Graham
Succeeded byRiding abolished
ConstituencyYork Centre
8th Reeve of North York
In office
1957–1958
Preceded byFred J. McMahon
Succeeded byNorman Goodhead
Personal details
Born
Vernon Milton Singer

(1919-03-26)March 26, 1919
Toronto, Ontario
DiedSeptember 20, 2003(2003-09-20) (aged 84)
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)Elaine
Children3
OccupationLawyer

Background

Singer was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of lawyer and politician Joseph Singer who was the first Jewish-Canadian to be elected to the Toronto Board of Control.[1] After serving in World War II with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Singer returned to Canada and became president of the Young Liberals in 1947. He worked for a while as a lawyer before entering politics. He and his wife Elaine had three children.

Politics

He became a councillor in North York, Ontario eventually becoming reeve from 1957 to 1958. He ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party at the 1958 Ontario Liberal leadership convention, placing fourth.

He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 1959 provincial election.[2] Singer became deputy leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and, as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), pushed for reforms to municipal law, automobile insurance and electoral laws as well as for the establishment of a provincial ombudsman.

He served as Liberal House Leader in the 1970s and, in 1973, sued fellow Liberal MPP Eddie Sargent for libel after Sargent made remarks about Singer's retainer fee from a developer while he was appearing before a legislative committee to explain how he obtained the contract to build Ontario Hydro's new headquarters in Toronto.[3] Singer was deputy leader of the Liberals from 1966 until 1973, when he was asked to step down by leader Robert Nixon, after he filed the lawsuit but was allowed to remain in the shadow cabinet.[4]

Singer was re-elected to the legislature on four successive occasions before retiring in 1977. His retirement was controversial as he announced it on the eve of that year's election campaign without giving his Liberal colleagues advance notice. The Progressive Conservatives won Singer's previously safe seat in the election and, the next year, the government appointed Singer to the first of five two-year terms on the Ontario Municipal Board including several years as its chairman.[5][6] The incident resulted in accusations by NDP MPP Ed Ziemba that the government had bought Singer's seat, and that of fellow Liberal Phil Givens who left in similar circumstances, through political patronage.[7]

Later life

Following his retirement from the Ontario Municipal Board in 1989, Singer won election to North York's committee of adjustment filling a seat vacated by Patti Starr when she was forced to resign as the result of a wider political scandal.[6]

References
  1. "Reeve Singer, Reaume Both In Leader Race". Toronto Daily Star. April 3, 1958.
  2. Canadian Press (June 12, 1959). "Complete Results of Ontario Voting by Constituencies". The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa. p. 26. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
  3. "Ticket machine is a winner if you don't get personal". Globe and Mail. April 22, 1978.
  4. "Deacon deputy leader; Breithaupt appointed Liberal House leader", Williamson, Robert. The Globe and Mail (1936-2016); Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]07 Nov 1973: 5.
  5. "Left Liberals in lurch, Singer is appointed to municipal board". Globe and Mail. August 30, 1978.
  6. Swainson, Gail (October 5, 1989). "Former MPP fills Patti Starr post". Toronto Star.
  7. "Ziemba confrontation with Speaker over apology delayed". Globe and Mail. May 31, 1980.
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