Ralph Stewart (Canadian politician)

Ralph Wesley Stewart (30 December 1929 – 11 February 2004) was a Liberal party member of the House of Commons of Canada, who briefly joined the Progressive Conservative party. He was born in Cochrane, Ontario and became a consultant, orchestra conductor and public servant by career.

He was first elected at the Cochrane riding in the 1968 general election, and re-elected there in the 1972 and 1974 federal elections.

On 7 March 1979, in the final days of the 30th Canadian Parliament, Stewart switched to the Progressive Conservative party citing objections to the Liberals' handling of bilingualism and economic policy.[1] However, his federal political career ended when he was unable to represent the Progressive Conservatives at Cochrane, and instead his party's local riding association chose 22-year-old Carole Kosowan as their candidate for the 1979 general election. After the election, which returned a Progressive Conservative government, Stewart was rewarded with the Post of Consul General in Atlanta, Georgia. When the Liberals returned to power, he was asked to resign, but having negotiated a four-year appointment with a firm contract, he was paid for the full term. He later relocated to Naples, Florida.