John Reynolds (Canadian politician) - Definition

John Douglas Reynolds (born January 19, 1942) is a Conservative Member of Parliament for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country in the Canadian House of Commons.

He was first elected as an MP representing the Progressive Conservatives in 1972 and was re-elected in 1974. He resigned in 1977 after disagreeing with Joe Clark's Red Tory policies in leading the PC Party.

In the 1980s he was active in the Social Credit Party of British Columbia and served as Speaker of the British Columbia Legislature and as a cabinet minister. In 1986 he was a candidate at the Social Credit leadership convention coming in fifth. He remained in provincial politics for several more years before returning to the federal arena.

Reynolds returned to parliament in 1997 and served as Chief Opposition Whip. When Stockwell Day faced a revolt in his caucus in 2001 and Chuck Strahl resigned as House Leader, Reynolds was named in his place. Reynolds has remained in this post since that time, through the merger of the Canadian Alliance with the PCs to form the new Conservative Party of Canada except for briefly serving as party leader following Day's resignation as leader.

Reynolds resigned as House leader on January 24, 2005, but continues as MP for his riding though he will retire at the next general election. He will serve as the Conservative Party chairman in the next federal election campaign.