David Charles Dingwall (born June 29 1952) is a civil servant and former Canadian Cabinet minister.
A lawyer by training, Dingwall was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1980 Canadian election as the Liberal MP for Cape Breton-East Richmond in Nova Scotia. He was re-elected in three subsequent elections and served as Opposition House Leader from 1991 to 1993. After the Liberals won the 1993 Canadian election under Jean Chrétien, Dingwall was appointed to Cabinet as Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Minister of Public Works and Minister of Supply and Services . In 1996 he was moved to the position of Minister of Health.
Dingwall and New Brunswicker Doug Young were the most prominent Liberal casualites in the 1997 Canadian election when he lost his seat to the New Democratic Party's candidate. He had been a strong Chrétien ally and the Liberal's most senior minister in Nova Scotia and was responsible for patronage in the area and his defeat was seen as signifying growing disentchantment in the Maritimes with the government due to changes to Unemployment Insurance and cuts in fish quotos. Also, Dingwall was hurt by the growth of support for the NDP under the leadership of Nova Scotian Alexa McDonough and by the government's decision to withdraw federal subsidies to coal mines in Cape Breton.
Following his defeat, Dingwall served as the president of Wallding International Inc., as well as on several boards including Rogers Sugar Income Fund and MD Life. In 2003 the federal government appointed him to the position of president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint
Having been public works minister in the mid-1990s, Dingwall has been called to testify in relationship to the Sponsorship Scandal and contracts given out during his time in the department have come under scrutiny.