# Politics of Toronto

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. 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. 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 pleomorphic liposarcoma, a rare form of cancer. 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.
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. The provincial law changed the city's legal powers and responsibilities.

## Members of Parliament

Toronto is represented by 25 MPs.

### Members by riding

| Riding | 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 | Michael Coteau | Liberal | Educator & Businessman | Carleton University | 2021 | 1972 |
| 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 | Han Dong (politician) | Liberal | Businessman | | 2019 | 1977 |
| 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 | Yvan Baker | Liberal | Management Consultant | Schulich School of Business (BBA) Tuck School of Business (MBA) | 2019 | 1977 |
| Etobicoke—Lakeshore | James Maloney | Liberal | Lawyer | Bishop's University (BA) University of Windsor (LL.B.) University of Wales (BCL) | 2015 | |
| Etobicoke North | Kirsty Duncan | Liberal | Ontario Medical Association | University of Edinburgh (PhD) | 2008 | 1966 |
| Humber River—Black Creek | 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 | 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 and Lawyer | Carleton University (BA) and Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B.) | 2015 | |
| Scarborough Southwest | Bill Blair | Liberal | Toronto Police Chief | University of Toronto | 2015 | 1954 |
| Spadina—Fort York | Kevin Vuong | Independent | | | 2021 | |
| Toronto Centre | Marci Ien | Liberal | Media Personality | Ryerson University (BA) | 2021 | 1968 |
| Toronto—Danforth | Julie Dabrusin | Liberal | Lawyer | | 2015 | 1971 |
| Toronto—St. Paul's | Don Stewart | Conservative | Financial Professional | Queen's University (MBA) | 2024 | Unknown |
| 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 | Ya'ara Saks | Liberal | former director of Trauma Practice for Healthy Communities | McGill UniversityHebrew University of Jerusalem | 2020 | 1973 |
| York South—Weston | Ahmed Hussen | Liberal | National President of the Canadian Somali Congress | York University University of Ottawa | 2015 | 1976 |

## Members of Provincial Parliament

Toronto is represented by 25 MPPs.

### 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | |