Scott Fraser (politician)

Background

Scott Fraser was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, and attended Carleton University. In 1979 he moved to Alberta and worked on the oil rigs throughout the province and in the Arctic. He eventually moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, then, in 1992, to Tofino. With his wife and young daughter, he opened a bed and breakfast business. Only four years later, Fraser became the mayor of Tofino. He was mayor from November 1996 to November 1999, a time when tourism was over-taking logging and fishing as the town's dominant industry. Fraser was supportive of the application to the United Nations to designate Clayoquot Sound as a biosphere site; Clayoquot Sound was listed as a Biosphere Reserve in 2000. Fraser was the subject of a complaint filed at the British Columbia Ombudsman by one of his councillors, Ken Gibson. The mayor and council issued a resolution stating that Gibson had violated conflict-of-interest laws, using his position on council to influence zoning restrictions on his property. Gibson challenged the resolution at the BC Supreme Court which ruled in Gibson's favour, ordering that Gibson be re-instated as a councillor. The mayor and council voted in favour of appealing the decision but the Court of Appeal upheld the decision. Fraser was defeated in his attempt at re-election as mayor. In 2000, the former mayor was appointed to Tourism BC's board of directors and to the Clayoquot Sound Central Region Board which considered pre-treaty land use-related decisions. He accepted job as an assistant manager of the Tofino Harbour Authority and served as the chairman of the Working Sound Shellfish Committee.

As the 2004 federal election approached, Fraser expressed interest in becoming the New Democratic Party nominee for the Nanaimo—Alberni. For the nomination, Fraser faced three other candidates but won on the third ballot of the preferential vote. The general election was held in June when the 46-year-old Fraser challenged incumbent James Lunney of the Conservative Party, Port Alberni councillor Hira Chopra for the Liberal Party, and retired lawyer David Wright for the Green Party, Michael Mann for the Marijuana Party, retired teacher Diana Lifton for the Canadian Action Party, and Barbara Biley for the Marxist–Leninist Party. While Lunney remained the favourite to win, Fraser was viewed as making the election competitive. Lunney did win the riding with 39% of the vote while Fraser finished second with 32%.

Provincial politics

Fraser did not put his name forward to represent the BC NDP in the 2005 provincial election, but after the NDP candidate in the Alberni-Qualicum riding withdrew, the riding association asked Fraser to stand for election. The 47-year-old Fraser, who was living in Qualicum Beach by that time, agreed. He was supported by party leader Carole James who campaigned in the riding in late-April and early-May. The incumbent, BC Liberal Gillian Trumper, was seeking re-election and being challenged by the 66-year-old Jack Thornburgh for the Green Party, Michael Mann for the Marijuana Party, and the 50-year-old digital animator Jen Fisher-Bradley for Democratic Reform BC. Fraser won with over 50% of the vote and his party formed the official opposition to the BC Liberals who formed a majority government.

38th Parliament

As the 38th Parliament began, Fraser opened a constituency office in Port Alberni. That Port Alberni suffered heavy damage during a flooding event in November 2006 and a second office, this one in Qualicum Beach, was opened in 2007. Party leader Carole James appointed Fraser to be the BC NDP critic on aboriginal issues. He was appointed to the Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs but the committee was never convened. On aboriginal issues, Fraser supported Premier Campbell's declaration that aboriginal peoples constitute a nation, and encouraged the Premier to recognize the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Fraser supported the decision to remove, from the legislature, murals depicting aboriginal people in what was seen as historically inaccurate and offensive situations. Fraser was also appointed to the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture which met in the first three sessions, from November 2005 to May 2007. He was previously employed by a shellfish farm, but remained critical of open-net fish farms which interfere with wild salmon populations, like those in the Broughton Archipelago, and the measures that must be taken to control sea lice.

Fraser introduced one piece of legislation in the 38th Parliament: the Promotion of Safe Antifreeze Act (Bill M-202). The bill proposed to ban ethylene glycol, which has a pleasing taste to animals but is poisonous, from engine antifreeze sold in the province. Fraser was motivated to create the bill after his cat died of antifreeze-related poisoning. It received first reading on March 7, 2007, but later ruled out of order because it exceeded the limits of a private members bill. The bill was supported animal welfare organization such as the BC SPCA, the Nature Trust of BC, and Sierra Club BC, as well as several BC Liberals, including Environment Minister Barry Penner who directed ministry staff to report on implementation options. While the bill was returned for second reading, Fraser proposed a motion to add the ban on ethylene glycol in antifreeze to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment Act being debated in March 2008, though it was voted down by the BC Liberals. The government took action on the issue in April 2009 by implementing a regulation requiring a foul-tasting agent be added to antifreeze.

On local issues, Fraser sought changes to the E&N Railway Company's pest management plan which was being reviewed by the Ministry of Environment. Specifically, he sought the removal of 2,4-D and Garlon 4 based on concerns regarding potential interaction with the local watershed. The management plan was approved by the ministry but the company agreed to replace 2,4-D. Fraser supported residents who sought to add land to MacMillan Provincial Park (Cathedral Grove), oppose developing a new parking lot there and stop logging of old growth forest adjacent to Cathedral Grove. Fraser sought provincial assistance to protect Hamilton Marsh, near Qualicum Beach, after a failed acquisition deal between the land owners, Ducks Unlimited and the Regional District of Nanaimo. Fraser joined the Bamfield Road Safety Association which lobbied the Ministry of Transportation to upgrade and better maintain Bamfield Road which had several traffic-related deaths. Fraser was a persistent critic of the Private Managed Forest Land Act, adopted in 2003 during the 37th Parliament, which enabled the province to sell parts of crown land Tree Farm Licence (TFL) to private companies and consequently, in Fraser's view, led to an increase in exports of raw logs and the idling of sawmills in BC. Fraser asked the Auditor General of BC to include a review of the removal of land from TFL 44 (the TFL in his riding) in the review of such removals under this act —- though the Auditor General declined as his mandated review specifically excluded consideration of TFL 44 and he would not conduct a separate, independent review. After it was disclosed that the BC Investment Management Corporation, which invests public funds but is independent of the government, owned 25% of the company that owned the forest land, Fraser suggested that the corporation violated its own rules on environmental and socially-ethical investments and colluded with BC Liberal donor Brookfield Asset Management, who owned 50% of the same company. In protest of the pay raises given to MLAs, Fraser donated his raise to local charities, including several scholarships for high school students in his riding entering post-secondary education.

39th Parliament

For the 2009 provincial election Fraser's electoral district was re-arranged, removing Qualicum Beach, to create Alberni-Pacific Rim. The 52-year-old Fraser was challenged by the 53-year-old former mayor of Ucluelet Dianne St. Jacques representing the BC Liberals, Paul Musgrave for the BC Green Party, and Nanaimo resident Dallas Hills for the BC Refederation Party. Fraser won his riding taking over 50% of the vote but his party again formed the official opposition to the BC Liberals who formed their third consecutive majority government. As the 39th Parliament began, party leader Carole James reassigned Fraser to be the critic for community and rural development, though he stayed on the Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs which, like the previous parliament, was not convened. He was also appointed to the Special Committee on Cosmetic Pesticides during the 3rd and 4th sessions (2011–2012) which reviewed the potential for regulations or bans on cosmetic pesticides.

Fraser continued to advocate for improvements to Bamfield Road and protection of Hamilton marsh, even though his new riding did not cover the land, and to speak out against the BC Liberal forestry management. Fraser was a proponent of bringing new sawmill technology, developed by the German company Voith, which purported to require less than 10% of the energy required in the existing Kraft process, produce the same yields with only 25% of the pollution while being able to use pine beetle-killed logs. Negotiations took place between Voith, Catalyst Paper, and the BC government but broke down over insufficient investment commitment and guarantees, though Fraser continued to promote the technology.

Fraser introduced one piece of legislation during the 39th Parliament: Cave Protection Act (Bill M-206). Introduced on May 27, 2010, the bill proposed to create a registry of all cave sites and enable the government to prosecute people who damage cave sites. There are several cave systems on Vancouver Island, including karst caves, which had come under threat of being damaged due to logging and mining operations.

After Bob Simpson was removed from the BC NDP caucus for publicly criticizing the party leadership, Fraser added Simpson's old role of critic Aboriginal issues to his portfolio. As several other caucus members questioned the leadership of Carole James, Fraser remained loyal to her and was surprised when she resigned. During the subsequent leadership election, Fraser endorsed John Horgan, stating "I believe he has the best business sense, balanced by 'environment' and 'social justice.'" Adrian Dix went on to win and appointed Fraser as critic for aboriginal relations, moving the role of critic for community and rural development to Harry Lali.