# John Duncan (Canadian politician)

John Morris Duncan PC (born December 19, 1948) is a Canadian politician. He served as a Member of the Parliament of Canada from 1993 to January 2006 and again from October 2008 until August 2015. On August 6, 2010, he was appointed to the Canadian Cabinet as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency until his resignation on February 15, 2013 over his inappropriate written communication to the Tax Court of Canada. He later returned to Cabinet as Chief Government Whip, and served in that capacity until the 2015 election, which saw both Duncan's own defeat and the defeat of the government.

## Education

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in British Columbia, Duncan attended the University of British Columbia and graduated with a B.Sc. F from their Faculty of Forestry in 1972. Duncan's first experience as an elected official was as an alderman in Ucluelet, British Columbia from 1982 to 1983.

## Entrance to politics

In the 1993 election, Duncan was elected as a member of the Reform Party. He has served in all that party's incarnations up until the 2006 federal election, when he lost his seat to Catherine J. Bell of the New Democratic Party by 630 votes.
Duncan was the Conservative Party's Official Opposition Critic for Natural Resources. During that time he served on the Natural Resources Committee. He helped shape Conservative Party policy on west coast offshore oil and gas, softwood lumber trade and the pine beetle epidemic.
While in parliament, he was a member of the "Restaurant Caucus" in the House of Commons, a group of MPs who have interests in the restaurant industry.
Duncan's Private Member's Bill C - 259 passed the 38th Parliament to receive Royal Assent to eliminate the excise tax on jewelry. Duncan made parliamentary history as the first MP to have a Private Member's bill related to cutting taxation pass.
He won the Vancouver Island North Conservative Party nomination for the 2008 federal election and was elected with 45.78% of the vote.
On December 2, 2008, the New Democratic Party asked the RCMP to investigate John Duncan's alleged secret recording of a private NDP conference. He had apparently received the invitation to participate by mistake, in place of NDP MP Linda Duncan who had "a similar email address". This happened within the context of the 2008–09 Canadian parliamentary dispute.
On August 6, 2010, in a minor cabinet shuffle, he joined cabinet as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.
Under the Harper government, several key bills with a direct effect on aboriginal communities have stalled. As a result, First Nations across Canada have embarked on a widespread and prolonged series of demonstrations under the banner of "Idle No More". In addition, Attawapiskat chief Theresa Spence began a fast in December 2012 to demand a meeting with Harper and a Crown representative. In response, Duncan wrote to Spence requesting she give up her hunger strike and meet with him. "I didn't ask for Minister Duncan," Spence replied. "And I have dealt with him before. When I observe him, he doesn't have a mind of his own because, before he would answer a question, he would always look at his people. He's not the Prime Minister."
On February 15, 2013, he resigned from his cabinet position as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development after improperly advocating to a tax court on behalf of a constituent in June 2011, and was replaced by James Moore. He returned to cabinet in the more junior role as Minister of State and Chief Government Whip in July 2013.
In the 2015 Canadian federal election, Duncan sought reelection in the newly created riding of Courtenay—Alberni, but was defeated by Gord Johns of the NDP.

## Electoral record

vte2015 Canadian federal election: Courtenay—Alberni :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Gord Johns | 26,582 | 38.06 | -2.66 | $124,072.44 |
| | Conservative | John Duncan | 19,714 | 28.22 | -16.66 | $92,251.34 |
| | Liberal | Carrie Powell-Davidson | 15,212 | 21.78 | +15.06 | $32,002.88 |
| | Green | Glenn Sollitt | 8,201 | 11.74 | +4.89 | $124,891.17 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Barbara Biley | 140 | 0.20 | – | – |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 69,849 | 99.74 | | $231,958.67 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 185 | 0.26 | – |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 70,034 | 75.90 | – |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 92,266 |
| | New Democratic notional gain from Conservative | New Democratic notional gain from Conservative | Swing | Swing | -7.00 |
| This riding was created from Nanaimo—Alberni and Vancouver Island North, both of which elected a Conservative candidate in the last election. John Duncan was the incumbent from Vancouver Island North. |||||||
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
2011 Canadian federal election: Vancouver Island North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Duncan | 27,206 | 46.11 | +0.33 |
| | New Democratic | Ronna-Rae Leonard | 25,379 | 43.01 | +1.58 |
| | Liberal | Mike Holland | 3,018 | 5.11 | +0.93 |
| | Green | Sue Moen | 2,995 | 5.08 | -2.90 |
| | Independent | Jason Draper | 304 | 0.52 | -0.11 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Frank Martin | 57 | 0.10 | – |
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | 59,003 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 187 | 0.32 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,190 | 66.39 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 89,150 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | -0.62 |
2008 Canadian federal election: Vancouver Island North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | John Duncan | 26,166 | 45.78 | +5.17 | $76,173 |
| | New Democratic | Catherine J. Bell | 23,681 | 41.43 | -0.29 | $80,622 |
| | Green | Philip Stone | 4,563 | 7.98 | +3.14 | $12,309 |
| | Liberal | Geoff Fleischer | 2,391 | 4.18 | -8.65 | $2,026 |
| | Independent | Jason Draper | 361 | 0.63 | – | |
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | 57,162 | 100.0 | | $171,130 |
| | Conservative gain from New Democratic | Conservative gain from New Democratic | Swing | Swing | +2.73 |
2006 Canadian federal election: Vancouver Island North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Catherine J. Bell | 23,561 | 41.72 | +7.23 | $80,265 |
| | Conservative | John Duncan | 22,931 | 40.61 | +5.20 | $91,651 |
| | Liberal | Jim Mitchell | 7,243 | 12.83 | -8.62 | $28,226 |
| | Green | Michael Mascall | 2,735 | 4.84 | -3.58 | $8,685 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 56,470 | 100.0 |
| | New Democratic gain from Conservative | New Democratic gain from Conservative | Swing | Swing | +1.02 |
2004 Canadian federal election: Vancouver Island North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | John Duncan | 18,733 | 35.41 | -15.62 | $47,274 |
| | New Democratic | Catherine J. Bell | 18,250 | 34.49 | +22.78 | $43,372 |
| | Liberal | Noor Ahmed | 11,352 | 21.45 | -3.39 | $78,890 |
| | Green | Pam Munroe | 4,456 | 8.42 | +3.22 | $26,376 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Jack East | 111 | 0.20 | +0.02 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 52,902 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 136 | 0.26 | +0.01 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,038 | 65.79 | +1.31 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | -19.20 |
| Change for the Conservatives is based on the combined total of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives. |||||||
2000 Canadian federal election: Vancouver Island North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Alliance | John Duncan | 24,844 | 51.03 | +3.49 | $42,203 |
| | Liberal | Daniel P. Smith | 12,092 | 24.84 | +3.92 | $52,728 |
| | New Democratic | Alex Turner | 5,701 | 11.71 | -11.57 | $10,377 |
| | Progressive Conservative | David R. Tingley | 2,997 | 6.15 | +2.71 | $33 |
| | Green | Pam Munroe | 2,532 | 5.20 | +1.95 | $6,295 |
| | Independent | John Krell | 216 | 0.44 | – | |
| | Natural Law | Nancy More | 205 | 0.42 | -0.03 | |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Jack East | 92 | 0.18 | – | $90 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 48,679 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 131 | 0.27 | -0.07 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,810 | 64.48 | +0.12 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | Swing | -0.22 |
| Change for the Canadian Alliance is based on the 1997 results of the Reform Party. |||||||
1997 Canadian federal election: Vancouver Island North :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures |
| | Reform | John Duncan | 22,769 | 47.54 | $31,625 |
| | New Democratic | Gilbert Popovich | 11,152 | 23.28 | $60,126 |
| | Liberal | David Durrant | 10,024 | 20.92 | $14,397 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Dave Tingley | 1,650 | 3.44 | $3,659 |
| | Green | Hazel Lennox | 1,559 | 3.25 | |
| | Christian Heritage | John Krell | 522 | 1.08 | $2,001 |
| | Natural Law | Nancy More | 218 | 0.45 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 47,894 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 161 | 0.34 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,055 | 64.36 |
| This riding was created from Comox—Alberni and North Island—Powell River, both of which elected a Reform candidate in the previous election. John Duncan was the incumbent from North Island—Powell River. |||||||
vte1993 Canadian federal election: North Island—Powell River :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Reform | John Duncan | 18,255 | 39.31 | +37.63 |
| | Liberal | Al Huddlestan | 11,877 | 25.57 | +9.46 |
| | New Democratic | Raymond Skelly | 7,794 | 16.78 | −35.24 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Mark von Schellwitz | 3,682 | 7.93 | −16.49 |
| | National | Mark A. Grenier | 3,408 | 7.34 | – |
| | Green | Michael Mascall | 1,015 | 2.19 | +0.97 |
| | Natural Law | Wayne A. Melvin | 254 | 0.55 | – |
| | Canada Party | James Peter Turner | 159 | 0.34 | – |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 46,444 | 100.0 |
| | Reform gain from New Democratic | Reform gain from New Democratic | Swing | Swing | +14.08 |