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| Affiliation | Liberal |
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| Name | David Peterson |
| Address |
London, Ontario , Canada |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
December 28, 1943 |
| Died |
Still Living
(80 years) |
| Contributor | Monsieur |
| Last Modifed | Campari_007
Nov 03, 2012 08:15am |
| Tags |
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| Info | David Peterson was the twentieth Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990, and the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years. He was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1943, and earned degrees from the University of Western Ontario (B.A.) and the University of Toronto (LL.B.). Peterson was called to the bar in 1969.
David Peterson was first elected as a Liberal MPP from London in 1975. He became Liberal leader and Leader of the Opposition in 1982.
In 1985, he began the Ontario election campaign with several problems. Dismal polling numbers, a Canada-wide trend against electing Liberal politicians, and a 42 year history of futility by the Ontario Liberal Party all led to predictions that his party was on the verge of annihilation. Instead, he came within 4 seats of defeating the Frank Miller's Progressive Conservative government, resulting in an unstable minority government.
NDP Leader Bob Rae entered negotiations with both the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives for a formal accord in which the NDP would pledge not to vote for the government's defeat in exchange for the passage of certain legislation. Frank Miller's Tories attempted to win the NDP's support but was unable to agree to Bob Rae's terms. Negotiations with the Liberals were more fruitiful and the two parties signed an Accord in which the NDP agreed not to force the government's defeat through a Motion of No Confidence for two years. In exchange, the Liberals agreed not to call a snap election for the same period and to implement certain NDP policies. While the NDP refused Cabinet representation, the NDP would provide the backing to an informal coalition government that allowed the Liberals to remain in power without having the most seats in the legislature.
As a result of the accord, Conservative Premier Frank Miller resigned and on June 26, 1985, David Peterson was sworn in as Premier of Ontario. After the expiration of the Liberal-NDP Accord in 1987, the Liberals called an election and were returned with a majority in the legislature.
Peterson's government eliminated extra billing by doctors, and Peterson was a vocal opponent of free trade with the United States. Peterson was one of the architects of the "Meech Lake" constitutional accord, which never became part of the Canadian constitution, and which proved dangerously divisive. In 1987, Peterson's Liberals won a landslide majority government, taking three quarters of the seats in the legislature.
The Peterson years saw some of Ontario's best economic times. Fiscally, their record was mixed. In 1989-1990, when deficit spending was de rigeur in most western governments, the Liberal government registered a slight surplus. However, in their next budget, they predicted a surplus, and Ontario turned out to have a deficit of over three billion dollars.
When Peterson called an election in 1990, he was still popular, owning a 54 per cent approval rating, and standing at 50 per cent in the polls. However, his luck turned immediately upon calling the election. Disappointed by high expectations, groups representing several interests, such as teachers, doctors, and environmentalists, came out against Peterson on television, radio, in print, and at Liberal campaign events. The general public felt that Peterson's early election call was cynical, and the party also appeared to be desperate when half-way through their campaign they proposed to cut the provincial sales tax. Some believed that Peterson was a better premier when his government was in a minority position, others believed it was time to give the NDP a chance. As well, the image of the Peterson government had been sullied by a number of scandals during the 1987-1990 period such as the Patti Starr scandal in which charities illegally donated money to Liberal campaigns and controversy and accusations of corruption around the Liberal government's links to land developers.
This, combined with a well run NDP campaign and a strong performance by NDP leader Bob Rae, ended Peterson's tenure as premier. On September 5, 1990, the NDP out-polled the Liberals 38% to 34%, and Bob Rae's New Democrats were able to win a majority government. David Peterson even lost his own seat. Peterson resigned as premier on October 1, 1990.
David Peterson was the Founding Chairman of the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club of the NBA, and was a member of Toronto's Olympics Bid Committee. Since leaving politics, he has been a professor at York University in Toronto, a senior partner and chairman of the Toronto law firm Cassels, Brock & Blackwell, and has been director or member of several charitable, cultural, and environmental organizations. He is married to actress Shelley Peterson. His brother Jim Peterson is currently a federal cabinet minister; Tim Peterson, a third brother, was elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003, as was distant relative Deb Matthews.
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