{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Ron Ghitter | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM|size=100%}} | image = | office = Canadian Senator<br />from Alberta | predecessor = Stanley Waters | successor = Tommy Banks | term_start = March 25, 1993 | term_end = March 31, 2000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=4273|title = Profile}}</ref> | appointer = Brian Mulroney | office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Buffalo | predecessor2 = New District | successor2 = Tom Sindlinger | term_start2 = August 30, 1971 | term_end2 = March 13, 1979<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=memberprofile&mid=0453|title=Legislative Assembly of Alberta}}</ref> | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|8|22}} | birth_place = Calgary, Alberta, canada | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Myrna Ghitter<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/local-arts/djd-unveils-incredible-new-space/|title=Bill Brooks: DJD unveils incredible new space}}</ref> | party = Progressive Conservative | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = }}
'''Ronald D. Ghitter''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (born August 22, 1935) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from August 30, 1971, to March 13, 1979, sitting with the governing Progressive Conservative caucus. Ghitter was appointed to the Senate of Canada on March 25, 1993, where he sat as a senator from Alberta until his retirement on March 31, 2000.
==Life and career== Born in Calgary, Alberta, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956 and his Bachelor of Law degree in 1959 from the University of Alberta. He practised real estate law in Calgary. From 1986 to 1988, he was executive vice president of development at Trizec Corporation.
He was first elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the electoral district of Calgary-Buffalo in the 1971 Alberta general election, defeating popular Calgary Stampeders star Don Luzzi from the Alberta Social Credit Party in a very tight race.<ref name="1971 official" /> He was elected again in 1975 and then retired, having served two terms.<ref name="1975 official" /> As a member of the Progressive Conservative caucus, Ghitter was a critic of many decisions made by his party, including purchasing Pacific Western Airlines and the governments use of the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund. Ghitter announced he would not retire from the legislature in November 1978, and not contest the upcoming 1979 Alberta general election.<ref>{{cite news |title=Outspoken MLA won't run again |work=Edmonton Journal |date=November 3, 1978 |page=B5 |id={{ProQuest|2397711112}} }}</ref>
Following revelations that Eckville school teacher James Keegstra had taught his students anti-semitic propaganda, Ghitter headed a Committee on Tolerance and Understanding. The committee investigated issues of tolerance and understanding within the educational system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/paula-simons-jim-keegstras-haunted-legacy-hate-monger-forced-alberta-to-confront-its-dark-demons/|title=Jim Keegstra's haunted legacy; Hate-monger forced Alberta to confront its dark demons|last=Simons|first=Paula|date=June 14, 2014|website=edmontonjournal.com|access-date=2020-04-12}}</ref> This committee released its report to the government in 1984.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Alberta. Committee on Tolerance and Understanding|url=https://archive.org/details/finalreport00albe_1|title=Final report|last2=Ghitter|first2=Ron|publisher=[Alberta : The Committee]|year=1984|language=en}}</ref>
Ghitter re-entered politics in 1985 to run for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party but came in third losing to Don Getty. He was appointed to the Senate in 1993 representing the senatorial division of Alberta. From 1996 to 1999, he was the chair of the Senate Standing Committee of Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources. Sitting as a Progressive Conservative, he resigned in 2000.
In 1990, he was awarded the Alberta Human Rights Award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/ghitter-alberta-needs-to-regain-its-leadership-in-human-rights|title=Ghitter: Alberta needs to regain its leadership in human rights|date=October 12, 2019|website=Calgary Herald|language=en-CA|access-date=2020-04-04}}</ref> He was awarded the Order of Canada on May 11, 2018, for his work on human rights legislation and various social issues.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/146-12252|title=The Honourable Ronald D. Ghitter|last=General|first=Office of the Secretary to the Governor|website=The Governor General of Canada|access-date=2020-04-12}}</ref>
==Electoral record== {| class="wikitable" |colspan="3" align=center|'''1971 Alberta general election results'''<ref name="1971 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1971&Constit=Calgary-Buffalo| title=Calgary-Buffalo Official Results 1971 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=March 3, 2010}}</ref> |colspan="2"|'''Turnout 66.33%''' |colspan="2" align=center|'''Swing''' |- !style="width: 10px;"| |'''Affiliation''' |'''Candidate''' |'''Votes''' |'''%''' |'''Party''' |'''Personal''' {{CANelec|AB|PC|Ron Ghitter|5,705|46.35%}} {{CANelec|AB|Social Credit|Don Luzzi|5,238|42.56%}} {{CANelec|AB|NDP|Jane Summers|1,364|11.09%}} {{CANelec/total|Total|12,307}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled and declined|72}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / turnout|18,664| %}} |}
===1975 general election=== {| class="wikitable" | colspan="3" align=center|'''1975 Alberta general election results'''<ref name="1975 official">{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1975&Constit=Calgary-Buffalo| title=Calgary-Buffalo Official Results 1975 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation| access-date=March 3, 2010}}</ref> | colspan="2"|'''Turnout 50.67%''' |colspan="2" align=center|'''Swing''' |- !style="width: 10px;"| |'''Affiliation''' |'''Candidate''' |'''Votes''' |'''%''' |'''Party''' |'''Personal''' {{CANelec|AB|PC|Ron Ghitter|6,525|70.88%|24.53%}} {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|row}} |Liberal |Maria Eriksen |962 |10.45% |colspan=2 align=center|* {{CANelec|AB|NDP|Paula Davies|877|9.53%| -1.56%}} {{CANelec|AB|Social Credit|Norman Ashmead|786|8.54%| -34.02%}} {{CANelec|AB|Communist|David Wallis|55|0.60%|*}} {{CANelec/total|Total|9,205}} {{CANelec/total|Rejected, spoiled and declined|26}} {{CANelec/total|Eligible electors / turnout|18,219| %}} {{CANelec/hold|AB|PC|40.67%}} |}
==Party leadership contest==
{| class="wikitable" |- !colspan="3"|'''Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership convention, 1985''' |- !colspan="3" align="left"|'''Second ballot''' |- ! Candidate ! Votes ! Percentage |- |'''Don Getty''' |align="right"|1,061 |align="right"|56.2% |- |Julian Koziak |align="right"|827 |align="right"|43.8% |- !colspan="3" align="left"|'''First ballot''' |- ! Candidate ! Votes ! Percentage |- |'''Don Getty''' |align="right"|913 |align="right"|48.4% |- |Julian Koziak |align="right"|545 |align="right"|28.9% |- |Ron Ghitter |align="right"|428 |align="right"|22.7% |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{AlbertaMLAbio|ID=0453 |2=Ronald D. Ghitter}} * {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=4273}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghitter, Ron}} Category:1935 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian senators from Alberta Category:Jewish Canadian politicians Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Politicians from Calgary Category:Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta MLAs Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Canada senators Category:University of Alberta alumni Category:University of Alberta Faculty of Law alumni Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta Category:20th-century members of the Senate of Canada