Jan Dukszta

Jan Dukszta (born ca. 1932) is a Polish-born Toronto psychiatrist and former Ontario New Democratic Party MPP in the Ontario legislature. He was first elected in the 1971 provincial election in the west-end riding of Parkdale and was re-elected in 1975 and by more than 2,400 votes in the 1977Turner, Julia; "Vodka eases pain Liberal's Parkdale win leaves Dukszta bitter", "Globe and Mail", March 21, 1981] before losing by 900 votes in the 1981 provincial election to Liberal Tony Ruprecht.Carriere, Vianney; "THE LOSERS For ex-MPPs, it's limelight to limbo", "Globe and Mail", August 24, 1981]

Dukszta attributed his defeat, in part, to an anti-gay campaign by a group called "Positive Parents" that targeted NDP candidates in several Toronto ridings because of the party's support for an amendment to the Ontario Human Rights Code to prohibit discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of sexual orientation. The group distributed literature that claimed Dukstza was gay while a second group, Campaign Life, distributed literature denouncing him for supporting maintaining coverage for abortions under Ontario Health Insurance Plan.

At one all-candidates' meeting Dukszta held up a hand-made pink triangle and a yellow star to illustrate the danger he saw in anti-homosexual sentiment being used against New Democrats. "I saw this sort of thing in Poland during the war, when the Germans made homosexuals wear pink triangles and Jews had to wear the star," Dukszta told the "Globe and Mail" saying of the anti-gay organizations "These groups are dangerous.... It is the start of fascism.... Are we going to go through another McCarthy period when minorities will be attacked allegedly in the name of the moral majority?"Spiers, Rosemary, "Anti-gay, anti-abortion groups hurt us in election, NDPers say", "Globe and Mail", March 21, 1981] Dukszta claimed he was also the target of a smear campaign that falsely accused the psychiatrist of being an abortionist. "Some of their canvassers were saying I was doing abortions in the back room. Our canvassers were hearing it."

Dukszta had also taken time out of his re-election campaign to treat fellow NDP MPP Tony Lupusella who had suffered a nervous breakdown and was unable to campaign but was nevertheless re-elected by 231 votes.Coyle, Jim, "Suffered nervous breakdown, New Democrat tries comeback", "Globe and Mail", August 6, 1982]

He returned to psychiatric practice following his defeat and, by 1986, was head of medical staff at Queen Street Mental Health Centre in Toronto. [Delacourt, Susan; "Protest puts patients in jeopardy, MDs say", "Globe and Mail", March 11, 1986]

Dukszta helped write the NDPs health and education policy. As a member of the NDP caucus he served as critic for housing and, subsequently, for culture and recreation.

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