Art Lee

Arthur John Lee (Chinese: 李僑棟; born September 30, 1947) is a Canadian politician and lawyer based in British Columbia. He served as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament (MP) representing Vancouver East from 1974 to 1979, and as the leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party from 1984 to 1987, becoming the first Chinese Canadian to lead a provincial or federal political party.

Arthur John Lee
李僑棟
Art Lee in 2011
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Vancouver East
In office
July 8, 1974 – May 21, 1979
Preceded byPaddy Neale
Succeeded byMargaret Mitchell
Leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party
In office
1984–1987
Preceded byShirley McLoughlin
Succeeded byGordon Wilson
Personal details
Born (1947-09-30) September 30, 1947
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Political partyBritish Columbia Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
Alma materUniversity of Alberta Faculty of Law
ProfessionLawyer
PortfolioParliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada (1976–1977)
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs (1975–1976)
Art Lee
Traditional Chinese李僑棟
Simplified Chinese李侨栋

Background

Art Lee was born in Lethbridge, Alberta.[1][2] His father ran a business in Edmonton after serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force,[2] and his great-grandfather worked as a translator during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway.[3] After graduating from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law in 1972,[4] he was called to the bar in British Columbia in 1973, and joined the law firm of Frank Lew in Vancouver.[3][5]

As a fourth-generation Chinese Canadian, Art Lee was not fluent in the Chinese language.[5] After becoming MP, he took Cantonese lessons to facilitate communications with Chinese residents in his constituency.[6]

Political career

Federal politics

Lee ran as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada in the 1974 federal election, winning the riding of Vancouver East against incumbent New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Paddy Neale by just 57 votes.[1][7] He served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs from 1975 to 1976, and as parliamentary secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada from 1976 to 1977.[1] In the subsequent 1979 election, he lost the seat to NDP candidate Margaret Mitchell, and again in 1980.[1][7][8]

Provincial politics

After Shirley McLoughlin resigned as leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party in 1983, Lee won the leadership election in 1984 against three opponents.[9][10] At that time, the party had little popular support due to its association with the federal Liberals, and it held no seats in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly. Lee attempted to enter the legislature by running in the Vancouver East by-election on November 8, 1984,[2] but lost to British Columbia New Democratic Party candidate Bob Williams.[11]

In the 1986 provincial election, Lee ran for one of two seats in Vancouver-Little Mountain alongside fellow Liberal candidate Joyce Statton;[5] the seats were won by incumbent Social Credit candidates Grace McCarthy and Doug Mowat.[12][13] The Liberals were once again shut out of the legislature,[13] but the party won 6.74% of the popular vote, more than double what they had received in the 1983 election.[12][14] Thereafter Lee announced his resignation as party leader, staying on until Gordon Wilson was acclaimed as the new Liberal leader in October 1987.[15]

Election results

Provincial
1986 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-Little Mountain
Party Candidate Votes%Elected
Social CreditGrace Mary McCarthy18,04922.15Green tickY
Social CreditDoug Mowat15,96219.58Green tickY
New DemocraticColin Patrick Kelly15,71719.28
New DemocraticAdrienne Hazel Peacock15,40718.90
LiberalArthur John "Art" Lee10,62713.04
LiberalJoyce E. Statton5,4986.75
People's FrontDorothy Jean O'Donnell1280.16
People's FrontAllan H. Bezanson1110.14
Total valid votes 81,499100.00
Total rejected ballots 1,219
Turnout
British Columbia provincial by-election, November 8, 1984: Vancouver East
Resignation of Dave Barrett
Party Candidate Votes%
New DemocraticBob Williams12,85755.50
LiberalArthur John "Art" Lee6,28727.14
Social CreditMario Caravetta3,74316.16
GreenHans-Joachim Grages2000.86
IndependentDavid John Ford790.34
Total valid votes 23,166100.00
Total rejected ballots 364
Turnout 23,530
Source(s)
[11]

Federal
1980 Canadian federal election: Vancouver East
Party Candidate Votes%±%
New DemocraticMargaret Anne Mitchell14,24543.91+1.21
LiberalArthur John "Art" Lee12,97940.01+0.97
Progressive ConservativeDavid N. Kilbey4,74214.62-1.92
RhinocerosDandy Randy Lyttle1980.61–
CommunistJ. Fred Wilson1790.55+0.02
IndependentPaul Tetreault610.19–
Marxist–LeninistChaouac Ferron340.10-0.03
Total valid votes 32,438100.0  
New Democratic hold Swing +0.12
1979 Canadian federal election: Vancouver East
Party Candidate Votes%±%
New DemocraticMargaret Anne Mitchell13,69742.71+6.44
LiberalArthur John "Art" Lee12,52239.04+2.57
Progressive ConservativeCecil H. Leng5,30416.54-8.91
Social CreditCarlo Dallavalle3341.04–
CommunistJ. Fred Wilson1700.53-0.59
Marxist–LeninistBrian K. Sproule440.14-0.55
Total valid votes 32,071100.0  
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +1.94
1974 Canadian federal election: Vancouver East
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalArthur J. "Art" Lee9,67136.48+5.13
New DemocraticC.P. Paddy Neale9,61436.26-12.55
Progressive ConservativeHartley Hubbs6,74725.45+8.91
CommunistMaurice Rush2981.12+0.38
Marxist–LeninistCharles Boylan1810.68–
Total valid votes 26,511100.0  
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +8.84

See also

References
  1. "Arthur John (Art) Lee, M.P." Library of Parliament. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  2. 林岳鋆 (November 6, 1984). 來稿：支持李僑棟競選雲東區省議員 [Letter: In support of Art Lee for Vancouver East MLA] (in Traditional Chinese). The Chinese Times. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  3. 簡建平 (June 27, 1974). 來件：雲高華各選區自由黨國會議員候選人簡介 [Letter: Brief profiles of Liberal MP candidates in Vancouver ridings] (in Traditional Chinese). The Chinese Times. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  4. "Full text of "University of Alberta Part Two of the Sixty-second Annual Convocation for the Conferring of Degrees - May 1972 - Spring Part II - 1972"". Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  5. 林欣 (October 21, 1986). 面對省選又肩負黨領職責 李僑棟談自由黨 [Facing the provincial election and shouldering the responsibilities of party leader, Art Lee talks about the Liberals] (in Traditional Chinese). The Chinese Times. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  6. 李僑棟下屆遇勁敵 [Art Lee faces formidable opponent in the next election] (in Traditional Chinese). The Chinese Times. February 6, 1978. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  7. "Candidates: Arthur John Lee". Canadian Elections Database. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  8. "Pierre is 'Canada's Indira Ghandi'" (PDF). The Ubyssey. February 19, 1980. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 27, 2011. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  9. 卑詩自由黨大會 李僑棟膺選黨領 [Art Lee elected leader at BC Liberal convention] (in Traditional Chinese). The Chinese Times. April 2, 1984. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  10. Hedstrom, Arnold (April 4, 1984). "Liberals meet at provincial conference". The Ubyssey. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  11. "Electoral History of British Columbia 1871-1986" (PDF). Elections British Columbia. 1988. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  12. "1986 British Columbia Election". Canadian Elections Database. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  13. 卑詩省選昨揭曉 社信黨蟬聯執政 [BC provincial election results revealed yesterday: Socreds stay in power] (in Traditional Chinese). The Chinese Times. October 23, 1986. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  14. "1983 British Columbia Election". Canadian Elections Database. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  15. 卑詩省自由黨 月底選新黨領 [BC Liberals to choose new leader at the end of the month] (in Traditional Chinese). The Chinese Times. October 27, 1987. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
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