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David William Kilgour (February 18, 1941 – April 5, 2022) was a Canadian human rights activist, author, lawyer, and politician. He also served as a senior fellow to the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.
Kilgour earned a degree in economics from the University of Manitoba in 1962 and a law degree from the University of Toronto in 1966. His career spanned roles from a crown attorney in northern Alberta to Canadian Cabinet minister. He concluded his 27-year tenure in the House of Commons of Canada as an independent MP. Upon retirement, he was one of the longest serving members of parliament and one of the few who had been elected under both the Progressive Conservative and Liberal banners.
In the Liberal government, he served as the Deputy Speaker (1993–1997) and Chairman of Committees of the Whole of the House of Commons, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) (1997–2002), and Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) (2002–2003). In the Conservative governments of Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Privy Council, the Minister for CIDA, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and the Minister of Transport.
As a Secretary of State, Kilgour was continuously vocal on many human rights violations around the world. In 2001 while visiting Zimbabwe, Kilgour was vocally critical of Mugabe's farm-invasions policy and pushed for increasing international pressure. In December 2004, he was among the Ukrainian election monitor delegation of the federal run-off elections.
In April 2005, he received media attention when he speculated about quitting the Liberal Party because of his disgust with the sponsorship scandal, saying that the issue made Canada look like "a northern banana republic". On April 12, 2005, he announced that he would sit as an independent MP. He also cited Canada's lack of action on the Darfur conflict, Sudan, as reasons for quitting. He asserted that he has no plans to move back to the Conservatives, and stated that he had no plans to run for re-election.
From 1979 to 1988, he represented the riding of Edmonton—Strathcona, but with shifting constituency lines moved to the Edmonton Southeast in 1988, and then again to Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont in 2004, which he represented until he retired from politics at the 2006 election.
Because of the unusual structure of the 38th House of Commons, in May 2005, David Kilgour's lone vote had the power to bring down or support the government. He used this influence to urge the Martin government to send peacekeepers to Darfur. He was an endorser of the Genocide Intervention Network. Then-Prime Minister Paul Martin agreed to send humanitarian support but in the end, no peacekeepers were sent.
His personal religious beliefs landed him in the news in 2003 when he abstained from the same-sex marriage bill and was reprimanded by then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
In 2012, State Organs: Transplant Abuse in China, edited by David Matas and Dr. Torsten Trey, was published with essays from six medical professionals, G Danovitch articles, US National Library of Medicine AL Caplan articles, US National Library of Medicine J Lavee articles, US National Library of Medicine G Ahmad articles, US National Library of Medicine T Trey articles, US National Library of Medicine M Fiatarone Singh articles, US National Library of Medicine Ethan Gutmann, David Matas and an essay co-written by Kilgour. "State Organs: Introduction" seraphimeditions.comRebeca Kuropatwa (September 19, 2012) "New Matas book reveals transplant abuse" , Jewish TribuneMark Colvin (November 27, 2012) "Parliament to hear evidence of transplant abuse in China", Australian Broadcasting CorporationDavid Matas, Dr. Torsten Trey (2012) State Organs, Transplant Abuse in China seraphimeditions.com p. 144 Ethan Gutmann interviewed over 100 witnesses and estimated that 65,000 Falun Gong practitioners were killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008.Jay Nordlinger (August 25, 2014) "Face The Slaughter: The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem, by Ethan Gutmann" , National ReviewViv Young (August 11, 2014) "The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem" New York Journal of BooksBarbara Turnbull (October 21, 2014) "Q&A: Author and analyst Ethan Gutmann discusses China's illegal organ trade" The Toronto StarEthan Gutmann (August 2014) The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting and China's Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem "Average number of Falun Gong in Laogai System at any given time" Low estimate 450,000, High estimate 1,000,000 p 320. "Best estimate of Falun Gong harvested 2000 to 2008" 65,000 p 322. amazon.com
In May 2006, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity (D.D.(Hon)) degree from Knox College, University of Toronto. Kilgour, a Presbyterian, was recognized for his commitment to human rights in Canada and abroad and particularly his challenge to the international community to respond to the plight of Darfur, as well as in Burma, and Zimbabwe. For their organ harvesting work, Matas and Kilgour won the 2009 Human Rights Award from the German-based International Society for Human Rights and were nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.
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