Natural Law Party candidates, 1993 Canadian federal election

The Natural Law Party of Canada fielded several candidates in the 1993 federal election, none of whom were elected. Information about these candidates may be found on this page.

Ontario

Chris Wilson (Kingston and the Islands)

At the time of the election, Wilson led an organization of fifty transcendental meditation teachers in Ottawa, Ontario and was an assistant professor at the Maharishi International University in Iowa ("Kingston Whig-Standard", 3 October 1993). He promised to help Canada's 100,000 unemployed youth by providing videotaped lessons in transcendental meditation and the Constitution of the Universe, for a fee of $15-60 per session ("Ottawa Citizen", 21 August 1993). He received 376 votes (0.66%), finishing seventh against Liberal incumbent Peter Milliken.

Rick C. Weberg (St. Paul's)

Weberg is a Bay Street broker, and has served as director of the Toronto Association of Professionals Practicing the Transcendental Meditation program ("Globe and Mail", 5 May 1988). He organized at least one "yogic flying" contest in the late 1980s, which featured crosslegged hopping races by TM participants ("Toronto Star", 18 May 1987). In 1992, he became vice-president of Maharishi Veda Land Canada Inc. (MVLC) ("Globe and Mail", 19 March 1992).

He received 313 votes (0.61%) in 1993, finishing seventh against Liberal candidate Barry Campbell. Later in the year, the government of Quebec prohibited Weberg and other MVLC directors from seeking investors in that province, on the grounds that the company had promoted its shares to potential investors without issuing a prospectus ("Globe and Mail", 2 December 1993).

=David Shaw (Sudbury)=

Shaw was a marketing consultant. [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=8599 History of Federal Ridings since 1867: Sudbury, (1993/10/25)] , Parliament of Canada, accessed 5 May 2008.] He received 202 votes (0.48%), finishing seventh against Liberal incumbent Diane Marleau.

Manitoba

Robert Roberts (Brandon—Souris)

Roberts was listed as a businessman. [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=8463 History of Federal Ridings since 1867: Brandon—Souris: 1993] , Parliament of Canada, accessed 19 November 2006.] He received 112 votes (0.30%), finishing seventh against Liberal candidate Glen McKinnon.

Gary Schwartz (Portage—Lisgar)

Schwartz was a self-employed farrier. [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=8707 History of Federal Ridings since 1867: Portage—Lisgar, 1993] , Parliament of Canada, accessed 4 August 1997.] He received 179 votes (0.50%), finishing sixth against Liberal candidate Jon Gerrard.

=Corrine Ayotte (Provencher)=

Corrine Ayotte described herself as self-employed. [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=8707 History of Federal Ridings since 1867: Provencher, 1993] , Parliament of Canada, accessed 11 August 2008.] She received 157 votes (0.43%), finishing sixth against Liberal candidate David Iftody.

Richard Lepinsky (Winnipeg South)

Lepinsky was the owner of Consumers Insurance & Real Estate agency at the time of the election. In 1994, he was listed as president of the Independent Real Estate Brokers Association of Manitoba ("Winnipeg Free Press", 30 August 1994). He received 197 votes (0.38%) in the 1993 election, finishing sixth against Liberal candidate Reg Alcock.

As of 2005, the president of The Compassionate Friends of Canada, Inc. is named Richard Lepinsky. [http://www.oulton.com/chpca/directory.nsf/1129459399d657d700256b51002c7177/3e097cc83d1dcb3585256c460058aef3!OpenDocument] It is probable that this is the same person.

Geoff Danyluk (Winnipeg—Transcona)

Danyluk was a drywall contractor, [ [http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=8744 History of Federal Ridings since 1867: Winnipeg—Transcona] , Parliament of Canada, accessed 13 March 2007.] and participated in the Natural Law Party's "yogic flying" demonstrations. [Carreen Maloney, "Natural Law party set to be rising force", "Winnipeg Free Press", 21 August 1993.] He received 150 votes (0.36%), finishing seventh against New Democratic Party incumbent Bill Blaikie.

Alberta

Ida Bugmann (Calgary Southwest)

Bugmann described herself as a poet and artist, and as "a former owner of a fashion design store for women". She was sixty-eight years old in 1993, and also campaigned in the 1993 provincial election for the Natural Law Party of Alberta. [Brock Ketcham, "Calgary-Lougheed", "Calgary Herald", 3 June 1993, B6] She responded to critics of the Natural Law philosophy at a 1993 federal debate by saying, "their consciousness is at such a low level that they aren`t open to anything new". [Don Braid, "It sure would be nice - if it works", "Calgary Herald", 16 October 1993, B1.]

Footnotes