Douglas Ross | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for St. Paul's | |
| In office 1935–1949 | |
| Preceded by | first member |
| Succeeded by | James Rooney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 December 1883 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 24 August 1961 (aged 77) |
| Political party | Conservative National Government Progressive Conservative |
| Profession | Businessman |
Douglas Gooderham Ross (15 December 1883 – 24 August 1961) was a Canadian politician and businessman. Ross represented the riding of St. Paul's from 1935 to 1949. He was a member of the Conservatives, and later the Progressive Conservatives.[1]
Ross's bête noires during his parliamentary career were Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and government bureaucracy - all of which he railed against as an MP.[1]
He accused King of encouraging Hitler by turning down a British request in 1937 to train 25,000 airmen a year, and subsequently criticized the government for its increasing economic reliance on trade with the "unstable" United States rather than the "stable" United Kingdom.[2] He later implied that King was responsible for the war for not having articulated a clear policy within the British Commonwealth.[1]
Once World War II began, Ross urged the registration of all men and women in the country as a war measure in order to mobilize all Canadian resources for the war effort and to curb espionage.[1] After the war, he advocated universal voluntary military training for high school and university students.[citation needed]
Ross criticized Max Ferguson's popular satirical Rawhide show as "meaningless ravings and tripe" and as an insult to the intelligence of Canadians.[1]
In his professional life, Ross was vice-president of the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company.[1]