J. Warren Kinsella, LL.B (born August 1960 in Montreal, Quebec), is a Toronto-based Canadian lawyer, author, musician, political consultant, lobbyist and commentator.
- Warren Kinsella should not be confused with Canadian author W. P. Kinsella.
Education and Career History
After receiving a bachelor's degree in journalism from Carleton University, Kinsella worked as a reporter at the Ottawa Citizen newspaper. He subsequently earned a law degree from the University of Calgary and was employed by the Bay Street law firm McMillan Binch and by the Navigator lobbying firm.[1]
Politics
Kinsella worked as a staffer in opposition leader Jean Chrétien's office, as a strategy advisor in the Canadian federal Liberal Party's 1993 election campaign "task force", and as chief of staff to federal Public Works minister David Dingwall. Kinsella has cultivated an image as a "Liberal attack dog", and the "James Carville" and "Prince of Darkness" of Canadian politics. Kinsella gained national exposure during the 2000 federal election when, in a strategem devised by Liberal war room operative Sophie Galarneau, he appeared on television brandishing a toy Barney dinosaur to highlight Stockwell Day's creationist beliefs [2]. Kinsella ran as a Liberal candidate in the 1997 federal election in the riding of North Vancouver and lost.
Kinsella was a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and criticized Paul Martin for challenging Chrétien's leadership. He criticized the Liberal campaign several times in the 2004 federal election, and 2006 election Kinsella's firm, the Daisy Consulting Group, was named after the Daisy ad of the 1964 U.S. presidential election.[3]
Activism
He has been a long-time anti-racism activist, and has been frequently targeted by the far right for reprisals.[citation needed] In 1995, in Ottawa, Kinsella and his family were placed under police protection following death threats. While a practicing Roman Catholic, he is a member of the board of the Canada Israel Committee.[4]
Gomery Inquiry
Kinsella has been highly critical of the Gomery Commission inquiry into the federal sponsorship program. The program came into existence two years after Kinsella left government service, but the former Chrétien aide often publicly defended the former prime minister's role in the affair, and attacked Judge Gomery for alleged bias. He also requested, and was granted, the opportunity to appear before the inquiry as a witness.[citation needed]
Writing
Kinsella has written five books: Unholy Alliances (Lester, 1992); Web of Hate (HarperCollins, 1994); Party Favours (HarperCollins, 1997); Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics (Random House, 2001); Fury's Hour: A (sort-of) Punk-Rock Manifesto (Random House, 2005). Kinsella is media columnist for the National Post. In late 2000, he established a weblog, "Latest Musings".[5]
Legal threats to bloggers
In 2004 Kinsella aroused controversy when he threatened legal action against Canadian bloggers who he alleged libelled him.[6] The threatened lawsuits were eventually settled without litigation when most parties involved compromised. Some consider the controversy a pivotal moment in the Canadian blogosphere's coming of age. In January, 2006, he filed a statement of claim for $600,000 against blogger Mark Bourrie over a post by Bourrie regarding Kinsella's role in the Public Works department in the months leading up to the sponsorship scandal. Bourrie issued an apology and paid part of Kinsella's costs.[7] However, Kinsella launched a suit against the same blogger in June, 2006.
Music
Kinsella plays bass guitar for the Toronto-based punk rock band Shit From Hell.[8]