# Liz White (activist)

Elizabeth White (born c. 1950) is a Canadian animal rights activist and politician.

## Early life

White was born in Toronto, to parents who both were teachers. She earned a nursing degree at McGill University, and then worked in Kitchener, before moving back to Toronto a few years later. She was involved in political organizing, first with the New Democratic Party, beginning from age 20.

## Career

White is a founder and board member of the Animal Alliance of Canada, a non-profit organization set up in 1991, where she focuses on legislative issues, municipal animal control by-laws, hunting and human-wildlife conflict, and fundraising.
White also leads the Animal Protection Party of Canada (formerly the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada), a federal political party registered by the Animal Alliance in 2005 with the aim of winning air time to discuss issues other parties might not raise, and to allow donors to receive tax credit. She stood unsuccessfully for election in Toronto-area ridings in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2019.
White is an opponent of the annual Canadian seal hunt, and as a result supports a boycott of Canada's seafood industry. She has also campaigned against the sale of dogs from the Winnipeg city pound to animal researchers. She was one of three women (along with Lesli Bisgould of the University of Toronto and Shelagh MacDonald of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies) who drafted Bill C-17B/C-10B, an anti-cruelty bill that among other things called for animals to be regarded as "living property." The Bill passed the House of Commons twice, but was defeated in the Senate in 2008.

## Electoral record

vte2021 Canadian federal election: Toronto—Danforth :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Julie Dabrusin | 23,038 | 48.41 | +0.58 | $77,319.65 |
| | New Democratic | Clare Hacksel | 15,881 | 33.28 | +0.08 | $94,784.85 |
| | Conservative | Michael Carey | 6,105 | 12.83 | +2.29 | $25,348.44 |
| | People's | Wayne Simmons | 1,238 | 2.59 | +1.49 | $766.61 |
| | Green | Maryem Tollar | 949 | 1.99 | -4.51 | $2,899.08 |
| | Communist | Elizabeth Rowley | 204 | 0.43 | +0.13 | $0.00 |
| | Animal Protection | Liz White | 179 | 0.38 | -0.02 | $3,315.07 |
| | Independent | Habiba Desai | 125 | 0.26 | | $510.82 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 47,719 | – | – | $110,583.29 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,719 | 59.84 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 79,749 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
vte2019 Canadian federal election: University—Rosedale :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Chrystia Freeland | 29,652 | 51.7 | +1.90 | $83,556.09 |
| | New Democratic | Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda | 12,573 | 21.9 | −6.60 | $28,390.50 |
| | Conservative | Helen-Claire Tingling | 9,342 | 16.3 | −1.03 | $38,588.65 |
| | Green | Tim Grant | 4,861 | 8.5 | +5.57 | $33,386.65 |
| | People's | Aran Lockwood | 510 | 0.9 | – | none listed |
| | Animal Protection | Liz White | 159 | 0.3 | +0.08 | none listed |
| | Communist | Drew Garvie | 143 | 0.2 | −0.02 | none listed |
| | Stop Climate Change | Karin Brothers | 124 | 0.2 | – | none listed |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Steve Rutschinski | 27 | 0.0 | −0.10 | none listed |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 57,391 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 281 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,672 | 71.6 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 80,567 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +4.25 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
vte2015 Canadian federal election: Etobicoke—Lakeshore :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | James Maloney | 34,638 | 53.70 | +18.60 | $154,037.25 |
| | Conservative | Bernard Trottier | 20,932 | 32.45 | -7.78 | $114,083.23 |
| | New Democratic | Phil Trotter | 7,030 | 10.90 | -9.40 | $27,861.80 |
| | Green | Angela Salewsky | 1,507 | 2.34 | -1.68 | $2,045.10 |
| | Animal Alliance | Liz White | 233 | 0.36 | – | $4,975.83 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Janice Murray | 168 | 0.26 | -0.10 | – |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 64,508 | 99.53 | | $233,887.62 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 307 | 0.47 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 64,815 | 69.04 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 93,880 |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | Swing | +13.19 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
2011 Canadian federal election: Thornhill :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | Peter Kent | 36,629 | 61.38 | +12.37 | $85,817.95 |
| | Liberal | Karen Mock | 14,125 | 23.67 | -15.76 | $89,258.36 |
| | New Democratic | Simon Strelchik | 7,141 | 11.97 | +5.35 | $5,397.91 |
| | Green | Norbert Koehl | 1,562 | 2.62 | -2.32 | $11,470.40 |
| | Animal Alliance | Liz White | 215 | 0.36 | – | $7,002.05 |
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | 59,672 | 100.00 | – | $99,784.20 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 275 | 0.46 | – |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 59,947 | 60.98 | – |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 98,312 | – | – |
2008 Canadian federal election: Toronto Centre :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Bob Rae | 27,462 | 53.53 | -5.94 | $ 48,353.21 |
| | Conservative | David Gentili | 9,402 | 18.33 | +6.01 | 39,290.89 |
| | New Democratic | El-Farouk Khaki | 7,743 | 15.09 | +1.21 | 21,305.27 |
| | Green | Ellen Michelson | 6,081 | 11.85 | -1.56 | 23,041.16 |
| | Communist | Johan Boyden | 193 | 0.38 | | 432.31 |
| | Animal Alliance | Liz White | 187 | 0.36 | -0.16 | 685.91 |
| | Independent | Gerald Derome | 146 | 0.28 | | 2,063.60 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Philip Fernandez | 92 | 0.18 | | – |
| Total valid votes/Expense limit/Total Expenditures | Total valid votes/Expense limit/Total Expenditures | Total valid votes/Expense limit/Total Expenditures | 51,306 | 100.00 | $ 92,067.97 | $ 135,172.35 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 257 | 0.50 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,563 | 57.39 |
By-election on March 17, 2008: Toronto Centre On Bill Graham's resignation, July 2, 2007 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Bob Rae | 14,187 | 59.47 | +7.24 |
| | New Democratic | El-Farouk Khaki | 3,312 | 13.88 | -9.86 |
| | Green | Chris Tindal | 3,199 | 13.41 | +8.20 |
| | Conservative | Donald Meredith | 2,939 | 12.32 | -5.89 |
| | Animal Alliance | Liz White | 123 | 0.52 | +0.40 |
| | Canadian Action | Doug Plumb | 97 | 0.41 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,857 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 96 | 0.40 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,953 | 27.86 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +8.5 | |
2006 Canadian federal election: Toronto Centre :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Bill Graham | 30,874 | 52.23 | -4.30 |
| | New Democratic | Michael Shapcott | 14,036 | 23.74 | -0.01 |
| | Conservative | Lewis Reford | 10,763 | 18.21 | +3.42 |
| | Green | Chris Tindal | 3,080 | 5.21 | +1.30 |
| | Communist | Johan Boyden | 120 | 0.2 | -0.05 |
| | Independent | Michel Prairie | 101 | 0.2 | |
| | Animal Alliance | Liz White | 72 | 0.12 | |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Philip Fernandez | 66 | 0.11 | -0.01 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 59,112 | 100.00 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | -2.1 | |