The politics of Toronto involve the election of representatives to the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government in Ontario and Canada. A total of 24 Members of Parliament (MPs) representing Toronto sit in the 45th Canadian Parliament at 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 has 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 Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP). The federal Conservative Party (CPC) and the provincial Progressive Conservative Party have historically been weaker in the city, but some Blue Grit (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 (PC). However, the Liberals swept every seat in Toronto from 1993 federal election to 2004 federal election, when former city councillor and federal New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton won the Toronto—Danforth, a downtown riding. The NDP won two more seats in 2006 but lost one in 2008. In the 2011 federal election, Toronto sent nine CPC MPs to Ottawa, eight NDP MPs, and six LPC MPs, the first time that a centre-right party had won seats in Toronto since 1988. However, in 2015 federal election, the LPC swept every seat in Toronto.
Large parts of Toronto, mainly its outer portions, supported the right-wing government of Mike Harris during the 1995 general election and 1999 Ontario elections. However, largely as a result of amalgamating Metropolitan 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 out of Toronto in provincial elections from 2003 to 2013, when they won a by-election.
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 municipal election and was re-elected in 2000 municipal election.Biography - Mel Lastman http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=3f274df130113410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=2ad8dddc97703410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD In December 2003, centre-left politician, David Miller was elected as Toronto's 63rd mayor 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.Biography - David Miller http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=1a764df130113410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextfmt=default&vgnextchannel=2ad8dddc97703410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD 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 leomorphic liposarcoma, a rare form of cancer. The 2014 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 (a metonym for Ontario Legislative Building or the Government of Ontario). Among Tory's top priorities are tackling transit and traffic congestion.Mayor's biography http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=947332d0b6d1e310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
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
Members by riding
RidingPic Name Party Prior Experience Education Assumed Office Born In Beaches—East York Nate 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 West Rob Oliphant Liberal United Church minister, CEO of Asthma Canada University of Toronto (B.Comm), Vancouver School of Theology (M.Div.), Chicago Theological Seminary (D.Min.) 2015 1956 Don Valley North Maggie Chi Liberal 2025 Eglinton—Lawrence Vince Gasparro Liberal 2025 Etobicoke Centre Yvan Baker Liberal Management consultant Schulich School of Business (BBA), Tuck School of Business (MBA) 2019 1977 Etobicoke—Lakeshore Liberal Lawyer Bishop's University (BA), University of Windsor (LL.B.), University of Wales (BCL) 2015 Etobicoke North John Zerucelli Liberal 2025 Humber River—Black Creek Liberal North York City Council, Toronto City Council, Toronto Police Service Board University of Toronto (BA, JD) 1999 1944 Scarborough—Agincourt Liberal 2017 Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East Liberal University of London (Masters of Educational Management and Administration), Quaid-i-Azam University (MBA) 2011 1966 Scarborough North Liberal 2015 1980 Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park Liberal Real estate broker and lawyer Carleton University (BA) and Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B.) 2015 Scarborough Southwest Liberal Deputy leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party University of Toronto 2026 1989 Scarborough—Woburn Michael Coteau Liberal Educator and businessman Carleton University 2021 1972 Spadina—Harbourfront Chi Nguyen Liberal 2025 Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park Karim Bardeesy Liberal 2025 Toronto Centre Evan Solomon Liberal Media personality 2025 Toronto—Danforth Liberal Lawyer 2015 1971 Toronto—St. Paul's Leslie Church Liberal 2025 University—Rosedale Danielle Martin Liberal Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine of the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. McGill University (BA), University of Toronto (MPP), University of Western Ontario (MD) 2026 1975 Willowdale Liberal Lawyer, international law, executive assistant 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 Roman Baber Conservative 2025 York South—Weston—Etobicoke Liberal National president of the Canadian Somali Congress York UniversityUniversity 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 Liberal Community animator, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 32 Beaches-East York Carleton University (BA) 2025 1966 Davenport NDP Non-profit director, yrustee for the Toronto District School Board, president of the federal New Democratic Party 2018 1969 Don Valley East Liberal Emergency physician University of Western Ontario (BMSc), University of Toronto (MD), University of Oxford (MPP) 2022 Don Valley West Liberal Accountant, bank executive, member of the board of the Bank of Canada, senior executive at Scotiabank, partner at Ernst & Young University of Western Ontario (BA) 2022 Don Valley North Liberal Senior political advisor in the Government of Ontario, director of the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 33 Don Valley East, member of the board of management for the Toronto Zoo University of Toronto (MS), London School of Economics (MSc) 2025 1987 Eglinton—Lawrence Michelle Cooper Progressive Conservative Executive director of the PC Ontario Fund York University (BA) (MA) 2025 Etobicoke Centre Progressive Conservative Toronto City Council 2018 Etobicoke—Lakeshore Liberal President of St. Mary's General Hospital, Kitchener, senior vice-president of clinical care at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health University of Toronto 2025 1973 Etobicoke North Progressive Conservative Toronto City Council 2018 1964 Humber River—Black Creek NDP Executive sssistant to Anthony Perruzza 2018 Parkdale—High Park NDP Minister at Windermere United Church University of Toronto 2025 Scarborough—Agincourt Progressive Conservative Citizenship judge 2018 Scarborough Centre David Smith Progressive Conservative Toronto Public School Trustee for Ward 19/17 Scarborough Centre 2022 Scarborough—Guildwood Andrea Hazell Liberal Founder of Winspire National Women's Network Foundation, president and chair of the Scarborough Business Association, chair of the Caribbean Philanthropic Council Seneca Polytechnic 2023 Scarborough North Progressive Conservative Social Worker, Toronto City Council, chairman of the Toronto Zoo University of Toronto (MSW, PhD) 2016 1936 Scarborough—Rouge Park Progressive Conservative Financial advisor 2018 1989 Scarborough Southwest 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 NDP Adjunct professor at York University 2018 1961 Toronto Centre NDP Toronto City Councillor for Ward 27 Toronto Centre-Rosedale, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 13 Toronto Centre 2022 1971 Toronto—Danforth NDP Toronto City Council York University (BA) 2006 1951 Toronto—St. Paul's Liberal Broadcast journalist, communications consultant 2025 1964 University—Rosedale Jessica Bell NDP Community organizer, lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University, director of the California Food & Justice Coalition, activist, executive director of TTCriders 2018 Willowdale Progressive Conservative Real estate broker, auditor 2018 York Centre Progressive Conservative Bioscience and technology entrepreneur York University (BA) 2022 York South—Weston Progressive Conservative Community opportunities advocate, special advisor to the Premier of Ontario 2025
See also Bill 103
References