Ron Atkey

The Honourable Ronald George "Ron" Atkey
Member of the Canadian Parliament for St. Paul's
In office 1979–1980
Preceded by	John Roberts
Succeeded by	John Roberts
In office 1972–1974
Preceded by	Ian Wahn
Succeeded by	John Roberts
Minister of Employment and Immigration
In office June 4, 1979 – March 2, 1980
Preceded by	Bud Cullen
Succeeded by	Lloyd Axworthy
Personal details
Born	February 15, 1942 Saint John, New Brunswick
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Alma mater	University of Western Ontario, Yale University
Profession	Lawyer, law professor

Ronald George "Ron" Atkey, PC, QC (born February 15, 1942) is a lawyer, law professor and former Canadian politician.

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.

Atkey was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Progressive Conservative (Tory) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Toronto riding of St. Paul's in the 1972 election, making him the first ever opposition MP for the riding. He was defeated by John Roberts in the 1974 election.

Atkey defeated Roberts in the 1979 election that brought the Tories to power under Joe Clark. Clark appointed Atkey to the Canadian Cabinet as Minister of Employment and Immigration. Clark's minority government was short-lived, however, and Atkey was defeated in the 1980 election.

As recounted in None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948, 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 second to none in the world.

Atkey did not attempt a return to politics again, and returned to his law practice. He became a senior partner in the firm of Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt, LLP. From 1984 to 1989, he served as Chairman of the Security Intelligence Review Committee which oversees the activities of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Atkey has taught law at the University of Western Ontario, Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Toronto. He wrote Canadian Constitutional Law in a Modern Perspective, which was a popular constitutional law textbook in the 1970s.

In 1994, he wrote a novel, The Chancellor's Foot. He lectures on national security law and international terrorism, and is an expert on communications and cultural law. He has written on the exemption from North American Free Trade Agreement of Canadian cultural industries.

In 2004, he was appointed Amicus Curiae to the Arar Commission in order to act as an independent counsel with the responsibility of testing government requests made on the grounds of national security confidentiality.

Atkey served as legal counsel to Warner Communications, and played a role in the company's merger with America Online.

External links

• Profile of Atkey from the University of Western Ontario's law alumni magazine.
• Ron Atkey – Parliament of Canada biography