Jeremy Dalton

Jeremy Dalton BA (September 22 1942 – May 28 2005) was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He was a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party and later an independent. He served as MLA for the riding of West-Vancouver Capilano for two terms after the 1991 and 1996 elections.

Before entering politics, Mr. Dalton attended the University of British Columbia, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and a law degree. He also ran a private law practice and taught at Langara College. He was married to Leah Dalton and had three children.cite web|url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/36thparl/dalton.htm|title=Mr. Jeremy Dalton|publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia|accessdate=2008-04-05]

He was first elected in the British Columbia general election, 1991 for the district of West Vancouver-Capilano, winning a majority of votes,cite web|url=http://www.elections.bc.ca/elections/sov91/sov91-101.html|title=SOV 91 West Vancouver-Capilano Electoral District Poll-by-Poll Results|publisher=Elections BC|accessdate=2008-02-01] every poll, and the second-highest margin in the province.cite news|title=A tale of two candidates: the Liberalization of West Van|date=1991-10-21|author=Denny Boyd|publisher=Vancouver Sun|page=B1]

While in opposition, Mr. Dalton was critic for labour and consumer services early on.cite news|title=Shadow cabinet boasts expertise|date=1991-11-08|page=B4publisher=Vancouver Sun] He was education critic after that,cite news|title=Parents protest school cutbacks: Enrolment fund needed now, BCTF says|author=Jennifer Gray-Grant|date=1992-05-04|publisher=Vancouver Sun|page=B1] In the rumblings leading up to the Gordon Wilson-Judi Tyabji scandal, he replaced Gary Farrel-Collins as opposition whip.cite news|author=Keith Baldrey|title=Liberals rocked again: MLS quits top post because Wilson won't rile out Tyabji romance|date=1993-01-21|page=A1|publisher=Vancouver Sun] After Tyabji's sacking as opposition house leader, he was appointed to that position by Liberal Leader Gordon Wilson.cite news|title=Tyabji tussling with reasons for firing|date=1993-02-14|author=Greg McIntyre|page=A4|publisher=Vancouver Province] Later in 1993 he became critic for attorney-general.cite news|page=B1|title=Campbell hopes for seat in legislature next year|date=1993-10-22|publisher=Vancouver Sun] While justice critic, Dalton (and most of the Liberal opposition) took the unusual step of supporting NDP attorney-general Colin Gabelmann after the latter admitted to including incorrect information in a court affidavit so as to not have to appear in court.cite news|author=Keith Baldrey and Harold Munro|title=Gabelmann admits to fixing affidavit to avoid day in court|date=1994-04-14|publisher=Vancouver Sun|page=A1] The day after Dalton and the rest of the Liberals reversed their position.cite news|date=1994-04-18|author=Stewart Bell|publisher=Vancouver Sun|page=B2|title=Legal advice brought reversal by Liberals: Party had change of heart]

In the lead-up to the 1996 election, Dalton may have had a harder-than-usual nomination.cite news|title=Liberals lift frees on nomination meetings|author=Keith Baldrey & Justine Hunter|date=1994-10-03|page=A3|publisher=Vancouver Sun] He eventually became the candidate and was re-elected. His 71.3% of votes was the highest in any riding that election.cite web|publisher=Elections BC|accessdate=2008-04-05|url=http://www.elections.bc.ca/elections/sov96/sum_can.htm|title=Summary of Results by Candidate] After that election, he again became labour critic.cite news|title=All 32 Liberal MLAs join 'shadow cabinet': The party's budget for support staff and research will increase to $2.2 million annually|publisher=Vancouver Sun|page=B3|date=1996-06-21]

On June 24, 1997, Mr Dalton was forced to resign as labour critic it was revealed that he wrote a letter to a government bureaucrat regarding an issue he had a financial stake in: a gravel pit under development near a ranch that his wife and father-in-law were part owners of.cite news|author=Barbara McLintock|date=1997-06-25|publisher=Vancouver Province|title=Letter fells Liberal MLA|page=A4] Liberal leader Gordon Campbell asked the province's conflict of interest commissioner to investigate shortly thereafter after it surfaced that he had written as many as four letters about the same issue,cite news|title=Campbell seeks conflict probe of Liberal MLA's lobbying conduct: Jeremy Dalton's letters regarding land in the Cariboo continue to cause furore|author=Jim Beatty|publisher=Vancouver Sun|date=1997-07-03|page=A6] including two to different government cabinet ministers.cite news|author=Demoted Dalton told to hold tongue|date=1997-06-26|publisher=Vancouver Province|author=Barbara McLintock|oage=A6] Dalton later became deputy environment critic after a shadow cabinet shuffle.cite news|title=Campbell seeks free-enterprise unity in shadow-cabinet shuffle|date=1997-10-21|page=A7|author=David Hogben|publisher=Vancouver Sun] The commissioner eventually concluded that although it was inappropriate, it was not a conflict of interest because he was acting as a private citizen, and that he should not have been using MLA stationary for personal matters.cite news|title=MLA guilty of using influence improperly|date=1997-10-19|publisher=Vancouver Province|page=A6|author=Barbara McLintock]

Similar affairs would eventually lead to the end of Dalton's political career. The second time was when he used his MLA letterhead in a personal matter, this one involving Handsworth Secondary School, where two of his children were attending. At the time he was deputy education critic and was left a backbencher as a result.cite news|title=Letterhead use leads to Dalton's Demotion: The MLA is rebuked after sending a letter to lobby his local school board|author=Craig McInnes|date=1999-06-29|page=A4|publisher=Vancouver Sun] The third letter, again about the gravel pit and ranch, resulted in his suspension from caucus for three months.cite news|title=Liberal MLA suspended for 'inapproproate use of office'|author=Craig Mcinnes|date=2000-04-05|page=B4|publisher=Vancouver Sun] His suspension lasted from April 5, 2000 to July 10, 2000.cite web|title=Elected Candidates 1987-2001|page=49|publisher=Elections BC|format=PDF|work=Electoral History of British Columbia Supplement, 1987-2001|accessdate=2008-04-05|url=http://www.elections.bc.ca/elections/electoral_history/electhistvol2.pdf] After returning to caucus, he publicly supported a tunnel being built as a third crossing of Burrard Inlet.cite news|author=Mark Wilson|date=2000-09-13|title=Tunnel vision again: Third crossing would run under Burrard Inlet from Lonsdale to Main Street|publisher=Vancouver Province|page=A6]

Dalton was permanently dismissed from Liberal caucus and sat as an independent on January 11, 2001. This time it was because he publicly reprimanded two Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers at the scene of an accident.cite news|title=It's four strikes and Liberal MLA Dalton is out of party: The embattled member was caught abusing his position for a fourth time|page=A4|author=Jim Beatty|date=2001-01-12|publisher=Vancouver Sun] He sat as an independent for the remainder of the term and ran in the 2001 election, but was defeated.cite web|url=http://www.elections.bc.ca/elections/sov01/resultsbycandidate.pdf|format=PDF|publisher=Elections BC|title=Summary of Results by Candidate|work=Statement of Votes - 37th Provincial General Election - May 16, 2001|accessdate=2008-04-05]

After minor continuing involvement in politics after the 2001 election, Mr. Dalton passed away on May 28, 2005 succumbing to complications following surgery.cite news|author=Jane Seyd|publisher=NOrth Shore News|date=2005-01-01|page=1|title=Former W. Van MLA dies]

References

External links

* [http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/36thparl/dalton.htm Profile at BC Legislature]