Donald Oliver

The Honourable Donald H. Oliver QC
Senator for South Shore, Nova Scotia
In office September 7, 1990 – November 16, 2013
Appointed by	Brian Mulroney
Personal details
Born	(1938-11-16) November 16, 1938 Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
Political party	Conservative
Profession	Lawyer

Donald H. Oliver, QC (born November 16, 1938) is a Canadian lawyer, developer and politician. Oliver served in the Senate of Canada from 1990 until 2013.

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. He is descended from slave refugees who came to Canada during the War of 1812.

Education and before politics

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.

Politics

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 to 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.

Appointment to the Senate

Oliver was appointed to the Senate at the recommendation of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, September 7, 1990. He served as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, and as the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committees on Transport and Communications and Standing 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.

Oliver was named Speaker pro tempore of the Senate of Canada, March 4, 2010. Oliver retired from the Senate November 16, 2013, when he attained age 75.

Personal life

Oliver is married and has one daughter. When not in Ottawa, Oliver resides on his farm in Queens County, Nova Scotia. Senator Donald Oliver is an honorary patron with Crossroads International. In 1962, he was a Crossroads volunteer to Ethiopia, an experience Senator Oliver has said, changed him forever.

External links

• Senator Donald Oliver's website
• Donald Oliver – Parliament of Canada biography