Kaplan, Bob (Robert Philip), 1936-2012 : Robert Philip Kaplan was born in Toronto 27 December 1936. He was a graduate of the University of Toronto, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1958 (Sociology), and an LL.B in 1961. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1963, and practiced with the law firm of McDonald, Davies and Ward, and then with Aird and Berlis, specializing in corporate tax law.
As a member of the Liberal Party, he won the Toronto riding of Don Valley in the General Federal Election of 1968. He lost that seat in the 1972, and from 1972 to 1974 worked at the Hudson Institute of New York.
He stood for election again in 1974, this time in York Centre, another Toronto riding, and won a sweeping victory by a margin of 16,000 votes.
He was re-elected in 1979, 1980, 1984 and 1988, retiring from the House in 1993.
The high point of his political career was his handling of the sensitive national security issue, when inappropriate activities by the RCMP Security Service scandalized the country. As Solicitor General, following the Macdonald Commission of Inquiry into RCMP wrongdoings, Kaplan oversaw the creation in 1984 of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. He also set up a special unit of the R.C.M.P. to investigate possible Nazi-era war criminals residing in Canada.
Mr. Kaplan was also responsible for the Young Offenders Act of 1982, which replaced the 74-year old Juvenile Delinquents Act. The new legislation, inter alia, established the age of 12 as the minimum for criminal charges, brought shorter sentences for offenders under the age of 18 and banned publication of names of youths charged or convicted of criminal acts in most circumstances. It also established that Charter rights were in force for young offenders.
Kaplan was a member of the Joint Community Relations Committee of the Canadian Jewish Congress, of the Canadian Bar Association, of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and of the Canadian Tax Foundation. He also, over his career, served on many local Toronto area boards.
After retirement from the House in 1993, Kaplan served as Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and served as director on a number of corporations (PetroKazakhstan Inc, Plateco Inc, Rex Diamond Mining Corp and European Goldfields).
He died 5 November 2012.
Over his political career as a Parliamentarian, he held the following offices:
Cabinet:
Solicitor-General of Canada (1980-1984)
Cabinet Committees:
Special Committee of Council (1980-1982); Social Development (1980-1984); Security and Intelligence (1980-1984); Legislation and House Planning (1980-1984); Foreign and Defence Policy (1982-1984)
Parliamentary Secretary:
To Minister of National Health and Welfare (1975-1976); To Minister of Finance (1976-1977)
Parliamentary Critic:
Immigration and Citizenship (1979); Justice (1984-1990); Federal Provincial Relations (1988-1989); Justice and Human Rights (1989-1990); Energy, Mines and Resources (1990-1992); (Associate Critic) Federal Provincial Relations (1989-1990)
Parliamentary Committees -- Kaplan, over his 23-year parliamentary career, sat on many House Committees, as follow:
[Chairman] - House Standing Committee of Finance, Trade and Economic Affairs - 1978-1979
[Member] Legislative Committee on Bills. (C-67, C-81, C-78, C-77, C-76, C-65, C-49, C-273, C-261, C-260, C-259, C-254, C-121, C-114, C-113, C-108, C-1076, C-105, C-104, C-89, C-88, C-71, C-61, C-58, C-54, C-53, C-28, C-264, C-229, C-210, C-15, C-41, C-84, C-61, C-60, C-58, C-54, C-43). Most of these bills dealt with criminal Code amendments brought in over the period 1984-1991.
[Member] Various Standing Committees. Kaplan sat on 40 standing committees between 1969-1986. Chief amongst them were:
Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1968-1972); Health, Welfare and Social Affairs (1968-1972, 1976-1977, 1979); Finance, Trade and Economic Affairs (1969-1972, 1974-1979)
[Member] Joint Committees
Tax Reform (1969); Regulations (1984-1986); 1987 Constitutional Accord
