Neil Fraser (civil servant)

Neil Fraser (born c. 1934) is a Canadian former civil servant who came to prominence for his crusade against the Metric system of weights and measures in the early 1980s, which resulted in him being fired from his post in the Department of National Revenue in February 1982.[1][2] To promote his campaign, he ran as a candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada at the 1983 leadership convention.[1]

Fraser's campaign had no visible followers.[3] Granted the same nationally televised 25 minutes as the other candidates for his convention address, Fraser engaged in a bizarre speech that likened Confederation to a blood transfusion to Quebec.[4] Lise Bissonnette commented that if the speech had been heard on Radio-Canada, it would have set the Tories' Quebec efforts back 10 years.[5] He finished last, with five votes.

References

  1. 1 2 "Anti-metric man, Neil Fraser, joins race for Tory leadership", Leader-Post, April 6, 1983, p. A13, retrieved 2010-11-25
  2. ↑ "Metric foe can appeal dismissal top court says", Montreal Gazette, February 9, 1983, p. A-8, retrieved 2010-11-25
  3. ↑ Martin, Gregg, Perlin, p. 155.
  4. ↑ Martin, Gregg, Perlin, p. 155-7.
  5. ↑ Martin, Gregg, Perlin, p. 157.


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