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Hugh Peacock
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Windsor West
In office October 17, 1967 – October 21, 1971
Preceded by	Riding Recreated
Succeeded by	Ted Bounsall
Personal details
Born	(1937-07-07) July 7, 1937 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Political party	New Democratic
Children	2
Residence(s)	Oshawa, Ontario
Occupation	Research Analyst, Union Advocate, Yoga Instructor

Hubert John Peacock (born July 7, 1937) is a retired Irish Canadian research analyst, union advocate and politician. Peacock immigrated to Canada as a child following the Second World War. At a young age he became involved with the Ontario Section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and its successor, the Ontario New Democratic Party (ONDP). Peacock was the first President of the New Democratic Youth of Ontario (NDYO), where he set a more moderate social democratic course in opposition to a Trotskyist faction seeking to take control of the youth branch of the party.

Peacock was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Windsor West in the ONDP's breakthrough 1967 election showing. A close associate of Stephen Lewis, Peacock supported his successful leadership bid in 1970. Despite being seen as a rising star within the party, Peacock retired from public office after one term. He then served as a union advocate for many years before retiring and becoming a yoga instructor.

Early life

Hubert John "Hugh" Peacock was born on July 7, 1937, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His parents were William and Mary Ellen (née Graham) Peacock. William worked at the Belfast shipyards, where he died under mysterious circumstances early in the Second World War. During the Belfast Blitz, Peacock and his mother were evacuated to Dromore, where he began his education. Following the Blitz, Peacock and his mother returned to Belfast, where they remained for the rest of the war.

After the end of the war, Mary Ellen had no means of supporting the family. She asked for assistance from her two sisters, Jean and Helen, who lived in Toronto, Canada. The sisters sent a letter to the Ministry of Mines and Resources (then responsible for immigration) sponsoring Mary Ellen and her son. They arrived in Toronto on July 1, 1947, aboard the RMS Aquitania.

Young New Democrat

The NDYO held its founding convention in Toronto in October of 1961. Peacock was elected its first president. At the time he was 24 years old and research director of the International Woodworkers of America. The NDYO's founding platform included calls for an end to Protestant religious education in public schools, administrative reform in the Ministry of Education, school-provided textbooks, expansion of bursaries, and an economic plan to end homelessness.

The NDYO's second annual convention was held in 1962 in Hamilton, Ontario. The convention was considered a battle between a moderate faction of social democrats and a radical faction of Trotskyists. Members of the Trotskyist League for Socialist Action (LSA) had joined the NDYO with the intention of taking it over from within. In response, Peacock proposed that the NDYO executive committee hold the right to refuse membership to anyone seeking to join the NDYO from another political party. Although bitterly opposed by the radical faction, the proposition passed by a three to one margin. In a voter along factional lines, Peacock was re-elected president along with the moderate slate of the executive committee. A radical motion supporting Canada's withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was also defeated.

In 1963, Peacock was hired as regional research director of the Canadian Region of the United Auto Workers. In that role he helped develop unemployment benefits and pension plans, and lobbied the government to create a wage and price control board. That same year, he was also elected to the executive committee of the Mental Health Council of Essex County.

In his role as President of the Essex West NDP riding association, Peacock presided over the nomination of Trevor Price as the party's candidate in the 1963 Canadian federal election. Peacock also nominated Alderman Bert Weeks as the ONDP candidate in for Windsor—Sandwich in the 1963 Ontario general election. Price and Weeks both placed a distant third in their respective elections. In 1964, Peacock was part of Weeks' campaign team for his second mayoral bid. Weeks lost in an upset to John Wheelton, but would later be elected mayor in the 1974 Windsor municipal election.

In 1965, Peacock was elected President of the Windsor—Sandwich ONDP riding association. Additionally, he was the NDP's candidate in Essex West for that year's federal election, running against Liberal stalwart Herb Grayand Progressive Conservative (PC) challenger Austin Dixon. There was very low public interest in the 1965 election, as very little had changed since the previous federal election two years earlier. Peacock disagreed that their was widespread apathy, and claimed that voters were interested in discussing the issues with him. The election resulted in only very marginal changes to the composition of Parliament. This was reflected in Essex West, where the results were nearly identical to the previous election. Peacock placed a distant third. His campaign spent $2,935 on the election; significantly lower than Gray and Dixon.

Peacock was elected to the board of directors of the Windsor YMCA in February of 1966. Later that same month, he was elected Treasurer of the Windsor—Sandwich ONDP riding association, while his associate Ted Bounsall began a tenure as President.

Member of Provincial Parliament

In March of 1967, Peacock was chosen as the ONDP's candidate for that year's election in the newly recreated riding of Windsor West. Peacock was nominated by Bill Tepperman, with about 130 party members in attendance. In his acceptance speech, he called for greater provincial assistance toward municipalities through grants to education and public housing, and through the province assuming the cost of welfare and the administration of justice. Tepperman also served as Peacock's campaign manager.

Peacock's Progressive Conservative opponent was MPP Ivan Thrasher, whose riding of Windsor—Sandwich had been redistricted into Windsor West. Also in the running was Liberal politico and small business owner Al Dotter. The race was considered a toss-up.

Peacock began his campaign earlier than his two challengers, having anticipated that the election would be called sooner than it was. Described as "young, personable and an intelligent talker," he noted that the main issues of the campaign were housing, property taxes, and the cost of living. Peacock was the first candidate in a Windsor election to make widespread use of lawn signs, which has since become common practice. During the campaign, the press noted widespread public interest in his candidacy but cast doubt on his chances of winning; a pattern had emerged in Windsor where the NDP would run a high profile candidate who would receive significant attention but ultimately place a distant third. By coincidence, election day was Peacock's eighth wedding anniversary. Contrary to press speculation, Peacock won an upset victory over Dotter and Thrasher, almost doubling the NDP's vote compared to the 1964 Windsor—Sandwich by-election. Peacock's win was part of a surge in NDP support in Windsor; a similar upset occurred in the neighbouring riding of Sandwich—Riverside, where Fred Burr defeated Liberal MPP Arthur Reaume, while in Windsor—Walkerville, longtime Liberal MPP Bernard Newman won a close race against NDP challenger Peter MacKenzie. Since 1967, the NDP has remained competitive in Windsor's ridings.

In the ONDP's first caucus following the election, Peacock was chosen as critic for economics and development. In his role as critic, Peacock introduced a motion to strip housing as a responsibility of the Economics Minister. The motion was intended as a means to express a "complete lack of confidence in Minister of Economics Stan Randall. The motion failed after the Progressive Conservatives and Liberals voted against it. Peacock and Randall continued to spar throughout the 28th Parliament of Ontario; Peacock criticized Randall for the slow pace of housing construction, which Randall was responsible for as minister responsible for the Ontario Housing Corporation. As delays continued to emerge, Randall acknowledged that there was a housing crisis, but blamed policy failures on the federal government's failure to provide guidelines for public housing, and failure to provide funding through the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Despite this, the Robarts Government rejected Peacock's proposal to create a separate Ministry of Housing.

Like most other members of the ONDP, Peacock was very critical of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan as it was first proposed by the Progressive Conservative government. The PCs proposed a healthcare system where the provincial government would cover the charges to citizens by private health insurance providers. Peacock criticzed the plan for having no mechanism to match rising healthcare costs, with doctor's fees typically being raised every two years. The end result would be that people would have to pay 10 to 20% of the cost out of pocket the next time the costs were raised. The government would also be forced to take on some of the administrative costs of private health insurance providers to continue to cover health insurance, which would give health insurance companies no incentive to operate with any efficiency. Would leave Ontario as the only province where insurance companies retain a role in the healthcare system. Peacock instead proposed that participating doctors should be required to accept the government payment as payment in full.

Peacock proposed the creation of an independent tribunal to determine the salaries of MPPs. As part of the same proposal, he suggested that MPPs remove the tax-free status of their expense accounts. The proposal was rejected on behalf of the government by Provincial Secretary Bob Welch, who stated, "No matter how we carve it up, or how many intermediaries we create, the responsibility is finally ours anyway because we have to vote the money."

When a bill to provide loans to fisherman affected by mercury pollution was introduced in the legislative assembly, Peacock proposed that fisherman should be provided grants instead. At the time, fishing had been banned in the Detroit River and its connecting bodies of water due to mercury pollution, to the detriment of fishermen in Windsor.

Peacock, along with Stephen Lewis, Morton Shulman, Jim Renwick, John Harney, and Walter Pitman, was considered to be a potential leadership contender upon the retirement of Donald McDonald. The race ultimately narrowed to Lewis and Pitman (as well as minor candidate Douglas Campbell), with Peacock supporting the former.

After leaving office, Peacock was characterized by the Toronto Star as an effective, well-researched, and highly respected MPP.

Encounter with Windsor police chief

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Union advocate

In 1972, Peacock was nominated for the position of executive-secretary of the Toronto Newspaper Guild (TNG). The TNG was a union representing the employees of the editorial, business, advertising, circulation, delivery-garage, and realty departments of Toronto's newspapers. The TNG also had five subsidiary mechanical unions which represented the newspapers' photographers, printing press operators, stereotype plate makers, electricians, and machinists. The most notable workplaces of the TNG were the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and before its closure in 1971, the Toronto Telegram. The position of executive-secretary had become available after the previous executive-secretary, Fred Jones, had resigned. Peacock's rival for the position was former TNG representative Jack Dobson, who had been laid off after the closure of the Telegram necessitated cutbacks at the TNG. Peacock defeated Dobson by a vote of 476 to 408.

As executive-secretary of the TNG, Peacock was party to a series of stormy contract negotiations throughout the 1970s.

In the summer of 1973 the TNG's collective agreement with the Toronto Star concluded. The TNG sought more favourable terms for the new collective agreement, namely a sixty dollar raise over a year for TNG employees, an eighty dollar raise over two years for the TNG's subsidiary mechanical unions, and expanded benefits. The Star offered an across-the-board thirty dollar raise over two years, and refused to discuss benefits. Peacock described the Star as having a "neanderthal, reactionary attitude" toward the negotiations, and labour arbitration was required. Negotiations continued for over a month, during which time the deadline passed where the TNG could legally go on strike, but the union's membership voted to continue negotiations. An agreement was eventually reached which created a two-year contract: a thirty-six dollar raise over two years for high salary employees, a twenty dollar raise over two years for low salary employees, full health and pharmaceutical coverage, and partial dental coverage.

Two year later, there was another dispute over the conditions of the renewed collective agreement. Peacock once again participated in the negotiations. The main demands were a four-day work week and a further raise for TNG employees to reach parity with Vancouver newspaper employees and to offset inflation. Contrary to the recommendation of Peacock and the rest of the TNG's bargaining committee, the union's membership voted for the Star's one year contract offer of a 15.6% raise and other minor benefits. Peacock argued that the raise did not keep up with increases in the cost of living, and described the results of the vote as a "big disappointment."

Arbitration was required yet again for the next year's negotiations, where the TNG primarily sought a 14% raise and a protection against unconsensual transfers to other departments in a one year contract. Peacock said that the union was "extremely disappointed" that an agreement could not be reached without arbitration. Shortly after the arbitrated negotiations began the Star refused to negotiate further. In response, the TNG slightly lowered its demands, and Peacock suggested that the union might submit a complaint to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) that the Star was not negotiating in good faith. Negotiations resumed and ultimately concluded after Peacock contacted the OLRB to inform them that the TNG was willing to accept the Star's lower raise offer in exchange for concessions on interdepartmental transfers.

Later became legislative representative for the OFL.

1981 Durham West election

In the absence of any other potential nominees, Peacock agreed to run as the ONDP's candidate in Durham West in the 1981 Ontario general election. Peacock had not lived in the riding for very long at the time of the election; incumbent Progressive Conservative MPP George Ashe made a point of mentioning that he had lived in the riding longer than Peacock and Liberal candidate Norman Wei combined. The main issues of the election were a dreaded potential increase in property taxes, opposition to a new sex-ed curriculum introduced by the regional schoolboard, and opposition to new housing developments. In a debate between the candidates, Peacock announced his support for the Davis Government's purchase of land, but argued it should be preserved as farmland rather than opened up for housing construction. Additionally, he criticized the government for cutbacks to the healthcare system.

In an election year that was already disfavourable to the ONDP, Peacock's chances were mortally wounded when the riding's previous MPP, New Democrat Charles Godfrey, endorsed Norman Wei. This came as a shock to Peacock and his campaign manager, Jack Murray. According to Murray, "He was at our nomination meeting saying great things about Hugh Peacock. What in hell turned him around, I really don't know." In a riding that had previously been competitive between the PCs and ONDP, Peacock's support cratered. Ashe won with an outright majority of the vote. Wei placed a distant second, with Peacock close behind him in third. After the disastrous election results, Peacock called on Michael Cassidy to step down as leader of the ONDP.

Later that year, Peacock campaigned on behalf of Dan Heap's successful bid to win the Spadina by-election.

Ontario Federation of Labour

Peacock was hired on as the Ontario Federation of Labour's legislative director in November of 1976.

In 1977, Peacock participated in a strike of OFL head office workers against the labour organization. Complaints contributing to the strike included wage growth slower than the OFL's own wage guidelines, equal pay for work of equal value for women in the head office, and the purchase of an additional company car for Peacock (a usual inclusion in a hire at the head office which he had not been afforded) so that others would no longer have to share their company cars with him.

In the wake of a rash of deaths of industrial workers from workplace diseases, Peacock called for an increase in workplace inspectors.

As the OFL's legislative representative, he unsucessfully lobbied for Bill 70, to strengthen health and safety regulations. In the role he was earning $21,500 plus a cost-of-living allowance. Most of his work in this position consisted of preparing briefs and suggesting amendments to bills introduced in the Legislative Assembly. Peacock rejected the idea of a legislative representative fulfilling the same role as a wining and dining lobbyist in the popular imagination, stating "If a person can be swayed by [buying them] dinner, you can't rely on his judgment, can you?" Two of Peacock's significant accomplishments in this role was convincing the David Government to appoint trade union lawyer Tim Armstrong as Deputy Minister of Labour and convincing them to amend a law putting the onus of proof on an employer to prove that have not fired an employee for union activities.

During the 1984 Canadian federal election, Peacock headed a media campaign as the OFL's election co-ordinator on behalf of the NDP, organizing the mailing of campaign material and phone calls to union households.

Later life

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Political positions

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Personal life

Jean Montgomery, Peacock's aunt who sponsored his immigration to Canada, died in 1996.

Electoral record

1965 Canadian federal election: Essex West
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Herb Gray	21,525	56.12	−0.02%
	Progressive Conservative	Austin Dixon	10,298	26.85	+0.22%
	New Democratic	Hugh Peacock	5,739	14.96	−0.23%
	Independent	Don Armstrong	413	1.08	+1.08%
	Social Credit	Jack Backer	379	0.99	−1.15%
Total valid votes			38,354	100.00

1967 Ontario general election: Windsor West
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	New Democratic	Hugh Peacock	8,618	37.66	+16.17%
	Liberal	Al Dotter	7,632	33.35	-4.37%
	Progressive Conservative	Ivan Thrasher	6,633	28.98	-11.81%
Total valid votes			22,883	100.00

1981 Ontario general election: Durham West
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	George Ashe	17,029	52.77	+11.48%
	Liberal	Norman Wei	7,446	23.07	+6.56%
	New Democratic	Hugh Peacock	6,578	20.38	-18.98%
	Libertarian	Bill Leslie	1,215	3.76	+0.95%
Total valid votes			32,268	100.00

Note: The 1967 Windsor West percentage changes are in comparison to the 1964 Windsor—Sandwich by-election.