Bob Skelly
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Robert (Bob) Skelly was a Canadian politician from British Columbia. He was born April 14, 1943 at New Westminister, British Columbia. He served in the BC Legislature from 1972 to 1987. The longest serving member for Alberni constituency in history, he was elected five times. He was elected leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party in 1984 and was Opposition Leader in the BC Legislature until 1987. He resigned as MLA in early 1988 and was elected to the Canadian House of Commons representing the Federal riding of Comox—Alberni from 1988 to 1993.
His campaign in the 1986 election was plagued with image problems. Unlike British Columbia Social Credit Party leader and incumbent premier William Vander Zalm, who was praised by BC Media for his looks, style, and charisma, Skelly was criticized as being dull and cold. He made a nervous speech at the beginning of the campaign in which he appeared close to tears. The incident haunted his campaign, and the footage was replayed frequently.
While the NDP failed to gain any seats under his leadership, neither did they lose any (Social Credit won 47 seats to the NDP's 22 in the newly-enlarged BC Legislative Assembly). The NDP received the highest popular vote in its history and - in key constituencies - came within 8000 votes of winning enough seats to form government. Following the election, the distribution of electoral districts in the province was declared to be biased in favour Social Credit and the courts ordered a fair redistribution. In 1986 Skelly resigned as NDP leader and in the following year, a party convention acclaimed Michael Harcourt as his successor.
Skelly went on to federal politics and was elected Member of Parliament for the federal riding of Comox—Alberni in the 1988 federal election under the banner of the New Democratic Party. He ran for a second term but was defeated in the same riding in the 1993 general election.
Skelly served in parliament at the same time as his brother Ray Skelly.
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