{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Doug Finley | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | office = Canadian Senator <br />from Ontario | appointer = Michaëlle Jean | nominator = Stephen Harper | predecessor = | successor = | term_start = August 27, 2009 | term_end = May 11, 2013 | birth_name = Michael Douglas Finley | birth_date = July 25, 1946 | birth_place = Exeter, England, United Kingdom | death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|5|11|1946|7|25|mf=y}} | death_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | spouse = Diane Finley | party = Scottish National Party <br /> Conservative | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Michael Douglas Finley''' (July 25, 1946 – May 11, 2013) was a Canadian Senator and was Campaign Director for the Conservative Party of Canada during the 2006 and 2008 federal elections and the party's director of Political Operations.
==Biography==
Finley was born in Exeter, England, and later raised in Hamilton, Scotland.<ref name="theglobeandmail.com"/><ref name=canwest/> In his professional life, Finley worked for Rolls-Royce Canada in Montreal, where he rose to the position of Director of Production, Strategic Planning and New Business Development. He then served as President of Standard Aero Corporation and Senior Vice President of Avcorp Industries.<ref>[http://www.avcorp.com/ Avcorp Industries website]; retrieved 2014-02-13.</ref> Later in his business career he worked as General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Fernlea Flowers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/senmemb/senate/isenator_det.asp?senator_id=2852&sortord=S&Language=E&M=M|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907060458/http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/senmemb/senate/isenator_det.asp?senator_id=2852&sortord=S&Language=E&M=M|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 September 2012|title=Senator Doug Finley|publisher=Parliament of Canada}}</ref> of Delhi, Ontario.<ref>[http://www.fernlea.com/ Fernlea Flowers website]; retrieved 2014-02-13.</ref>
Douglas Finley was described as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's "number two man" and an "attack dog",<ref name="theglobeandmail.com">{{cite news| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/senator-doug-finley-was-deeply-committed-to-canada/article11881399/ | location=Toronto | work=The Globe and Mail | title=Senator Doug Finley was deeply committed to Canada | date=May 12, 2013}}</ref> responsible for vetting and disciplining candidates and MPs. Prior to his involvement with Canadian federal politics, Finley was involved with the Scottish National Party. His first Canadian federal political involvement was in the 1974 campaign of Liberal candidate Rod Blaker, who was campaigning for re-election in the Quebec riding of Lachine.<ref name=canwest>Uncredited, [http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=8ab38b84-3243-4f56-ac4d-13fa1530f722 Harper's backroom general] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512074242/http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=8ab38b84-3243-4f56-ac4d-13fa1530f722 |date=2014-05-12 }};Canwest News Service, July 7, 2008. Retrieved 2014-02-12.</ref> He later was involved with the former Reform and Canadian Alliance parties, predecessor parties to the Conservative Party of Canada.
Finley was married to cabinet minister Diane Finley, his second wife,<ref name=canwest/> for more than 30 years.<ref name="theglobeandmail.com"/><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/687743 | work=The Star | location=Toronto | title=Harper dubbed 'patronage king' | first=Richard J. | last=Brennan | date=August 28, 2009 | accessdate=May 1, 2010}}</ref>
While working as Campaign Director for the Conservative Party of Canada during the 2006 federal election, Finley, with his colleagues Irving Gerstein, Michael Donison and Susan Kehoe, was involved in what became known as the In and Out scandal,<ref name="theglobeandmail.com"/> in relation to campaign funding.
In 2009, Finley was appointed to the Senate.
Finley died of cancer on May 11, 2013.<ref name=death>{{cite news|title=Senator Doug Finley dies from cancer at age 66|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senator-doug-finley-dies-from-cancer-at-age-66-1.1309905|publisher=CBC|access-date=11 May 2013}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=17415}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finley, Doug}} Category:1946 births Category:English emigrants to Canada Category:Canadian political consultants Category:Canadian senators from Ontario Category:Conservative Party of Canada senators Category:2013 deaths Category:Deaths from cancer in Ontario Category:Politicians from Ottawa Category:21st-century members of the Senate of Canada