Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Grey South
In office 1926–1967
Preceded by
David Jamieson
Succeeded by
Eric Winkler
Personal details
Born
(1904-03-06)March 6, 1904 Priceville, Ontario
Died
January 22, 1989(1989-01-22) (aged 84) Owen Sound, Ontario
Political party
Ontario Liberal Party (1941–1967)
Other political affiliations
United Farmers of Ontario (1926–1941)
Cabinet
Deputy Premier (1942-1943), Minister of Public Works (1941–1942 & 1943) Minister of Public Welfare (1941–1942 & 1943)
Farquhar Robert Oliver (March 6, 1904 – January 22, 1989) was a politician in Ontario, Canada.
Oliver was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a United Farmers of Ontario Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 1926 provincial election at the age of 22.
Oliver was re-elected as a UFO MLA in the 1929 election and was the sole (and last) United Farmers member in the legislature until 1941. In that year, he formally joined the Ontario Liberal Party and the cabinet of Premier Mitchell Hepburn as Minister of Public Works and Welfare after informally supporting the Liberals and attending their caucus meetings since 1934.[1] Oliver quit the cabinet in late October 1942, in protest against Hepburn's leadership of the Liberal Party. Hepburn had quit as Premier of Ontario but refused to resign as leader, and appointed Gordon Daniel Conant as the new Premier without consulting the party. Oliver's resignation contributed to a crisis that eventually led to both Hepburn and Conant's resignations and a leadership convention in May 1943. Harry Nixon was elected the party's new leader. Oliver rejoined the cabinet under new Premier Harry Nixon as Deputy Premier, but Nixon's government was short-lived, going down to defeat in the October 1943 election placing third behind the victorious Progressive Conservatives and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation which became the Official Opposition.
Oliver became the party's acting leader in the legislature 1945 after Hepburn, who had regained the leadership of the party, lost his seat in the 1945 provincial election. The Liberals, nevertheless, displaced the CCF and Oliver became Leader of the Opposition and then permanent leader of the party in 1947 by defeating four other candidates to win a leadership convention. He led the party through the 1948 election that again reduced the Liberals to third place behind the Tories and CCF. Oliver resigned the leadership in 1950, and was replaced by Walter Thomson. However, Thomson was unable to win election to the Legislature, so Oliver remained house leader. Oliver became party leader again from 1954 until 1958, including the 1955 election, but resigned due to caucus feuding.[2] MPPs Albert Wren, who had placed second behind Oliver in the 1954 leadership convention, and Arthur Reaume attacked Oliver's leadership of the party as ineffectual and were expelled from caucus in 1957, shortly before Oliver resigned so that a new leadership convention could be held.[3] Despite his experience, he was never able to lead his party to victory. Farquhar Oliver retired from the legislature in 1967, and died in 1989 at the age of 84.
Farquhar Oliver was the nephew of British Columbia Premier John Oliver.
^"U.F.O. Member, F.R. Oliver Gets Cabinet Post: Public Works Portfolio to Grey South M.L.A.; Succeeds Colin Campbell OATH ADMINISTERED". Globe and Mail. 24 January 1941.
^"Oliver's last piece of advice: Stick with your leader". Toronto Daily Star. 7 January 1961.
^"Ontario Liberal Leadership Fight Looms". Montreal Gazette. April 4, 1958. p. 13.
Farquhar Robert Oliver (March 6, 1904 – January 22, 1989) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. Oliver was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
Oliver argues that this was facetious logic. UFO parliamentary leader Manning Doherty protested the decision, but to no avail. (source: Peter Oliver,...
purchased the Oliver Farm Equipment Company.: 123 Four companies merged on April 1, 1929, to form the Oliver Farm Equipment Company: The Oliver Chilled Plow...
and supported the government) while two new UFO MLAs, Thomas Farquhar and FarquharOliver, joined Oke's faction. Several weeks after the election the UFO...
Douglas Munro Campbell (Kent East) ran as Liberal candidates in 1943. FarquharOliver (Grey South) became a Liberal on February 24, 1941, upon joining the...
underway. Hepburn was defeated in the 1945 provincial election, and FarquharOliver was chosen as the Ontario Liberal Party's parliamentary leader on July...
the previous election to 83. The Ontario Liberal Party, again led by FarquharOliver, won three additional seats in the enlarged legislature, increasing...
basis, and then by Leslie Frost. The Ontario Liberal Party, led by FarquharOliver, increased its caucus from 11 to 14, but lost the role of official...
Association. He died in 1993 after suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. FarquharOliver was interim leader from 1963 to 1964 until a leadership convention...
Harry Nixon Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party 1944–1945 Succeeded by FarquharOliver Political offices Preceded by George Stewart Henry Premier of Ontario...
1948 Progressive Conservative (66 of 90 seats) George Drew Liberal: FarquharOliver none William James Stewart (1945–1947) James Hepburn (1947–1948) 23rd...
Robert Laurier Paul Leduc Duncan Marshall Morrison MacBride Duncan McArthur Thomas McQuesten Harry Nixon FarquharOliver Arthur Roebuck Leonard Simpson...
Daniel Andres Farquhar (/ˈfɑːrkwɑːr/ FAR-quar; born February 17, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Toronto Blue...
Robert Laurier Paul Leduc Duncan Marshall Morrison MacBride Duncan McArthur Thomas McQuesten Harry Nixon FarquharOliver Arthur Roebuck Leonard Simpson...
disorganization. He resigned as leader on May 31, 1954, and was replaced by FarquharOliver. On April 27, 1963, he died of a heart attack, whilst he was being...
incumbent MLA FarquharOliver (Grey South) and Leslie Warner Oke, former MLA for Lambton East, ran as UFO candidates rather than with the CCF. Oliver was re-elected...
Douglas Munro Campbell (Kent East) ran as Liberal candidates in 1943. FarquharOliver (Grey South) became a Liberal on February 24, 1941, upon joining the...
Robert Laurier Paul Leduc Duncan Marshall Morrison MacBride Duncan McArthur Thomas McQuesten Harry Nixon FarquharOliver Arthur Roebuck Leonard Simpson...
(1874–1938) Gregory B. Lee James Legge (1815–1897) Michael Loewe Roderick MacFarquharOliver J. Moore Joseph Needham (1900–1995) Jessica Rawson (born 1943) William...
Derry, Farquhar was one of seven children born to William Farquhar, a clergyman of modest means. The author of Memoirs of Mr. George Farquhar, a biographical...
Robert Laurier Paul Leduc Duncan Marshall Morrison MacBride Duncan McArthur Thomas McQuesten Harry Nixon FarquharOliver Arthur Roebuck Leonard Simpson...
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