John C. Turmel

John C. Turmel is a perennial candidate for election in Canada, and holds the Guinness world record for losing the largest number of elections — 59 as of March 17, 2005. He is also known as The Engineer, The Gambler, and The Banking System Engineer.

Turmel believes in the social credit theory of monetary reform. He has also campaigned for the legalization of gambling, the adoption of “Local Employment Trading Systems” (LETS) which are barter arrangements, and for the legalization of marijuana use for medicinal purposes. He has participated in several protests outside of Canada's major banking institutions, accusing current bank policies of promoting poverty and starvation in the third world.

Turmel, who lists his occupation as "professional gambler", was active in the Social Credit Party of Canada and the Social Credit Party of Ontario in the 1970s and 1980s, and founded the Christian Credit Party in the 1980s, and he Abolitionist Party of Canada in the 1990s. He often wears a white construction helmet when campaigning, and calls himself "the Engineer". The colour of his helmet does not only refer to the white construction helmets worn by engineers and architects on construction sites, but also to the beret blancs (white berets), the nickname of the Pilgrims of Saint Michael, a radical monetarist faction within the Quebec social credit movement.

Turmel's grandfather, Adelard Turmel, supported the Social Credit Party of Canada from its inception in 1935, and he passed on a belief in social credit monetary theories to his descendants.

Turmel often calls himself a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, although his beliefs are fairly distinct from mainstream Christianity. He frequently refers to Jesus as a radical debt reformer, and as evidence often quotes the line, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors", from the Lord's Prayer. (This line is usually translated as "Forgive us our trespasses" or "Forgive us our sins", which Turmel regards as a distortion of its proper meaning. He has often expressed the belief that Jesus died to bring salvation for mankind in this world, rather than in an afterlife.)

He has composed several poems outlining his beliefs, all of which are written in doggerel verse. The following example is typical:

Debt Cancellation," "Tobin Tax," they're splashing in the pool,

The problem's in the money pumphouse. "Interest" the tool.

The vast solution takes all errant money-pumps in hand,

It's not a half-vast splashing in the money pool that's planned.[1] (http://www.cyberclass.net/turmel/praybill.htm|1)

Electoral history

1979 At the age of 28, John C. Turmel, a graduate of electrical engineering from Ottawa’s Carleton University, sought election for the first time as an independent candidate in Ottawa West in the May federal election. He won 193 votes.

1980 He ran again as an independent in the February federal election in Ottawa Centre. In both elections, his application to run as a Social Credit Party candidate was rejected by that party. He won 64 votes.

Because of the death of the Social Credit candidate in Frontenac riding in Quebec during the election, a by-election was held in March. Turmel ran again as an independent against the official Social Credit candidate.

He ran as an independent candidate in the April 13 federal by-election in London West, claiming to be interim leader of the Ontario Social Credit Party.

Turmel won 77 votes as an “independent Social Credit” candidate in a September 8 by-election in Hamilton West, and placed last in the City of Hamilton mayoral election.

He also sought the Social Credit Party of Canada’s interim national leadership unsuccessfully at a convention in November in Calgary.

Turmel ran for mayor of Ottawa in November, collecting 1,928 votes. At the same time, he was a candidate in a provincial by-election in Carleton riding as a Social Credit candidate.

1981 In the March 1981 provincial election, Turmel ran as a Social Credit candidate in Ottawa Centre, while his brother Raymond ran for the party in Ottawa South, and several friends ran in neighbouring ridings. It was reported that he became interim leader of the Ontario Social Credit Party in early March, although it is not clear if other members of the party agreed.

In September, Turmel was a candidate in the federal by-election in Spadina riding in Toronto, collecting 98 votes. The national Social Credit party president Carl O’Malley refused to endorse a candidate on the basis that the Liberal candidate, Jim Coutts, a former adviser to Pierre Trudeau, was a personal friend.

Raymond Turmel ran as an independent against O’Malley in the by-election held in Joliette, Quebec on the same day, claiming to be the “real Social Credit” candidate.

In October, the Ontario Social Credit Party conducted a leadership vote. The eleven delegates, who represented about 100 party members throughout the province, elected former Toronto mayoral candidate Anne McBride as their new interim leader in a vote of 7 to 1 with 3 spoiled ballots. One vote was cast for Bruce Arnold. Turmel, his brother Ray and their mother, Therese, wrote the word “unconstitutional” across the ballots. Turmel argued that the party was violating its constitution by holding a vote without providing four months notice to its members. McBride was a Christian fundamentalist minister who vowed to run the party "on Christian principles".

In September, Turmel was reported to be fighting his expulsion from the federal Social Credit party, and seeking its leadership. Further, he was reported to be seeking to replace Joe Clark as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Turmel denied the report, but the journalist stood by her story.

Turmel opposed the appointment of Martin Hattersley as interim leader of the federal Social Credit party as being undemocratic. The party executive claimed that the party did not have sufficient funds to hold a convention.

1982 In June, Turmel returned to Hamilton West to run in a provincial by-election as a candidate of the Christian Credit Party that he had recently founded. He won 173 votes.

The Christian Credit Party was formed after the Social Credit party refused to renew the memberships of Turmel and his brother Raymond. The Turmel brothers said that they left the party because it had compromised its principles on interest rates.

He also ran for the Christian Credit Party in the September federal by-election in Broadview-Greenwood (in Toronto), winning 16 votes. Raymond ran for the party in Leeds-Grenville in eastern Ontario.

In July, Turmel attempted to recruit members for his new party at the Social Credit national convention in Regina. In September, the party claimed to have 75 members.

In November, Turmel ran for alderman in the Ottawa suburb of Gloucester, and appears to have abandoned an attempt to run in a provincial by-election in Toronto-York South. Raymond ran for Mayor of Gloucester, while their colleague Marc Gauvin ran for mayor of Ottawa.

1983 By 1983, the Christian Credit Party appears to have died. Turmel said he disbanded his party because he realized voters would not give it a chance. "People won't vote for a new party. They've been voting for one colour all their lives. The only way to do anything is to get into a recognized party."

Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the Central Nova (Nova Scotia) riding by-election in September against Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney. He claimed to be a “member of the Abolitionist wing of the PC party”.

1984 Turmel won 97 votes as a candidate in a provincial by-election in Cornwall, Ontario.

In the months before the September federal election, Turmel attempted to take over the Ottawa branch of the fledgling Green Party of Canada, seeking the party’s nomination in Ottawa Centre. After the party had appointed a candidate in Ottawa Centre, Turmel claimed that it was undemocratic, and called a meeting at which Turmel supporters elected candidates to run in various Ottawa area ridings under the Green Party banner. The party rejected those nominations, and held its own meeting to nominate candidates.

In the election, Turmel ran as an independent against Green Party leader Hancock in Toronto-Beaches, Marc Gauvin ran in Ottawa Centre, supporter Serge Girard in Ottawa Vanier, and John and Ray’s mother, Therese Turmel ran in Ottawa West, and Ray Turmel ran as an “independent Green” in Nepean Carleton.

Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the December 13 provincial by-election in Ottawa Centre, and Serge Girard ran in Ottawa East. Turmel also ran for mayor of Ottawa.

1985 In 1985, Turmel appears to have founded the “Social Credit Party of Ontario”, which was not affiliated with other social credit parties. Turmel led a campaign against the practice of cheque cashing agencies that cashed social assistance (welfare) cheques at a discount to the face value. Turmel issued ID card to SA recipients and recruited local retailers to cash the cheques at no discount. The Social Credit Party of Ontario guaranteed these cheques. In November, Turmel supporter Walter McPhee ran for mayor of Ottawa.

1986 Turmel ran in an April provincial by-election in Toronto-York East and an August 14 provincial by-election in Cochrane, Ontario, apparently under the "Social Credit Party of Ontario" banner.

In September, he ran against future federal Liberal leader Jean Chrétien as an ”independent créditiste” in a federal by-election in St.-Maurice, Quebec, claiming to be the heir of Réal Caouette.

1987 In June, Turmel ran in a federal by-election in Hamilton Mountain. He was reported to be “attempting to form” an Ontario Social Credit Party.

1988 In the autumn of 1988, Turmel ran for Mayor of Ottawa, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre and Member of Provincial Parliament for Welland-Thorold in the Niagara peninsula in a November 3 provincial by-election.

1991 Turmel ran for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality while in jail, collecting approximately 3,500 votes.

1993 Turmel founded the Abolitionist Party of Canada, which nominated 80 candidates in the 1993 federal election.

1994 Turmel won over 4,000 votes running for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality.

1995 Turmel won 46 votes as the Abolitionist Party candidate in the February 13 Ottawa-Vanier federal by-election. The party also nominated John Long in Brome-Mississquoi, Quebec, who won 15 votes.

1996 In June, Turmel ran under the Abolitionist Party of Canada banner in a Hamilton East federal by-election.

1997 Turmel won 4,126 votes (2.5% of the total) running for Chair of Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality, in which Bob Chiarelli defeated Peter Clark by 2,798 votes. Turmel won 214 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West-Nepean in the 1997 federal election. In September, Turmel won 201 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West in a provincial by-election

1998 Turmel ran as an “independent Abolitionist” in a September 14 federal by-election in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

1999 Turmel won 106 votes as an Abolitionist Party candidate in a March federal by-election in Windsor-St. Clair, Ontario, which was more than the margin by which New Democratic Party candidate Joe Comartin won over the Liberal candidate.

2000 Turmel ran as an independent candidate in the September Kings-Hants (Nova Scotia) federal by-election against Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark. Turmel won 89 votes as an independent candidate in Ottawa West-Nepean in the November federal election. Raymond Turmel won 728 votes in Ottawa-Vanier as a candidate for the Marijuana Party of Canada; John had previously attempted to run for the party's leadership, but was blocked.

2003 Turmel won 295 votes as an independent candidate in Brant riding in the October provincial election. His 56th campaign was for Mayor of Ottawa in the November municipal election, when he collected 1,166 votes.

He also tried to re-register the Libertarian Party of Canada, but was prevented from doing so by former members of that party.

2004 Turmel ran as an independent candidate and placed fifth with 120 votes in a May 13 provincial by-election in Hamilton East.

2005 Turmel placed last of eight candidates as an independent candidate in the March 17 provincial by-election in Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey.

	Date	Level	Location	Party	Votes
1.	May 22, 1979	Federal	Ottawa West	Independent	193
2.	February 20, 1980	Federal	Ottawa Centre	Independent	62
3.	March 24, 1980	Federal	Frontenac	Independent	101
4.	September 8, 1980	Federal	Hamilton West	Independent Social Credit	88
5.	November 10, 1980	Municipal	Ottawa	N/A	1,928
6.	November 20, 1980	Provincial	Carleton	Social Credit	?
7.	March 19, 1981	Provincial	Ottawa Centre	Social Credit	?
8.	April 12, 1981	Federal	London West	Independent	37
9.	May 4, 1981	Federal	Lévis	Independent	172
10.	August 17, 1981	Federal	Spadina	Independent	69
11.	June 17, 1982	Provincial	Hamilton West	Christian Credit Party	173
12.	October 12, 1982	Federal	Broadview—Greenwood	Christian Credit Party	19
13.	November 4, 1982	Provincial	York South	?	?
14.	November 8, 1982	Municipal/ Alderman	Gloucester	N/A	?
15.	August 29, 1983	Federal	Central Nova	Independent	46
16.	December 15, 1983	Provincial	Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry	?	97
17.	September 4, 1984	Federal	Beaches	Independent	112
18.	December 13, 1984	Provincial	Ottawa Centre	Independent	?
19.	May 2, 1985	Provincial	Ottawa Centre	?	?
20.	November 12, 1985	Municipal	Nepean	N/A	?
21.	April 17, 1986	Provincial	York East	Social Credit Party of Ontario	?
22.	August 14, 1986	Provincial	Cochrane North	Social Credit Party of Ontario	?
23.	September 29, 1986	Federal	Saint-Maurice	Independent creditiste	104
24.	July 20, 1987	Federal	Hamilton Mountain	Independent	166
25.	September 10, 1987	Provincial	Ottawa Centre	Independent	598
26.	March 31, 1988	Provincial	London North	?	?
27.	November 3, 1988	Provincial	Welland—Thorold	?	?
28.	November 14, 1988	Municipal/ Mayor	Ottawa	N/A	3,123
29.	November 21, 1988	Federal	Ottawa Centre	Independent	152
30.	August 13, 1990	Federal	Oshawa	Independent	50
31.	September 6, 1990	Provincial	Ottawa Centre	Independent	160
32.	December 10, 1990	Federal	York North	Independent	97
33.	November 12, 1991	Municipal/ Regional Chair	Ottawa	N/A	~3,500
34.	October 23, 1993	Federal	Frontenac	Abolitionist	195
35.	December 2, 1993	Provincial	Essex South	Independent	84
36.	March 17, 1994	Provincial	Victoria—Haliburton	Independent	123
37.	November 14, 1994	Municipal/ Regional Chair	Ottawa	N/A	4,000+
38.	February 13, 1995	Federal	Ottawa—Vanier	Abolitionist Party	46
39.	June 8, 1995	Provincial	Ottawa Centre	Independent	173
40.	March 25, 1996	Federal	Etobicoke North	Abolitionist Party	75
41.	June 17, 1996	Federal	Hamilton East	Abolitionist Party	N/A
42.	June 2, 1997	Federal	Ottawa West—Nepean	Independent	211
43.	September 4, 1997	Provincial	Ottawa West	Independent	201
44.	November 10, 1997	Municipal/ Regional Chair	Ottawa	N/A	4,126
45.	September 14, 1998	Federal	Sherbrooke	Independent Abolitionist	97
46.	April 12, 1999	Federal	Windsor—St. Clair	Abolitionist Party	106
47.	June 3, 1999	Provincial	Ottawa West—Nepean	Independent	94
48.	November 15, 1999	Federal	Hull—Aylmer	Independent	51
49.	September 7, 2000	Provincial	Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot	Independent	80
50.	September 11, 2000	Federal	Kings—Hants	Independent	221
51.	November 13, 2000	Municipal/ Mayor	Ottawa	N/A	677
52.	November 27, 2000	Federal	Ottawa West—Nepean	Independent	89
53.	March 22, 2001	Provincial	Parry Sound—Muskoka	Independent	61
54.	May 2, 2002	Provincial	Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey	Independent	120
55.	October 2, 2003	Provincial	Brant	Independent	295
56.	November 10, 2003	Municipal/ Mayor	Ottawa	N/A	1,166
57.	May 13, 2004	Provincial	Hamilton East	Independent Abolitionist	120
58.	June 28, 2004	Federal	Brant	Independent	371
59.	March 17, 2005	Provincial	Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey	Independent Abolitionist	85

External links

• John Turmel (http://www.cyberclass.net/turmel/)