Peter Tabuns
Encyclopedia
Peter Charles Tabuns is a Canadian politician
. He is serving as a member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly where he represents the riding of Toronto-Danforth
as a member of the New Democratic Party
. He launched a bid to lead the party after the previous leader, Howard Hampton
, resigned. A leadership convention was held in March, 2009. Tabuns was defeated at that convention by Andrea Horwath
.
in 1951 to Tony Tabuns, an auto mechanic, and his wife Sally, who was born and raised in England
. Tony was born and raised in Latvia
, though he managed to leave his homeland after the Soviet occupation
and immigrate to England. While working on a farm, fixing equipment, he met Sally, and soon after marrying, the couple immigrated to Canada
. Soon after, the family found residence with other recent immigrant. In addition to Peter, Tony and Sally have two other children, Frank and Anna.
Tabuns attended York University
, where he studied political science and was actively involved in York's student council. Tabuns was also president of Citizens for a Safe Environment, a Riverdale
environmental group that lobbied the city to end garbage incineration at the Commissioners Street plant in the portlands. He became managing director of a housing co-op on Oak Street, and was also vice-chair of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto.
He currently lives with Shawn Kerwin, who is a theatre designer and professor at York University. They have a son, Anton, from Tabuns' previous relationship.
for Ward 8 - Riverdale - of the former City of Toronto from 1990 to 1997, representing a segment of the Toronto Danforth riding he now represents provincially.
Tabuns was a member of the Board of Health for seven years, and was chair from 1993 to 1997. In 1995 he moved to ban smoking
in shopping mall food courts. A year later the city extended the ban to include bars and restaurants.
In 1996, he supported a boycott of Harvey's
restaurants because its parent company Cara Operations
had donated money to the Progressive Conservative Party
for the past three years. The Board of Health initially passed the motion 7-6 but later rescinded it following a storm of protest. Tabuns was unrepentant and said that corporations must be held accountable for supporting Ontario Premier Mike Harris
. Tabuns said, "What Mike Harris has done is put greased skids under the economy of this city and pushed it downhill."
In 1997 the amalgamation of Metropolitan Toronto
reduced the number of councillor positions. Tabuns was forced to compete with fellow NDP councillors Pam McConnell
(who had previously represented Ward 7, adjacent to Tabuns' Ward 8) and Jack Layton
(who had held a seat on Metro Council representing the same area as Wards 7 and 8) for one of two council positions returned by the east-end ward. A phantom candidate named "Larry Tabin" also entered the election. It has been alleged that Tabin was enlisted as a candidate by bar and restaurant owners seeking to defeat Tabuns over his anti-smoking initiative; despite his presence on the ballot, Tabin did not actually conduct any visible campaign. In the confusion, Tabin was able to draw enough votes away from Peter Tabuns to cost Tabuns the election. Tabuns came in third, with about 200 fewer votes than McConnell. As a result, Tabuns did not gain a seat on the amalgamated council.
Canada. Under Tabuns' leadership, the organization advocated for environmental protection
, including the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol
. Tabuns also served as special advisor on climate change to Jack Layton from 2004 to 2005.
Tabuns was criticized by some members of Office and Professional Employees International Union
(OPEIU) local 343 (now Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union
343) in 2002, when Greenpeace terminated its door-to-door fundraising efforts and transferred foot canvassers to telephone fundraising. No layoffs occurred; however, several workers disputed Greenpeace's assertions that the new positions were of "comparable salary and benefits", and held an information picket outside Greenpeace offices. According to the union, however, the "circumstances surrounding the closure of the door canvass were amicably resolved".
candidate in the riding of Beaches—East York
during the 2004 federal election
. He lost the election to Liberal
incumbent Maria Minna
by 7,738 votes. Minna held the seat until the 2011 election.
nominated Tabuns as the party's candidate in the provincial byelection, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of former NDP Member of Provincial Parliament Marilyn Churley. Churley resigned her provincial seat in order to run in the 2006 federal election
as the NDP candidate for Beaches-East York.
Tabuns' opponents in the election were former broadcaster and Liberal
candidate Ben Chin
, Progressive Conservative
candidate Georgina Blanas and Green Party
candidate Paul Charbonneau. On March 30, 2006, Tabuns won the by-election with 47.8% support from voters.
Upon being sworn in as an MPP, NDP Leader Howard Hampton
reorganized his shadow cabinet
and gave the rookie member a long list of portfolios, including Transportation, Environment, Public Infrastructure Renewal, Greater Toronto Area
, Culture, Tourism and Recreation, Citizenship and Immigration, and Multicultural Affairs.
In October 2006, Tabuns was voted Best MPP by Now Magazine readers, for his positions on climate change, the Portlands Energy Centre
, and early childhood learning centres in his constituency. Tabuns has also been known for his stance on same-sex parental rights, anti-toxics legislation and recognition of foreign credentials. In the same month, Tabuns was recognized for tabling a motion to reclaim June 22, 2006 as Chinese Canadian Head Tax Redress Day.
Tabuns was re-elected in the 2007 provincial election
.
Following the resignation of party leader Howard Hampton in June 2008, Peter Tabuns was mentioned in the press as a likely candidate in the emerging campaign for the leadership. On October 27, 2008, Tabuns officially launched his campaign for the leadership. The party's leadership convention was held in March 2009. Tabuns lost to Andrea Horwath
by a margin of 60% to 40% on the third ballot following the defeat of contenders Michael Prue
and Gilles Bisson
in earlier rounds.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is serving as a member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly where he represents the riding of Toronto-Danforth
Toronto—Danforth (provincial electoral district)
Toronto—Danforth is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999...
as a member of the New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
. He launched a bid to lead the party after the previous leader, Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
, resigned. A leadership convention was held in March, 2009. Tabuns was defeated at that convention by Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath , is a Canadian activist and politician. She is the Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party in Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Hamilton Centre, and was chosen as the party's leader at its 2009 leadership convention.She is...
.
Early and personal life
Tabuns was born in London, OntarioLondon, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
in 1951 to Tony Tabuns, an auto mechanic, and his wife Sally, who was born and raised in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Tony was born and raised in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, though he managed to leave his homeland after the Soviet occupation
Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940
The Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 refers, according to the European Court of Human Rights, the Government of Latvia, the State Department of the United States of America, and the European Union, to the military occupation of the Republic of Latvia by the Soviet Union ostensibly under the...
and immigrate to England. While working on a farm, fixing equipment, he met Sally, and soon after marrying, the couple immigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Soon after, the family found residence with other recent immigrant. In addition to Peter, Tony and Sally have two other children, Frank and Anna.
Tabuns attended York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, where he studied political science and was actively involved in York's student council. Tabuns was also president of Citizens for a Safe Environment, a Riverdale
Riverdale, Toronto
Riverdale is a large neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bounded by the Don River Valley to the west, Danforth Avenue and Greektown to the north, Jones Avenue, the CN/GO tracks, and Leslieville to the east, and Lake Shore Boulevard to the south....
environmental group that lobbied the city to end garbage incineration at the Commissioners Street plant in the portlands. He became managing director of a housing co-op on Oak Street, and was also vice-chair of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto.
He currently lives with Shawn Kerwin, who is a theatre designer and professor at York University. They have a son, Anton, from Tabuns' previous relationship.
City councillor
Tabuns was city councillorToronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
for Ward 8 - Riverdale - of the former City of Toronto from 1990 to 1997, representing a segment of the Toronto Danforth riding he now represents provincially.
Tabuns was a member of the Board of Health for seven years, and was chair from 1993 to 1997. In 1995 he moved to ban smoking
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
in shopping mall food courts. A year later the city extended the ban to include bars and restaurants.
In 1996, he supported a boycott of Harvey's
Harvey's
Harvey's is a fast food restaurant chain that operates in Canada, with locations concentrated in southern Ontario, southern Quebec, as well as the Maritimes, Manitoba, British Columbia, and Alberta. It serves hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, and other traditional fast food fare. The...
restaurants because its parent company Cara Operations
Cara Operations
Cara Operations Limited is a Canadian company that provides catering services to airlines and operates several restaurant chains including: Harvey's, Swiss Chalet, Kelsey's, Milestones and Montana's. Its headquarters are in Vaughan, Ontario. It was previously headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario...
had donated money to the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
for the past three years. The Board of Health initially passed the motion 7-6 but later rescinded it following a storm of protest. Tabuns was unrepentant and said that corporations must be held accountable for supporting Ontario Premier Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
. Tabuns said, "What Mike Harris has done is put greased skids under the economy of this city and pushed it downhill."
In 1997 the amalgamation of Metropolitan Toronto
Metropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
reduced the number of councillor positions. Tabuns was forced to compete with fellow NDP councillors Pam McConnell
Pam McConnell
Pam McConnell is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada for Ward 28 which is one of the two Toronto Centre wards.She was a teacher before entering politics by being elected as a school board trustee in 1982. She held that position until 1994. She played a prominent role in advocating for adult...
(who had previously represented Ward 7, adjacent to Tabuns' Ward 8) and Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
(who had held a seat on Metro Council representing the same area as Wards 7 and 8) for one of two council positions returned by the east-end ward. A phantom candidate named "Larry Tabin" also entered the election. It has been alleged that Tabin was enlisted as a candidate by bar and restaurant owners seeking to defeat Tabuns over his anti-smoking initiative; despite his presence on the ballot, Tabin did not actually conduct any visible campaign. In the confusion, Tabin was able to draw enough votes away from Peter Tabuns to cost Tabuns the election. Tabuns came in third, with about 200 fewer votes than McConnell. As a result, Tabuns did not gain a seat on the amalgamated council.
Greenpeace
From 1999 to 2004, Tabuns was executive director of GreenpeaceGreenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
Canada. Under Tabuns' leadership, the organization advocated for environmental protection
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
, including the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
. Tabuns also served as special advisor on climate change to Jack Layton from 2004 to 2005.
Tabuns was criticized by some members of Office and Professional Employees International Union
Office and Professional Employees International Union
The Office and Professional Employees International Union is a trade union in the United States representing 110,416 white-collar workers in the public and private sector....
(OPEIU) local 343 (now Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union
Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union
The Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union is a Canadian labour union representing approximately 35,000 white-collar workers, in both the private and public sectors, in 44 locals across Canada....
343) in 2002, when Greenpeace terminated its door-to-door fundraising efforts and transferred foot canvassers to telephone fundraising. No layoffs occurred; however, several workers disputed Greenpeace's assertions that the new positions were of "comparable salary and benefits", and held an information picket outside Greenpeace offices. According to the union, however, the "circumstances surrounding the closure of the door canvass were amicably resolved".
Federal politics
Tabuns ran as the NDPNew Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
candidate in the riding of Beaches—East York
Beaches—East York
Beaches—East York is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988....
during the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
. He lost the election to Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
incumbent Maria Minna
Maria Minna
Maria Minna, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who represented the Toronto riding of Beaches—East York in the House of Commons as a member of the Liberal Party from 1993 to 2011.-Background:...
by 7,738 votes. Minna held the seat until the 2011 election.
Provincial politics
On February 15, 2006, the Toronto—Danforth NDP riding associationRiding association
In Canadian politics a riding association , officially called an electoral district association is the basic unit of a political party, that is it is the party's organization at the level of the electoral district, or "riding"...
nominated Tabuns as the party's candidate in the provincial byelection, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of former NDP Member of Provincial Parliament Marilyn Churley. Churley resigned her provincial seat in order to run in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
as the NDP candidate for Beaches-East York.
Tabuns' opponents in the election were former broadcaster and Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
candidate Ben Chin
Ben Chin
Benjamin Byung Kyu Chin , known for short as Ben Chin, is Vice President, Energy Conservation Incentives at Air Miles for Social Change, and a former Canadian political adviser and television journalist.-Personal life and education:...
, Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
candidate Georgina Blanas and Green Party
Green Party of Ontario
The Green Party of Ontario is a political party in Ontario, Canada. The party is led by Mike Schreiner. It has never held any seats in the Ontario Legislative Assembly; however, the party did see significant gains in the 2007 provincial election, earning 8% of the popular vote with some candidates...
candidate Paul Charbonneau. On March 30, 2006, Tabuns won the by-election with 47.8% support from voters.
Upon being sworn in as an MPP, NDP Leader Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
reorganized his shadow cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
and gave the rookie member a long list of portfolios, including Transportation, Environment, Public Infrastructure Renewal, Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, Culture, Tourism and Recreation, Citizenship and Immigration, and Multicultural Affairs.
In October 2006, Tabuns was voted Best MPP by Now Magazine readers, for his positions on climate change, the Portlands Energy Centre
Portlands Energy Centre
The Portlands Energy Centre is a 550-megawatt natural gas electrical generating station on the Toronto waterfront at 470 Unwin Avenue – next to the site of the decommissioned Hearn Generating Station.-Corporate Support:...
, and early childhood learning centres in his constituency. Tabuns has also been known for his stance on same-sex parental rights, anti-toxics legislation and recognition of foreign credentials. In the same month, Tabuns was recognized for tabling a motion to reclaim June 22, 2006 as Chinese Canadian Head Tax Redress Day.
Tabuns was re-elected in the 2007 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
.
Following the resignation of party leader Howard Hampton in June 2008, Peter Tabuns was mentioned in the press as a likely candidate in the emerging campaign for the leadership. On October 27, 2008, Tabuns officially launched his campaign for the leadership. The party's leadership convention was held in March 2009. Tabuns lost to Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath , is a Canadian activist and politician. She is the Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party in Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Hamilton Centre, and was chosen as the party's leader at its 2009 leadership convention.She is...
by a margin of 60% to 40% on the third ballot following the defeat of contenders Michael Prue
Michael Prue
Michael D. Prue is a Canadian politician, who represents the riding of Beaches—East York in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He is the New Democratic Party critic for Finance, Public Infrastructure Renewal, Community and Social Services and the Management Board of Cabinet, and for issues...
and Gilles Bisson
Gilles Bisson
Gilles Bisson is a Franco-Ontarian Canadian politician who has represented the northern riding of Timmins—James Bay in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1990...
in earlier rounds.