Ron Atkey
Minister of Employment and Immigration | |
---|---|
In office June 4, 1979 – March 2, 1980 | |
Preceded by | Bud Cullen |
Succeeded by | Lloyd Axworthy |
Personal details | |
Born | Saint John, New Brunswick | February 15, 1942
Died | May 9, 2017 Toronto, Ontario | (aged 75)
Political party | Progressive Conservative |
Residence(s) | Toronto, Ontario |
Alma mater | University of Western Ontario, Yale University |
Profession | Lawyer, law professor |
Ronald George Atkey,
Background
Atkey graduated in 1962 from the University of Western Ontario, and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Society while in university. He also obtained law degrees from Yale University and the University of Western Ontario.
Politics
Atkey was elected to the
Atkey defeated Roberts in the
During his time as Minister, Atkey was instrumental in the decision to grant 50,000 Vietnamese boat people asylum in Canada in 1979, during the Southeast Asian refugee crisis. Atkey was influenced by an early manuscript copy of the book None is Too Many, which revealed Canada's racist attitude toward Jews trying to enter Canada during the Holocaust. As a result, Canada's participation in resolving his crisis was a model for the world.[5]
Later life
After his defeat, Atkey returned to his law practice. He became a senior partner in the firm of
In 2004, he was appointed
Atkey served as legal counsel to
References
- ^ "How the 1,117 candidates fared across Canada". The Toronto Star. October 31, 1972. p. 15.
- ^ "How the party candidates fared across the country". The Toronto Star. July 9, 1974. p. A12.
- ^ "Counting the votes: The Liberals watch from their Quebec fortress ... as Conservatives sweep most of the West". The Globe and Mail. May 24, 1979. pp. 10–11.
- ^ "Federal general election results listed riding-by-riding". The Ottawa Citizen. February 19, 1980. pp. 29–30.
- ^ Politician Ron Atkey opened Canada’s doors to boat people Globe and Mail obituary by Ron Csillag, 2017 May 24
- ^ a b "Ron Atkey remembered for response to Vietnamese refugee crisis". Toronto Star. May 19, 2017.