George Scott Wallace (9 August 1929 – 15 October 2011) was a British Columbia physician and politician.
George Scott Wallace | |
---|---|
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly | |
In office 27 August 1969 – 31 December 1977 | |
Alderman on the Oak Bay Municipal Council | |
In office 1967–1969 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Leven, Fife, Scotland | 9 August 1929
Died | 15 October 2011 Victoria, British Columbia | (aged 82)
Political party | Conservative Party Progressive Conservative Party (until 1972) Social Credit (until 1971) |
Profession | Physician |
Wallace was born in Leven, Fife, Scotland, and attended the Edinburgh University Medical School from 1947 to 1952. Wallace came to Canada in 1957 and opened a general practice in Victoria in 1961. He served as an alderman from 1967 to 1969 on the Oak Bay Municipal Council and was elected in the 1969 general election as a Social Credit Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Oak Bay.[1]
Wallace crossed the floor to join the British Columbia Progressive Conservative Party in 1971[2] and was re-elected as a Tory in the 1972 general election. He was elected leader of the party in 1973, after the previous party leader failed to win a seat,[2] and led it through the 1975 general election in which he was the only Tory MLA to win a seat. He stepped down as party leader in July, 1977[3] and retired from the legislature on 31 December 1977 in order to return to his medical practice.[1]
In 1993, he announced that he was willing to help terminally ill Sue Rodriguez end her life if the courts rejected her attempt to challenge the law banning assisted suicide.[2] He subsequently served as medical advisor to the Right to Die Society.[4] Rodriguez died in February 1994 with the assistance of an anonymous physician.[5]
Wallace died, aged 82, in Victoria, British Columbia.
References
edit- ^ a b Clarke, John, "Wallace quitting politics," Globe and Mail, 24 December 1977
- ^ a b c Wilson, Deborah, "Former MLA backs Rodriguez Would consider helping woman, says retired doctor," Globe and Mail, 18 February 1993
- ^ Legislative Library of British Columbia, Party Leaders in British Columbia 1900-, 2000, updated 2005
- ^ Osterman, Cynthia, "Right-to-die case sparks Canadian soul-searching," Reuters, 15 December 1993
- ^ Osterman, Cynthia, "Police hunt mystery doctor in assisted suicide," Reuters, 16 February 1994