John Tory

. After the election, he helped Miller and Hall raise funds to repay their campaign debts.

Election results as a mayoral candidate

Election box begin no party | title= Toronto municipal election, 2003: Mayor of Toronto
-
align="center"|checkmark
David Miller
align="right"|299,385
align="right"|43.26
align="right"
-
align="right"
John Tory
align="right"|263,189
align="right"|38.03
align="right"
-
align="right"
Barbara Hall
align="right"|63,751
align="right"|9.21
align="right"
-
align="right"
John Nunziata
align="right"|36,021
align="right"|5.20
align="right"
-
align="right"
Tom Jakobek
align="right"|5,277
align="right"|0.76
align="right"

Leader of the Ontario PC Party

In March 2004, Tory hinted that he would be seeking the leadership of the provincial Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, after Ernie Eves announced his intention to resign from that post. The provincial PC leadership election was announced for September 18, 2004, and Tory made his candidacy official on May 6, 2004. John Laschinger was appointed to be Tory's campaign manager. Tory won the support of former provincial cabinet ministers Elizabeth Witmer, David Tsubouchi, Jim Wilson, Janet Ecker, Chris Hodgson, Cam Jackson, Phil Gillies and Bob Runciman as well as backbench Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) Norm Miller, Laurie Scott, Ted Arnott and John O'Toole.

Tory's campaign team included such organizers as Ted Matthews, Wayne Snow, Amanda Waples, Peter Kearns, Aaron Bradley, Razvan Nicholae, Kim Groenendyk, Luc Leclair, Kyle Simunovic, Catherine Pringle, Dave Forestell, Michael Wilson and Barb Fisher.

Tory's opponents for the leadership post were former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Oak Ridges MPP Frank Klees, both from the right-wing faction of the party. Tory positioned himself as a centrist candidate, and defeated Flaherty 54% to 46% on the second ballot. When Flaherty later left provincial politics to seek a seat in the Canadian House of Commons as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Tory endorsed his former rival in the 2006 election; Flaherty was successfully elected and was appointed Finance Minister. Tory also campaigned prominently with Flaherty's wife Christine Elliott in the provincial by-election held March 30, enabling her to win the seat formerly held by her husband.

Tory told the media in November 2004 that he would seek election to the legislature in time for the spring 2005 legislative session. On December 7, 2004, the Ontario Liberal Party announced that it would run a candidate against Tory in a by-election. This caused some controversy as the Liberal and Conservative parties in Canada have historically allowed major party leaders who do not have a parliamentary seat to enter the legislature unopposed, though this has been broken in recent years and the NDP have never followed such an unwritten rule.

On January 31, 2005, after much public speculation and some delay, Ernie Eves resigned his seat and cleared the way for Tory to run in Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, the safest Conservative seat in the province. As a "parachute candidate", Tory faced some criticism about his commitment to the riding. Nevertheless, he easily won the March 17, 2005 by-election with 56% of the vote. Former Premier Davis appeared for Tory's first session in the legislature as Progressive Conservative leader.

In the 2007 general election, Tory ran in the Toronto riding of Don Valley West, the area where he grew up, raised his family and lived most of his life. It is also one of the wealthiest ridings in the provinceFact|date=October 2007. He was defeated by the incumbent, Ontario Liberal Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.

2007 Ontario general election

John Tory released his platform on June 9 2007. The platform, "A Plan for a Better Ontario", commits a PC government to eliminate the health care tax introduced by the previous government, put scrubbers on coal-fired plants, [Richard Brennan, [http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/256566 Tory unveils $1.3B plan to clean Nanticoke smoke] , Toronto Star, September 14 2007] address Ontario’s doctor shortage, [Richard Brennan [http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/255785 Liberals haven't fixed MD shortage, says Tory] , Toronto Star, September 12 2007] allow new private health care partnerships provided services are paid by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), [Kerry Gillespie [http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/258258 Tory sees private health role] , Toronto Star, September 19 2007] impose more penalties on illegal land occupations (in response to the Caledonia land dispute), [Karen Howlett [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070923.ontario24/BNStory/ontarioelection2007/home Tory vows tougher penalties for occupations] , Globe and Mail, September 23 2007] fast-track the building of nuclear power plants, [Rob Ferguson [http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/259509 Tory vows to fast-track nuke plants] , Toronto Star, September 23 2007] and invest the gas tax in public transit and roads. [ Canadian Press, [http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/256686 Tory: 'Millions' for transit] , Toronto Star, September 14 2007] A costing of the platform released in August estimates the PC promises will cost an additional $14 billion over four years. [Richard Brennan, [http://www.thestar.com/News/article/251619 Tories release cost figures for 'prudent' platform] , Toronto Star, August 30 2007] The PC campaign was formally launched on September 3. [ Canadian Press, [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070903.wtory0903/BNStory/Front Ontario's Tory boards the blue bus] , Globe and Mail, September 3 2007] Most of the campaign was dominated by discussion of his plan to extend public funding to Ontario’s faith-based schools. [Caroline Alphonso, [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070910.wleaders10/BNStory/ontarioelection2007/home Ontario campaign starts with verbal attacks] , September 10 2007] Later in the campaign, in the face of heavy opposition, Tory promised a free-vote on the issue. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/cp/national/071001/n100121A.html Progressive Conservatives to soften position on faith-based schools: report] ] With the beginning of the official campaign period on September 10, the PC campaign made clear its intention to make the previous government’s record a key issue. In particular, Tory focused on the Liberals' 2003 election and 2004 pre-budget promise not to raise taxes and their subsequent imposition of a Health Care Tax. [Shawn McCarthy, [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070911.wontelection0911/BNStory/National/home Tories slam health tax as ‘granddaddy of broken promises'] , Globe and Mail, September 11 2007.]

On October 10 2007 during the 2007 election, Tory failed to win his seat in the Don Valley West riding. Although Tory was defeated in both his riding of Don Valley West and the race for the premiership, he said that he will stay on as leader of Ontario PC unless the party wants him to resign.

Earlier in the year, indications were that Ontario PC would be a strong contender to win the fall election. The unexpectedly large election loss is attributed mainly to the issues regarding the Ontario PC policy that would have provided funding for faith based schools. [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ontariovotes2007/story/2007/10/10/ont-leaders.html CBC.ca - McGuinty only leader not facing leadership questions] ] [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ontariovotes2007/story/2007/10/10/leaders.html CBC.ca - McGuinty wins massive majority, Tory loses seat] ] As a result of the election loss, the party decided to hold a leadership review vote at its 2008 General Party Meeting in London [http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/266809 "Will provincial leaders stay, or go?"] — Toronto Star/TheStar.com (October 15 2007)] . Tory received 66.9 percent support, lower than internal tracking which showed him in the more comfortable 70 percent range.Three hours after the leadership review vote, John Tory announced to the delegates at the Ontario PC's general meeting that he will be staying on as leader of the Party. [http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ins3OgMvyNcaSGRZ_jCZ5zsk-81w "Conservative Leader John Tory to remain after 67 per cent in leadership vote"] — Canadian Press (February 23 2008)] Tory came under heavy criticism from several party members following this delay, with his opponents signalling that they will continue to call for an end to what they called his 'weak' leadership. [http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=332231 "Critics assail 'weak' Tory"] — National Post (February 24 2008)] Other party members, supported John Tory, saying that his opponents should accept the results and move on.

Election results as PC leader

Election box begin | title= Ontario general election, 2007: Don Valley West
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Kathleen Wynne
align="right"|23,059
align="right"|50.4
align="right"| -
-
John Tory
align="right"|18,136
align="right"|39.7
align="right"| -
-
Adrian Walker
align="right"|2,202
align="right"|4.8
align="right"| -
-
Mike Kenny
align="right"|2,135
align="right"|4.7
align="right"| -
-
Daniel Kidd
align="right"|183
align="right"|0.4
align="right"| -
-

Ontario elections/Progressive Conservatives
John Tory
15,610
56.3
- Ontario elections/Liberals
Bob Duncanson
4,625
16.7
- Ontario elections/NDP
Lynda McDougall
3,881
14.0
- Ontario elections/Green
Frank de Jong
2,767
10.0
- Ontario elections/FCP
Paul Micelli
479
1.7
- Ontario elections/Independent
William Cook
163
0.6
- Ontario elections/Libertarian
Philip Bender
135
0.5
- Ontario elections/Independent
John C. Turmel
85
0.3
- Election box end

ee also

*Ontario PC Party
*1993 Chrétien attack ad

References and footnotes

External links

* [http://www.leadershipmatters.ca 2007 PC Party election campaign website]
* [http://www.ontariopc.com Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario website]
* [http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_detail.do?locale=en&ID=7020 Legislative Assembly of Ontario profile]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
before=Ernie Eves
title=Leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party
years=2004 - present
after=Incumbent
succession box
before=Bob Runciman
title=Leader of the Opposition in the
Ontario Legislature
years=2005 - 2007
after=Bob Runciman "(interim)"
succession box
before=Ernie Eves
title=Member of Provincial Parliament for Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey
years=2005 - 2007
after=Sylvia Jones
_{as MPP for Dufferin—Caledon}
s-ttl|title=Canadian Football League commissioner
years=1996 - 2000