# Barry Mather

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**Barry Mather** (20 February 1909 – 30 March 1982) was a Canadian journalist, columnist, and politician.

Born in [Condor, Alberta](/source/Condor,_Alberta), he was a journalist for the *Vancouver News Herald* and a columnist with *[The Vancouver Sun](/source/The_Vancouver_Sun)* before being elected to the [House of Commons of Canada](/source/House_of_Commons_of_Canada) in the [1962 federal election](/source/1962_Canadian_federal_election) for the [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia) riding of [New Westminster](/source/New_Westminster_(federal_electoral_district)). A member of the [New Democratic Party](/source/New_Democratic_Party_(Canada)), he was re-elected in the [1963](/source/1963_Canadian_federal_election), [1965](/source/1965_Canadian_federal_election), [1968](/source/1968_Canadian_federal_election), and [1972](/source/1972_Canadian_federal_election) elections in the ridings of New Westminster, Surrey, and Surrey—White Rock.

In 1965, he was the first Member of Parliament to introduce a [freedom of information](/source/Freedom_of_information_legislation) bill as a [private member's bill](/source/Private_member's_bill). Although it didn't pass, he would re-introduce the same legislation in every parliamentary session between 1968 and 1974. In 1983, an *[Access to Information Act](/source/Access_to_Information_Act)* would finally be passed.[1] Mather was also one of the first parliamentarians to call for restrictions on the sale of cigarettes; in 1969, he called for a ban on all cigarette advertising.[2]

He was the co-author of the 1958 book, *New Westminster, The Royal City*. He was married to [Camille Mather](/source/Camille_Mather), a former [Co-operative Commonwealth Federation](/source/New_Democratic_Party_of_British_Columbia) member of the [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_British_Columbia) in the riding of [Delta](/source/Delta_(provincial_electoral_district)). They had two daughters: Mary and Jane.

He died of a [heart attack](/source/Myocardial_infarction) during a vacation in [Nerja](/source/Nerja) in 1982.

## References

- "Barry Mather, ex-MP, dies in Spain at 73". *[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)*. 1 April 1982.

1. Access to Information Review Task Force (June 2002). ["Access to Information: Making it Work for Canadians – Annex 8: List of Recommendations"](https://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/BT22-83-2002E.pdf). *Publications.gc.ca*. Government of Canada. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20041208060858/http://www.atirtf-geai.gc.ca/report/reportAnnex8-e.html) December 8, 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 18, 2026.

1. *Winnipeg Free Press*, 17 January 1969, p. 6; *Winnipeg Free Press*, 7 February 1969, p. 7.

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