Bill Knight
William George Knight | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 24, 1947 Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, credit union executive |
| Years active | 1971–2006 |
| Known for | Member of Parliament for Assiniboia; President and CEO of Credit Union Central of Canada; first Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada |
William George Knight (born October 24, 1947) is a former high-ranking official and served as a MP within the House of Commons of Canada.
Originating from Estevan, Saskatchewan, Knight initially pursued a career in education prior to his political involvement. His entry into Parliament came through a 1971 by-election as a representative of the New Democratic Party. He secured re-election in the 1972 federal contest, representing the Saskatchewan riding of Assiniboia. However, in the 1974 federal election, he was unseated by Liberal candidate Ralph Goodale. Knight made another attempt in 1979 but was defeated by Progressive Conservative Lenard Gustafson.
Throughout the 1970s, Knight held the role of principal secretary to both federal NDP leader Ed Broadbent and Saskatchewan Premier Allan Blakeney. In the following decade, he assumed the position of federal secretary for the NDP and acted as its primary electoral strategist. Transitioning to the credit union industry in 1989, Knight advanced to become President and CEO of Credit Union Central of Canada from 1995 until 2001. In this capacity, he spearheaded efforts to unify services across credit unions nationwide. Subsequently, in 2001, Finance Minister Paul Martin appointed him as the inaugural Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, a post he held until 2006.