Melbourne A. Doig (b. 1912 - d. 25 October 1998) was a longtime Communist politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Ontario in the 1981 provincial election, and was a prominent member of the federal party.

Mel Doig
Leader of the Communist Party of Canada (Ontario)
Preceded byWilliam Stewart
Succeeded byGordon Massie
Personal details
Born
Melbourne A. Doig

1912 (1912)
British Columbia, Canada
DiedOctober 25, 1998(1998-10-25) (aged 85–86)
Political partyCommunist Party of Canada
Other political
affiliations
Labor-Progressive Party
Alma materMcGill University
OccupationPolitician

Doig was raised in a working-class community of Montreal, Quebec, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the McGill University in 1932.[1] He also joined the Communist Party of Canada in the 1930s. Doig campaigned as a candidate of the Labor-Progressive Party in Welland in the 1949 federal election, and subsequently in a 1950 federal by-election in the same riding. He described himself as an organizer, and finished fourth on both occasions.

Doig served on the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Canada in the early 1980s. An article in The Globe and Mail lists him as having been 68 years old in 1980.

The same article cites Doig as making the following comments in the 1980 federal election: "We are struggling to bring about a socialist society based on the interests of the majority of people who fight the exploitation of a minority. While we do see the possibility of achieving this end through the parliamentary process, we do not rule out the possibility of armed struggle if necessary . . . nor are we fighting for a socialist state and government that can be voted out of office through the ballot box."[2]

Doig campaigned in St. Catharines in the 1979 and 1984 federal elections, and in the Toronto riding of St. Paul's for the 1980 federal election. He described himself as a journalist in 1979 and 1980, and as a secretary in 1984. Doig never came close to winning election.

During the 1981 provincial campaign, Doig called for a "new majority" of Members of Provincial Parliament who would end the foreign control of provincial industries. His party's platform called for the nationalization of natural resources, and government takeovers of plants that were in financial jeopardy. The Communist Party did not run a full slate of candidates, and Doig argued that some members of the New Democratic Party (NDP) could become part of the "new majority" in the legislature.[3] He received 162 votes in Dovercourt, finishing last against NDP candidate Tony Lupusella.

Electoral record

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1984 Canadian federal election: St. Catharines
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Joe Reid 26,621 49.7 +11.8
New Democratic Gerry Michaud 16,397 30.6 +4.2
Liberal Linus Hand 9,890 18.5 -16.5
Green Tom Ferguson 365 0.7
Social Credit Glen Hodgins 108 0.2
Communist Mel Doig 93 0.2 0.0
Commonwealth of Canada Lancelot Mottley 56 0.1
Total valid votes 53,530 100.0
1981 Ontario general election: Dovercourt
Party Candidate Votes %
New Democratic Tony Lupusella 5,309 37.4
Liberal Gil Gillespie 5,088 35.8
Progressive Conservative Joe Burgana 3,386 23.8
Independent Vince Comero 258 1.8
Communist Mel Doig 164 1.2
Total valid votes 14,205 100.0
1980 Canadian federal election: St. Paul's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Roberts 17,905 45.3 +4.0
Progressive Conservative Ron Atkey 15,643 39.5 -4.6
New Democratic James Lockyer 5,301 13.4 +0.1
Rhinoceros Liza Armour 311 0.8 +0.5
Libertarian Dan A. Kornitzer 162 0.4 -0.3
Independent Robert Smith 108 0.3
Communist Mel Doig 76 0.2 0.0
Independent Naomi Jolliffe 37 0.1
Marxist–Leninist Keith Ramdeen 22 0.1 0.0
Total valid votes 39,565 100.0
1979 Canadian federal election: St. Catharines
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Joe Reid 23,444 46.3 +12.6
Liberal William Andres 14,990 29.6 -16.7
New Democratic Peter J. Elliott 11,897 23.5 +4.7
Libertarian Kenneth F. MacKay 186 0.4
Communist Melbourne Doig 111 0.2 0.0
Marxist–Leninist Victoria A. Wiwcharyk 40 0.1 -0.1
Total valid votes 50,668 100.0
Canadian federal by-election, 16 October 1950: Welland
Death of Humphrey Mitchell
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Hector McMillan 19,553 48.7 +1.4
Progressive Conservative Sam Hughes 13,031 32.4 +6.0
Co-operative Commonwealth Melvin L. Swart 5,972 14.9 -8.0
Labor–Progressive Melbourne A. Doig 1,616 4.0 +0.6
Total valid votes 40,172 100.0


1949 Canadian federal election: Welland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Humphrey Mitchell 23,734 47.3 +3.7
Progressive Conservative Sam Hughes 13,259 26.4 -6.3
Co-operative Commonwealth Armour McCrae 11,493 22.9 +6.4
Labor–Progressive Melbourne A. Doig 1,711 3.4
Total valid votes 50,197 100.0

Notes

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  1. ^ John Fraser, "Commitment to a cause, not votes, prompts these candidates to run", The Globe and Mail, 25 January 1980.
  2. ^ Stan Oziewicz, "Communists call for 'new majority' to break hold of U.S. companies", The Globe and Mail, 27 February 1981.