{{Short description|Canadian politician (1905–1995)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]] | name = David James Walker | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|QC|size=100%}} | image = David James Walker (3222084).jpg | caption = Walker c.1950s | office = [[Minister of Public Works (Canada)|Minister of Public Works]] | prime_minister = [[John Diefenbaker]] | term_start = 20 August 1959 | term_end = 12 July 1962 | predecessor = [[Howard Charles Green]] | successor = Howard Charles Green (acting) | office1 = [[Senate of Canada|Canadian Senator]] <br />from [[Ontario]] | appointer1 = John Diefenbaker | term_start1 = 4 February 1963 | term_end1 = 30 September 1989 | riding2 = [[Toronto Centre (federal electoral district)|Rosedale]] | parliament2 = Canadian | term_start2 = 10 June 1957 | term_end2 = 17 June 1962 | predecessor2 = [[Charles Henry (Canadian politician)|Charles Henry]] | successor2 = [[Donald Stovel Macdonald]] | birth_date = {{Birth date|1905|05|10|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada | death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|11|28|1905|05|10|df=y}} | death_place = | spouse = | party = [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}

'''David James Walker''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|QC}} (10 May 1905 &ndash; 28 November 1995) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] politician.<ref>{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=7937|nolist=yes}}</ref>

==Background== Born in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], he was educated at [[Jarvis Collegiate Institute]], the [[University of Toronto]] and [[Osgoode Hall Law School]]. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1931.

He was first elected to the [[House of Commons of Canada]] for the Toronto riding of [[Toronto Centre (federal electoral district)|Rosedale]] in the [[1957 Canadian federal election|1957 election]] after first losing the [[1953 Canadian federal election|1953 election]]. A [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]], he was re-elected in [[1958 Canadian federal election|1958]] but was defeated in [[1962 Canadian federal election|1962]]. From 1957 to 1958, he was the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. From 1959 to 1962, he was the Minister responsible for National Capital Commission, Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and [[List of Canadian Ministers of Public Works|Minister of Public Works]] in the cabinet of [[John Diefenbaker]].

A long-time friend of John Diefenbaker, he was Best Man at Diefenbaker's second wedding to [[Olive Diefenbaker]] in 1953. As well, he nominated Diefenbaker for leadership at the 1942 [[Winnipeg]] [[Progressive Conservative leadership convention]] and was his campaign manager in 1948. In 1963, he was appointed to the [[Senate of Canada]] representing the senatorial division of Toronto. He resigned in 1989.

Walker opposed [[Pierre Elliott Trudeau]]'s proposed Senate reforms in 1969.<ref>''Winnipeg Free Press'', 14 February 1969, p. 9. The reforms included term limits and the right of provinces to appoint some Senators.</ref>

He published his memoirs ''Fun Along the Way: Memoirs of Dave Walker'' in 1989.

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite news |title=David James Walker Diefenbaker confidant became a senator |date=September 23, 1995 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}

{{CA-Ministers of Public Works}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, David}} [[Category:1905 births]] [[Category:1995 deaths]] [[Category:Canadian senators from Ontario]] [[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Toronto]] [[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]] [[Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian memoirists]] [[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]] [[Category:20th-century members of the Senate of Canada]]