Bob Rae

Robert Keith Rae, PC , OC, O.Ont , QC , B.A., LL.B, B.Phi., LL.D (h.c.) (born August 2, 1948) is a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Rae, a former member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), was the 21st Premier of Ontario from October 1, 1990, to June 28, 1995, and the only leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party to serve in that capacity.

Family

Rae was born in Ottawa, Ontario. His father, Saul, was an eminent Canadian career diplomat of Jewish and Scottish descent (raised as an Anglican) who had postings in Washington, Geneva, New York, Mexico and The Hague. Saul Rae was on the first plane to land in France after the liberation in 1945, and spent a year in Vietnam as part of the Canadian team in the three country transitionary government in 1955 (following the battle of Dien Bien Phu).

Rae's brother, John, is a Vice-President of Power Corporation and a prominent member of the Liberal Party. He was also an adviser to Jean Chrétien from 1963 until Chrétien retired in 2003. Rae's younger brother, David, was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 1987. Despite a bone marrow transplant from his brother, he died in 1989 at age 32.

Rae's sister, Jennifer, worked for many years for the IMAX Corporation but has now retired. She dated Pierre Trudeau for a time in the late 1960s.

Upon his marriage to Arlene Perly, Bob Rae agreed to raise his children in his wife's Jewish faith, though he himself is an Anglican.

Early career

Rae attended Crichton Street Public School in Ottawa, Horace Mann Public School and Gordon Junior High School in Washington, and the International School of Geneva. His first job was a paper route delivering the Washington Star tabloid, which he later described as "one of the worst newspapers in the history of modern journalism". His customers included Richard Nixon and Estes Kefauver.

He graduated with honours from the University of Toronto, where he also later received his law degree. Michael Ignatieff, who later became Rae's rival for the Liberal Party leadership, was his roommate for a time. He first became involved in politics by volunteering on Trudeau's 1968 Liberal leadership campaign[6], and subsequently worked on Liberal Charles Caccia's campaign in the 1968 federal election. Rae and Caccia have remained personal friends through their political careers. During his final year as an undergraduate, Rae was a student representative on the Bissell Commission on University Government.

As a result of his strong student record, Rae was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where he studied at Balliol College, Oxford under Isaiah Berlin. His Bachelor's thesis criticized the cultural imperialism of early Fabian socialists in the United Kingdom, such as Sidney and Beatrice Webb. During his period in Britain he became involved with social work, helping squatters find rental accommodation in London. He attributes the experience with helping him develop a deepened commitment to social justice and, on his return to Canada in 1974 Rae joined the social democratic NDP. He worked in labour law during the mid-1970s.

Federal Politics

Rae was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1978 by-election, defeating Progressive Conservative Tom Clifford by 420 votes in the Toronto riding of Broadview. He was re-elected in the new riding of Broadview—Greenwood in the 1979 federal election, and gained national prominence as the NDP's finance critic. It was the vote on Rae's motion of no confidence that brought down the Progressive Conservative government of Joe Clark in December 1979.

Rae was elected to parliament for a third time in the 1980 federal election, and married Arlene Perly days later. In caucus, he sided with party leader Ed Broadbent in supporting patriation of the Canadian Constitution with a Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He also articulated his party's policy on the Canadian Bank Act, and criticized the Bank of Canada's high interest rate policy.

During the same period, the Ontario New Democratic Party was suffering from internal disunity under the leadership of Michael Cassidy. Cassidy resigned as leader after a poor performance in the 1981 provincial election, and a movement began to draft Rae as his replacement. Rae initially declined a request from a provincial delegation led by Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Dave Cooke, but reconsidered after further entreatments from former Ontario NDP leader Stephen Lewis and many others. Eleven of the party's 21 MPPs endorsed his candidacy, as did much of the labour movement. He was the most centrist candidate in the contest, and easily defeated Richard Johnston and Jim Foulds at a leadership convention in early 1982.

Ontario NDP Leader

First session

After Rae won the party leadership, there was a delay of several months before he was able to contest a by-election to enter the Ontario legislature. MPPs Jim Renwick, Marion Bryden and Tony Grande all declined to relinquish their seats, before former party leader Donald C. MacDonald agreed to stand down in the York South constituency. Rae defeated Liberal candidate John Nunziata, a York councillor, in a by-election on November 4, 1982. Counting the leadership contest, this was his fifth election in just over four years.

When Rae entered the Ontario legislature, the Progressive Conservative Party had governed the province since 1943 and was widely regarded as unbeatable. Rae was strongly critical of the PC Party's approach to social issues, using his acceptance speech at the 1982 leadership convention to describe the Tories' Ontario as "Toryland", "essentially a country club in which women and people of colour were not welcome". This comment was criticized in some media circles, though Rae later wrote that it seemed "particularly apt" in retrospect and that it "certainly aroused an angry response which often means a target has been hit".

The opposition Liberals were led by the inexperienced David Peterson. Many senior NDP strategists believed their party could surpass the Liberals for second place, and Rae and Peterson became frequent rivals for media attention and public support between 1982 and 1985. The NDP took two seats from the Liberals in late 1984 by-elections, and polling by Decima Research from this period put them slightly ahead of the Liberals, although still well behind the PCs.

1985 election and the Liberal-NDP Accord

The NDP did not, however, make the anticipated gains in the 1985 provincial election. The party won 25 seats out of 125, only a modest improvement from their 1981 showing. The Progressive Conservatives lost support after choosing right-wing candidate Frank Miller as their new leader before the election, but it was the Liberals rather than the NDP who were able to reposition themselves in the political centre, and reap the benefits of this change.

Rae nonetheless played a pivotal role in bringing the Progressive Conservative Party's 42-year dynasty to an end. The 1985 election resulted in a minority parliament, in which the Tories were 11 seats short of a majority. They held only four more seats than David Peterson's Liberals, who had actually won a plurality of the popular vote. After a series of negotiations -- begun by a phone call from Rae to Peterson shortly after election day -- Rae and Peterson signed a "Liberal-NDP Accord" in which the NDP agreed to support a Liberal government in office for two years. The Liberals, in return, agreed to implement some policies favoured by the NDP.

Rae personally favoured a full coalition between the Liberals and NDP, but did not make a strong case for this option in discussions with other members of his party. Peterson later indicated that he would not have accepted a coalition in any event.

The Progressive Conservatives were defeated in a no-confidence motion on June 18, 1985, and Lieutenant-Governor John Black Aird asked Peterson to form a new government. With support from Rae, Peterson's government implemented socially progressive legislation on matters such as pay equity, and brought an end to extra-billing by doctors.

Some members of the NDP disapproved of the party's accord with the Liberals. Party activist Ian Orenstein challenged Rae for the provincial leadership in 1986, in a symbolic protest against the party's centrist tilt. Rae won without difficulty.

Official Opposition

The Liberals won a landslide majority government in the 1987 provincial election, called after the conclusion of the Liberal-NDP accord. The NDP were reduced to nineteen seats (down six from 1985). Rae himself was nearly swept under the Liberal tide, defeating Liberal challenger Alan Tonks (well known mayor of York and a future Chair of Metro Council and federal MP) by only 333 votes. The Progressive Conservatives fell to only sixteen seats, however, making the NDP the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly for the third time ever.

There was considerable speculation that Rae would resign the leadership of the provincial NDP to seek the leadership of the federal NDP, following the resignation of popular leader Ed Broadbent in 1989. High-profile party members such as former Ontario NDP leader Stephen Lewis, Allan Blakeney and Roy Romanow of Saskatchewan, Gary Doer of Manitoba and Alexa McDonough of Nova Scotia all encouraged him to run. Expecting Rae to resign, Bud Wildman, Ruth Grier and Richard Johnston prepared to succeed him as leader of the Ontario NDP. On October 5, 1989, however, Rae announced that he would not return to federal politics and would remain as provincial leader.

Election victory

Peterson called a snap election for 1990. The NDP entered the campaign with low expectations, as the Liberals still held a significant lead in opinion polls. Reports from this period indicate that the party expected to lose seats, and that Rae was planning to retire as party leader after the election. A number of prominent MPPs, including Johnston, Marion Bryden, Michael Breaugh and David Reville, chose not to seek re-election. Floyd Laughren was planning to retire as well, but had not finalized his plans when Peterson dropped the writ.

Contrary to expectations, the Liberal Party's support base declined significantly in mid-campaign. The Progressive Conservatives were led by the inexperienced Mike Harris, who did not have a strong public profile at the time -- as such, Rae's NDP was the primary beneficiary of the Liberal slide. Polls taken late in the campaign showed the NDP holding a slight lead over the Liberals.

In the September 6 election, the NDP unexpectedly won a majority government, taking 74 seats in the Legislative Assembly. There were several reasons for this surprising victory. Peterson had called an early election less than three years into his mandate. The snap election was interpreted by many voters as a sign of arrogance. Although Peterson and Rae both supported the Meech Lake Accord, Peterson's prominent role in drafting it likely hurt his popularity as opposition to the Accord grew. This, combined with a weak campaign, the Patti Starr affair and scandal over redevelopment of Toronto's Harbourfront, resulted in Rae and the NDP being vaulted into office with just 37 per cent of the popular vote, only three above the Liberals. However, the NDP took over a large number of Liberal seats in and around Toronto. It may have helped that Rae was the only major party leader from the Greater Toronto Area. As a result, the Liberals suffered their worst defeat ever, falling from 95 seats to 36--a distant second place finish. The 59-seat loss surpassed the 48-seat loss in 1943 that began the Tories' long rule over the province. The NDP even managed to unseat Peterson in his own riding.

Premier

Robert Keith Rae
File:Bobrae-premier.jpg The Hon. Bob Rae
21st Premier of Ontario
In office October 1, 1990 – June 26, 1995
Preceded by	David Peterson
Succeeded by	Mike Harris
Personal details
Born	August 2, 1948 Ottawa, Ontario
Political party	Ontario New Democratic Party
Spouse	Arlene Perly Rae

On October 1, Rae was sworn in as the first NDP premier of Ontario. He was extremely popular for his first six months as Premier, with one early poll showing his personal approval rating at over 70%. The federal NDP were also improving their standing in the polls during this period. In the 1988 federal election, the NDP had won 44 seats, more than it had ever won before, and hopes were high for another breakthrough in the next election.

The Rae government was unable to sustain its popularity, however, and by late 1992 had fallen to third place in public opinion polls. The party's popularity continued to ebb throughout 1993, followed by only a modest recovery in the next two years. This, combined with the unpopularity of Michael Harcourt's New Democratic Party government in British Columbia, led to a significant loss of support for the federal NDP.

There are many reasons for the Rae government's loss of popularity between 1991 and 1993. The NDP had never governed Ontario before, and Ontario was experiencing its worst recession since the Great Depression. The government backtracked on several campaign promises, most notably the introduction of public auto insurance, which caused disagreements among the party and supporters, especially left-wingers such as cabinet ministers Howard Hampton and Shelley Martel (Elie's daughter). A number of scandals in cabinet and caucus also cut into the government's popularity.

In addition, the Rae government initially underestimated the extent of the North American recession. Their first budget projected a deficit of almost ten billion dollars, and enacted a series of spending programs to mitigate the worst effects of an economic lag. Some have described this budget as following a Keynesian orthodoxy, spending money in the public sector to stimulate employment and productivity. Unfortunately, the monies provided for in the budget were insufficient against the recession, and did not create enough productivity. Thomas Walkom described the budget as "the worst of both worlds" -- angering the business community, but not doing enough to provide for public relief.

The government changed its economic focus after 1991, and implemented budget cutbacks to control the province's mounting deficit. His government also brought in the Social Contract, austerity legislation which reopened collective bargaining agreements with the province's public sector unions. This legislation imposed a wage freeze and introduced what became known as "Rae days", giving civil servants (including teachers, doctors, nurses, etc.) ten days off without pay per year. These cutbacks led to a falling-out with both the public sector unions, most notably Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), and the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) and its leader Buzz Hargrove. Sid Ryan, Ontario President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, referred to the Social Contract as the worst labour legislation he had ever seen.

This breach between the NDP and the labour movement struck at the party's foundations. The NDP was founded as an alliance between the old Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and the labour movement, and Rae's policy decisions alienated many traditional NDP voters. Thousands of members resigned from the party, and several unions turned against the NDP and vowed to defeat the government in the next election. The Rae government later attempted to regain labour support by passing Bill 40, a measure which (among other things) introduced anti-scab provisions to the province. This was not enough to bridge the gap with organized labour, however, and the party was unable to regain significant union support.

In the 1993 federal election, the NDP fell to a historic low of 6% support in Ontario. All 10 NDP MPs from Ontario lost their seats to Liberal challengers as the Liberals won all but one seat in the province. Besides many NDP supporters nationwide voting Liberal to ensure that the Conservatives would be defeated (to avoid the vote-splitting in the 1988 election), the Rae government's unpopularity was a major factor in the federal NDP's losses. On the day after the election, defeated MP Steven Langdon called on Rae to resign. Langdon had openly campaigned against Rae's austerity measures. Although he lost by 13,000 votes to the Liberal candidate, he received a higher percentage of votes than any other NDP candidate in the province.

Rae's government attempted to introduce a variety of socially progressive measures during its time in office, though its success in this field was mixed. In 1994, the government introduced legislation which would have provided for same-sex partnership benefits in the province. At the time, this legislation was seen as a revolutionary step forward for same-sex recognition. It was defeated, however, when twelve NDP MPPs (including two junior ministers) voted against it.

The Rae government's affirmative action measures also proved controversial. In 1993, the government sought to improve the numbers of women, non-whites, aborginals and disabled persons working in the public sector. This policy would likely not have occasioned much controversy in a better economic climate; in the middle of a recession, however, many unemployed workers regarded it as threatening. There is little doubt that the controversy cost the NDP support among its working-class base. There were also some on the political left who believed the NDP was unduly emphasizing ethnicity ahead of class considerations.

Notwithstanding its setbacks, the Rae government achieved some positive accomplishments during its time in office. It saved many jobs in northern Ontario through its bailout of Algoma Steel, and negotiated a similar contract for workers in Kapuskasing. The government also opened several negotiations with aboriginal groups toward self-government. Other popular initiatives included the TTC Eglinton subway extension in Toronto (although the project was terminated a year later), support for public housing, and the Jobs Ontario job creation program. Rae's decision to approve casino gambling for the province was also opposed by many in the party but it provided a steady source of revenue.

Rae's popularity had recovered somewhat by 1995, but by the time the writs were dropped for that year's provincial election it was obvious that the NDP would not be re-elected. Having led in opinion polls since 1992, the official opposition Liberals were expected to be the primary benefactors of the NDP's unpopularity. However, several unpopular policy reversals and mistakes by Liberal leader Lyn McLeod allowed Mike Harris and the Tories to benefit from the swing in support away from the NDP. While the NDP polled considerably better in northern Ontario than it did in 1990, it lost much of its support in rest of the province, especially the 905 region. In addition, several working-class ridings who had long voted NDP shifted to the Tories in response to Harris' populism. Ending up, the Tories shot from third place to a landslide majority government, sweeping the NDP from power. The NDP fell to only seventeen seats and third place in the Legislative Assembly.

Rae himself was reelected in his own riding by over 3,000 votes. However, on February 29, 1996; he resigned as NDP leader and MPP for York South and moved to positions in law, academia and the private sector. He was eventually succeeded as party leader by Howard Hampton, who was formerly Natural Resources Minister in Rae's cabinet and a longtime left-wing rival. Gerard Kennedy won the riding of York South.

Out of politics, out of the NDP

Rae resigned from the New Democratic Party in the late 1990s, due to his appointment to Security Intelligence Review Committee. There was some speculation that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien would appoint him Governor-General in 1999, but he was passed over in favour of Adrienne Clarkson. There was further speculation that Rae would return to the federal Liberals and run under their banner in the 2000 election, though nothing came of this at the time.

Rae was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000, and in 2004 he was awarded the Order of Ontario. He was appointed the sixth chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University on July 2, 2003, and was installed at that school's fall convocation in October. Rae is currently a partner of Goodmans LLP, a Toronto-based corporate law firm, an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, and a Senior Fellow of Massey College. He has written two books: From Protest to Power: personal reflections on a life in politics (1996) and Three Questions: Prosperity and the Public Good (1998). He is the national spokesperson for the Leukemia Research Foundation.

Rae returned to active politics on April 16, 2002, two days after Mike Harris announced his resignation as premier, with an opinion piece in the National Post newspaper. In an article entitled, "Parting Company with the NDP", Rae strongly criticized what he perceived as a bias against Israel in the federal party, and also criticized the NDP for rejecting Tony Blair's Third Way socialism and for refusing to accept globalization and open markets. He suggested that the party's economic policies were insufficient for the 21st century, and that the party as a whole was no longer "worthy of support".

The Ontario NDP has distanced itself from Rae's policies under Hampton. During the 2003 provincial election, Hampton argued that Rae was wrong to reverse the NDP's commitment to public auto insurance. The party's relations with the labour movement have not completely healed, although the situation has improved since 1993. Relations with the CAW remain especially fraught, and memories of the social contract have hurt the NDP's credibility with a new generation of public sector workers, despite the party's efforts to distance itself from the measure. Nonetheless, the Ontario NDP has never come close to the popularity it enjoyed in the early 1990s, and is still in third place in the Legislative Assembly. Under Hampton, it actually lost official party status in the 2003 election.

Rae worked with great success on the Red Cross tainted blood issue and also worked towards a resolution of the fishing conflict in Burnt Church, New Brunswick. His efforts are considered instrumental in the saving and restructuring of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Rae became widely known as a powerful speaker, frequently addressing the challenges facing Canada.

In 2005, Rae wrote a report for the Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty on post-secondary education, commonly referred to as the Rae Report. While his report called for increased government funding to colleges and universities, and enhanced student aid especially for low-income students, his proposals on student tuition fees were more controversial. Rae's report suggested that individual institutions ought to be able to determine what rate of tuition fees to charge, free from government controls. Student groups have objected, noting the significant recent increases in tuition fees in Ontario under the government of Mike Harris, and the 57 per cent increase in tuition fees during his tenure as premier. Rae defended his report, arguing that low income non-university individuals would not benefit from a tuition freeze/lowering, as well as being forced to bear the tax burden needed to sustain a freeze/lowering

Rae has also become involved with international issues in recent years. In 2002 and 2003, as chair of the Forum of Federations he helped oversee constitutional discussions between the government of Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels. On April 26, 2005, he was appointed to advise Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan on whether or not there should be a government inquiry into the 1985 Air India disaster. He has worked to help the constitution makers in Iraq, and worked towards civil society developments in India, Nigeria, and various other countries.

In July 2005, The Globe and Mail and the National Post both reported that Rae was again being considered for appointment to the position of Governor General. However, Rae was passed over again, this time in favour of Michaëlle Jean.

Return as a Liberal

See also: Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006

File:Bob rae posed 2006 campaign.JPG

Bob Rae official photo for Liberal Leadership

In a July 2005 interview with Michael Valpy, Rae indicated that he was still committed to public life and public service. Valpy's feature on Rae included a comment by Arlene Perly Rae that he could return to politics if there was a national unity crisis.

On November 23 2005, Rae presented his recommendations that there should be a formal but focused inquiry into the Air India disaster. Two days later, Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan announced Rae's appointment to conduct a limited inquiry into Air India under a government order-in-council. Rae produced a comprehensive report outlining the key issues that could be addressed, leaving Air India Victims' families spokeswoman Lata Pada "encouraged that demands for answers will be addressed".

On August 24 2005, the Toronto Star reported that Rae was under "mounting pressure" to run for the federal Liberals in the 2006 general election. Though it was unclear how long the Air India inquiry was to last, Rae's appointment precluded any possibility of his running as a candidate in the January 23rd election. A poll by SES Research suggested that Rae was tied for second place behind Frank McKenna as a prospective candidate to lead the federal Liberals. McKenna decided afterwards not to contest the leadership.

The new government of Stephen Harper appointed a judge to handle the Air India inquiry in March 2006 thus releasing Rae from his previous commitment and freeing him for a possible run for the Liberal Party leadership.

In a speech to the Canadian Club of Winnipeg on March 13, 2006, Rae expressed his interest in uniting the 'progressive' forces of Canada in order to regain a majority government in the Canadian House of Commons. "There's a progressive record that's shared by a majority of Canadians, but so far, we have not succeeded in becoming a majority in the House of Commons, so we must think a bit about how that can happen."

On April 5, 2006, Rae applied for membership in the Liberal Party. His candidacy for the party leadership is supported by Greg Sorbara and George Smitherman of the Ontario Liberal Party, former Chretien aides Eddie Goldenberg and Rae's brother John, as well as former top Martin advisor John Webster and others associated with the Martin camp. He officially announced his candidacy on April 24, 2006. At his campaign launch he responded to his critics by saying "I made mistakes before I was in politics, I made mistakes when I was in politics, I made mistakes as premier... I can only tell you I have learned from those mistakes and I am the wiser for them.

On May 12, 2006, venerable Trudeau era cabinet minister Allan MacEachen backed Rae's leadership bid becoming honorary campaign chair.On June 16, former Ontario Liberal Party leader and provincial treasurer Robert Nixon, who sat as leader of the opposition to Rae's Ontario government for a time, endorsed Rae[7]. He has also been endorsed by MPs Irwin Cotler, Ujjal Dosanjh, Lawrence MacAulay, Diane Marleau and Brian Murphy, as well as several Senators. Rival candidate Maurizio Bevilacqua withdrew from the contest on August 14 to endorse Rae, and Carolyn Bennett did the same on September 15, followed by Hedy Fry on September 25 and John Godfrey on October 20. Template:Wikinews2

On the night of December 1st at the Convention, Bob Rae spoke freely without notes rather than make a formal speech. After the convention speeches Joe Volpe withdrew throwing his support behind Bob Rae with about 230 generally loyal delegates.

External links

• Bob Rae's Homepage
• Astonishing victory for the NDP
• Hour.ca – Bob versus the students
• Western News – Western Applauds Rae Report
• Liberals want Rae to join the fold by Robert Benzie, Toronto Star, August 24, 2005.
• Political Biography from the Library of Parliament
• Bob Rae's Order of Canada Citation

Electoral Record

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

1990 Ontario provincial election, York South
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
New Democratic Party	(x)Bob Rae	16,642	66.70	Liberal	Ozzie Grant	4,534	18.17	Progressive Conservative	Andrew Feldstein	2,561	10.26	Libertarian	Alex MacDonald	759	3.04	Green	Phil Sarazen	453	1.82
Total valid votes			24,949	100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots			406
Turnout			25,355	66.80
Electors on the lists			37,959

Template:Canadian politics/party colours/NDP/row

1987 Ontario provincial election, York South
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
New Democratic Party	(x)Bob Rae	13,190	47.10	Liberal	Alan Tonks	12,857	45.91	Progressive Conservative	Fred De Francesco	1,544	5.51	Libertarian	Dusan Kubias	411	1.47
Total valid votes			28,002	100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots			275
Turnout			28,277	70.46
Electors on the lists			40,134