Ted Hsu
Encyclopedia
Theodore "Ted" Hsu, MP is a Canadian physicist
and politician
from Ontario
, Canada
. He is the Member of Parliament
for the riding of Kingston and the Islands
and sits in the Canadian House of Commons
as the Liberal Party's
Critic for Science and Technology.
, in 1964 to James and Marjorie. When he was six months old the family moved to Kingston, Ontario where his father joined Queen’s University as a professor of chemical engineering. He has two younger brothers, Bob and Leon. Hsu is of Chinese
descent and is fluent in the French
and Mandarin languages. He graduated in 1980 from Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute
in Kingston, at age 16. Hsu was a talented chess
player in his youth, eventually reaching Class A strength. In 1984, he graduated from Queen’s University with a B.Sc. Hons. in Physics, and then obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University
in 1989. He did post-doctoral research in Chalk River
, Vancouver
, and France
.
Hsu has worked as a researcher and trader in Paris
and Philadelphia for Banque Nationale de Paris, and as an executive director in the Tokyo
office of Morgan Stanley
. Recently, he was the executive director of SWITCH, a Kingston-based not-for-profit association that promotes job creation and investment in sustainable energy.
MPP and Peter Milliken
MP. Following Milliken's announcement in summer 2010 that he would not run again, a nomination contest was set up, and in November, Hsu won the Liberal nomination for the next federal election. He defeated four other contenders: former Kingston Mayor Harvey Rosen
, Queen's University Law Dean Bill Flanagan, former Kingston City Councillor Bittu George, and law professor Philip Osanic.
In the federal election held on May 2, 2011, Hsu beat out Conservative
candidate Alicia Gordon by less than 3,000 votes. The election was the Liberal Party's worst showing in its history and Hsu was one of only two new Liberals elected in the country.
On June 1, 2011, interim Liberal leader Bob Rae
announced that Hsu would serve in the Liberal Party shadow cabinet
as the Critic Science and Technology, and for the Federal Economic Development Agency of both Southern and Northern Ontario. On November 21, 2011, Hsu was the first runner-up to Conservative
MP Chris Alexander as Rookie of the Year, in MacLean's Magazine annual Parliamentarians of the Year awards.
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, 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...
. He is the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the riding of Kingston and the Islands
Kingston and the Islands
Kingston and the Islands is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968....
and sits in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as the Liberal Party's
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...
Critic for Science and Technology.
Early life and career
Ted Hsu was born in Bartlesville, OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, in 1964 to James and Marjorie. When he was six months old the family moved to Kingston, Ontario where his father joined Queen’s University as a professor of chemical engineering. He has two younger brothers, Bob and Leon. Hsu is of Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
descent and is fluent in the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Mandarin languages. He graduated in 1980 from Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute
Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute
Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute is a secondary school located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is commonly referred to as simply "LC"...
in Kingston, at age 16. Hsu was a talented chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player in his youth, eventually reaching Class A strength. In 1984, he graduated from Queen’s University with a B.Sc. Hons. in Physics, and then obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1989. He did post-doctoral research in Chalk River
Chalk River Laboratories
The Chalk River Laboratories is a Canadian nuclear research facility located near Chalk River, about north-west of Ottawa in the province of Ontario.CRL is a site of major research and development to support and advance nuclear technology, in particular CANDU reactor...
, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Hsu has worked as a researcher and trader in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Philadelphia for Banque Nationale de Paris, and as an executive director in the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
office of Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
. Recently, he was the executive director of SWITCH, a Kingston-based not-for-profit association that promotes job creation and investment in sustainable energy.
Politics
He served for four years as the treasurer of the Kingston and the Islands Federal Liberal Association, and was an active member of its Policy Committee. He worked in the 2007 and 2008 provincial and federal Liberal campaigns for John GerretsenJohn Gerretsen
John Philip Gerretsen is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and a Minister in the Cabinet of Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Early life:...
MPP and Peter Milliken
Peter Milliken
Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken, UE is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until his retirement in 2011 and served as Speaker of the House for 10 years beginning in 2001. Milliken represented the Ontario riding of Kingston and the Islands as a...
MP. Following Milliken's announcement in summer 2010 that he would not run again, a nomination contest was set up, and in November, Hsu won the Liberal nomination for the next federal election. He defeated four other contenders: former Kingston Mayor Harvey Rosen
Harvey Rosen
Harvey Rosen was the mayor of the city of Kingston, Ontario, Canada from 2003 to 2010.Rosen was born in Kingston and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from York University in Toronto, and a Bachelor of Law degree from Queen's University in Kingston. He was called to the Bar in 1977...
, Queen's University Law Dean Bill Flanagan, former Kingston City Councillor Bittu George, and law professor Philip Osanic.
In the federal election held on May 2, 2011, Hsu beat out Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate Alicia Gordon by less than 3,000 votes. The election was the Liberal Party's worst showing in its history and Hsu was one of only two new Liberals elected in the country.
On June 1, 2011, interim Liberal leader Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
announced that Hsu would serve in the Liberal Party shadow cabinet
Liberal Party Shadow Cabinet of the 41st Parliament of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada's Shadow Cabinet was announced on June 1, 2011.-See also:*Cabinet of Canada*Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 41st Parliament of Canada...
as the Critic Science and Technology, and for the Federal Economic Development Agency of both Southern and Northern Ontario. On November 21, 2011, Hsu was the first runner-up to Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
MP Chris Alexander as Rookie of the Year, in MacLean's Magazine annual Parliamentarians of the Year awards.