Politics of Toronto

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The politics of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada involve the election of representatives to the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government. A total of 25 Members of Parliament (MPs) representing Toronto sit in the House of Commons of Canada in Ottawa (the federal capital), and another 25 Members of Ontario's Provincial Parliament (MPPs) sit in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario at Queen's Park, in Toronto. Being Ontario's capital, many provincial offices are located in the city.

Overview[]

In terms of electoral politics, Toronto had been an important source of support for the federal Liberal Party of Canada and the provincial Ontario Liberal Party although the downtown area tends to support the New Democratic Party (NDP). The federal Conservative Party and the provincial Progressive Conservative Party have historically been weaker in the city, but some right-leaning Liberals come from Toronto ridings.

In the past, the Liberals usually dominated the inner portions of the city federally, and the outer portions were split between the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives. However, the Liberals swept every seat in Toronto from 1993 to 2004, when former city councillor and NDP leader Jack Layton won a downtown riding. The NDP won two more seats in 2006 but lost one in 2008. In the 2011 federal election, Toronto sent nine Conservative MPs to Ottawa, eight NDP MPs, and six Liberal MPs, the first time that a centre-right party had won seats in Toronto since 1988. However, in 2015, the Liberals swept every seat in Toronto.

Large parts of Toronto, mainly its outer portions, supported the right-wing government of Mike Harris during the 1995 and 1999 Ontario elections. However, largely as a result of amalgamating Metro Toronto municipalities against the wishes of three quarters of voters in a municipal plebiscite, as well as of the downloading of responsibility for costly services onto the city, the Conservatives were shut of Toronto in provincial elections from 2003 to 2013, when they won a byelection.

The businessman and politician Mel Lastman was the first mayor of the newly-amalgamated City of Toronto and the 62nd mayor of Toronto after he won the 1997 and was re-elected in 2000.[1] The centre-leftist David Miller was elected as Toronto's 63rd mayor in December 2003 and was re-elected in November 2006 with nearly 60% of the popular vote with a mandate to make Toronto a city of prosperity, livability, and opportunity for all.[2] Miller declined to run in the following election and a conservative ally, Rob Ford, won the 2010 election handily. Three years later, however, Ford's tumultuous reign and admission to smoking crack, as well as other indiscretions that attracted unwanted international media attention, led City Council to remove many of his powers and much of his office's budget. In the following election, Ford was forced to drop out because of treatment for , a rare form of cancer.[3] The mayoral election was won by John Tory, a lawyer and a former a talk show host, businessman, Member of Provincial Parliament, and Leader of the Official Opposition at Queen's Park. Among Tory's top priorities are tackling transit and traffic congestion.[4]

The Stronger City of Toronto for a Stronger Ontario Act, 2006 (Bill 53) was enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on June 12, 2006.[5] The provincial law changed the city's legal powers and responsibilities.[6]

Members of Parliament[]

Members by riding[]

Riding Pic Name Party Prior Experience Education Assumed Office Born In
Beaches—East York Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Lawyer Queen's University (BA; JD)

University of Oxford (BCL)

2015 1984
Davenport Julie Dzerowicz Liberal Director of Strategic Planning and Communications at the Bank of Montreal McGill University (B.Comm.)

University of British Columbia (MBA)

London Business School

2015
Don Valley East Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Accountant

Management Consultant

2015 1951
Don Valley West Rob Oliphant Liberal United Church minister

CEO of the Asthma Society of Canada

University of Toronto (B.Comm)
Vancouver School of Theology (M.Div.)
Chicago Theological Seminary (D.Min.)
2015 1956
Don Valley North Geng Tan Liberal 2015 1963
Eglinton—Lawrence Marco Mendicino Liberal Lawyer

Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School

Carleton University (BA)

University of Windsor (LL.B.)

2015 1973
Etobicoke Centre Borys Wrzesnewskyj Liberal University of Toronto (BA) 2015 1960
Etobicoke—Lakeshore James Maloney Liberal Lawyer Bishop's University (BA)

University of Windsor (LL.B.)

University of Wales (BCL)

2015
Etobicoke North Kirsty Duncan in 2019 (cropped).jpg Kirsty Duncan Liberal Ontario Medical Association University of Edinburgh (PhD) 2008 1966
Humber River—Black Creek Judy Sgro.jpg Judy Sgro Liberal North York City Council
Toronto City Council
Toronto Police Services Board
University of Toronto (BA, JD) 1999 1944
Parkdale—High Park Arif Virani Liberal Lawyer McGill University (BA) 2015 1971
Scarborough—Agincourt Jean Yip Liberal 2017
Scarborough Centre Salma Zahid Liberal University of London (Masters of Educational Management and Administration)

Quaid-i-Azam University (MBA)

2011 1966
Scarborough—Guildwood Hon. John McKay MP.jpg John McKay Liberal Canadian Bar Association University of Toronto (BA) 1997 1948
Scarborough North Shaun Chen Liberal 2015 1980
Scarborough—Rouge Park Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Real Estate Broker

Lawyer
||Carleton University (BA)

Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B.)

2015
Scarborough Southwest Bill Blair Liberal Toronto Police Chief University of Toronto 2015 1954
Spadina—Fort York Adam Vaughan Liberal Radio and TV journalist

Represented Ward 20 Trinity—Spadina on Toronto City Council

2014 1961
Toronto Centre Bill Morneau Liberal CEO of Reuters
Editor of Financial Times
Harvard University (BA, MA)
University of Oxford (MA)
2013 1968
Toronto—Danforth Julie Dabrusin Liberal Lawyer 2015 1971
Toronto—St. Paul's Carolyn Bennett at podium-Crop.jpg Carolyn Bennett Liberal Ontario Medical Association University of Toronto (MD) 1997 1950
University—Rosedale Chrystia Freeland Liberal Ontario Medical Association Harvard University 2015 1968
Willowdale Ali Ehsassi Liberal Lawyer, International Law
Executive of the Ontario Bar Association
University of Toronto (BA)
London School of Economics (M.Sc)
Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B)
Georgetown University (LL.M)
2015 1970
York Centre Michael Levitt Liberal York University
University of Ottawa
2011 1963
York South—Weston Ahmed Hussen Liberal National President of the Canadian Somali Congress York University
University of Ottawa
2015 1976

Members of Provincial Parliament[]

Members by riding[]

Riding Name Party Prior Experience Education Assumed Office Born In
Beaches—East York Rima Berns-McGown NDP Author

Researcher

Professor at University of Toronto

Johns Hopkins University (MA)

Aberystwyth University (PhD)

2018
Davenport Marit Stiles NDP Non-profit director

Trustee for the Toronto District School Board

President of the federal New Democratic Party

2018 1969
Don Valley East Michael Coteau Liberal Toronto Board of Education Carleton University (BA) 2014 1965
Don Valley West Kathleen Wynne.JPG Kathleen Wynne Liberal Toronto Board of Education Queen's University (BA)

University of Toronto (MA)

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (M.Ed.)

2003 1953
Don Valley North Vincent Ke Progressive Conservative Electrical Engineer 2018
Eglinton—Lawrence Robin Martin Progressive Conservative Lawyer University of Guelph (B.Comm) 2018
Etobicoke Centre Kinga Surma Progressive Conservative Toronto City Council 2018
Etobicoke—Lakeshore Christine Hogarth Progressive Conservative Chief of Staff to John Tory

Director of Events for the Toronto Board of Trade

Government Relations Manager for the Canadian Automobile Association

Lake Superior State University (BSc) 2018
Etobicoke North Doug Ford in Toronto - 2018 (41065995960) (cropped).jpg Doug Ford Progressive Conservative Toronto City Council 2018 1964
Humber River—Black Creek Tom Rakocevic NDP Executive Assistant to Anthony Perruzza 2018
Parkdale—High Park Bhutila Karpoche at All Candidates Meeting.jpg Bhutila Karpoche NDP Epidemiologist

Public Health Researcher

Executive Assistant to Cheri DiNovo

University of British Columbia (BSc)

University of Toronto (MPH)

Ryerson

University (PhD candidate)

2018
Scarborough—Agincourt Aris Babikian Progressive Conservative Citizenship Judge 2018
Scarborough Centre Christina Mitas Progressive Conservative 2018
Scarborough—Guildwood Mitzie Hunter Liberal CEO of Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance
CAO of Toronto Community Housing

Vice-President of Goodwill Industries (Toronto)

University of Toronto (BA)

Rotman School of Management (MBA)

2013 1968
Scarborough North Raymond Cho Progressive Conservative Social Worker

Toronto City Council

Chairman of the Toronto Zoo

University of Toronto (MSW, PhD) 2016 1936
Scarborough—Rouge Park Vijay Thanigasalam Progressive Conservative Financial Advisor 2018 1989
Scarborough Southwest Doly Begum NDP Co-Chair of the Scarborough Health Coalition

Vice-Chair of Warden Woods Community Centre

Research Analyst

University of Toronto (BA)

University College London (Master of Development, Administration & Planning)

2018 1989
Spadina—Fort York Chris Glover NDP Adjunct Professor at York University 2018 1961
Toronto Centre Suze Morrison NDP Communications Consultant

Public Relations

University of Guelph (B.A.A.) 2018
Toronto—Danforth Peter Tabuns.jpg Peter Tabuns NDP Toronto City Council York University (BA) 2006 1951
Toronto—St. Paul's Jill Andrew NDP Public Speaker

Activist

Owner of Glad Day Bookshop

2018
University—Rosedale Jessica Bell NDP Community Organizer

Lecturer at Ryerson University

Director of the California Food & Justice Coalition

Activist

Executive Director of TTCriders

2018
Willowdale Stan Cho Progressive Conservative Real Estate broker

Auditor

2018
York Centre Roman Baber Progressive Conservative Civil and commercial litigation lawyer York University (BA)

University of Western Ontario (LL.B.)

2018
York South—Weston Faisal Hassan NDP Broadcaster

Author

2018

See also[]

  • Bill 103
  • Metro Toronto

References[]

  1. ^ Biography - Mel Lastman http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=3f274df130113410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=2ad8dddc97703410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
  2. ^ Biography - David Miller http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=1a764df130113410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextfmt=default&vgnextchannel=2ad8dddc97703410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
  3. ^ Pelley, Lauren (September 17, 2014). "Rob Ford's diagnosis: What is a pleomorphic liposarcoma?". Toronto Star. thestar.com. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  4. ^ Mayor's biography http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=947332d0b6d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD Archived 2016-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Text of the act
  6. ^ Background on the City of Toronto Act
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