Donald Oliver

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Donald H. Oliver, QC, BA, LLB, LLD (born Wolfville, Nova Scotia on November 16, 1938) is a Canadian Senator.

A lawyer and developer, Oliver is a member of Nova Scotia's Black minority. He is the nephew of Canadian opera singer Portia White, politician Bill White and labour union activist Jack White, and the cousin of political strategist Sheila White.

Oliver practised law in Halifax, Nova Scotia as a partner in the firm Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales from (1965 to 1990) and subsequently at two other law firms for a total of 36 years primarily in civil litigation. He taught at Dalhousie University Law School as a part-time professor for 14 years, and also taught law courses at Technical University of Nova Scotia and St. Mary’s University. He is a Queen's Counsel.

A long-time activist in the Progressive Conservative Party, Oliver served as the party's director of legal affairs through six federal elections from 1972 until and including 1988. He has also served as a federal vice-president of the party and as a director of its fundraising wing, the PC Canada Fund.

Oliver also served for years as Constitution Chairman and member of the Finance Committee for the Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia, and is a former Vice-President of that Party.

Oliver was appointed to the Senate at the recommendation of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on September 7, 1990. He has served as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, and as the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications. He is currently Chairman of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Senator Oliver was also Co-chair of the Special Joint Committee on a Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians. He has worked on a number of Private Members’ Bills, including a bill to amend sections of the criminal code dealing with stalking and, more recently, a bill to address the issue of SPAM.

Senator Oliver’s commitment to human rights and equality for all Canadians is reflected in both his community service and his frequent public speaking engagements. In addition to his work in the areas of human rights and visible minorities, Senator Oliver is a strong advocate of Corporate Responsibility. Most recently, Senator Oliver spear-headed a Conference Board of Canada study on Visible Minorities and the Canadian Labour Market. The Study was a sobering reminder that there are systemic and ongoing barriers to employment equity in Canada’s public and private sectors.

Senator Oliver is married and has one daughter. When not in Ottawa, Senator Oliver resides on his farm in Queens County, Nova Scotia.

[edit] External links

• Senator Donald Oliver's website (also a source of information on the Senate of Canada)
• June 2005, The Hill Times

	Nova Scotia Caucus serving in the 39th Canadian Parliament.
Senators	Gerald J. Comeau (Con), Jane Cordy (Lib), Jim Cowan (Lib), Terry Mercer (Lib), Wilfred Moore (Lib), Donald Oliver (Con), Gerard Phalen (Lib)
Members of Parliament	Scott Brison (Lib), Bill Casey (Con), Rodger Cuzner (Lib), Mark Eyking (Lib), Gerald Keddy (Con), Peter MacKay (Con), Alexa McDonough (NDP), Geoff Regan (Lib), Michael Savage (Lib), Peter Stoffer (NDP), Robert Thibault (Lib)