Politics of Toronto
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The politics of Toronto, Ontario, Canada involve the election of representatives to the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government. A total of 23 Members of Parliament (MPs) representing Toronto sit in the House of Commons in Ottawa (the federal capital), and another 22 Members of Ontario's Provincial Parliament (MPPs) sit in the Legislative Assembly at Queen's Park, in Toronto. Being Ontario's capital, many provincial offices are located in the city.
Overview
In terms of electoral politics, Toronto had been an important source of support for the Liberal Party both federally and provincially, though the downtown area tends to support the New Democratic Party (NDP). The federal Conservative Party and the provincial Progressive Conservative Party have historically been weaker in the city, although many of the more right-leaning members of the Liberal Party are from Toronto. In the past, Toronto had often supported the Progressive Conservative party, and in the 2011 federal election, Torontonians sent nine Conservative MPs to Ottawa, eight NDP MPs and six Liberal MPs.
Large parts of Toronto supported the right-wing government of Mike Harris during the 1995 and 1999 Ontario elections. But largely as a result of amalgamating Metro Toronto municipalities -- against the wishes of three-quarters of voters in a municipal plebiscite -- and downloading responsibility for costly services onto the city, the Conservatives were shut of Toronto in provincial elections after 1999 until they won a byelection in 2013.
Mel Lastman won the amalgamated city's mayoralty in the 1997 and 2000 Toronto elections, followed by centre-leftist David Miller in 2003 (the same year the Conservatives were ousted provincially) and 2006. After Miller declined to run again, Conservative ally Rob Ford won the 2010 election handily. Three years later, however, Ford's tumultuous reign and admission to smoking crack (and other indiscretions that attracted international media attention) led City Council to remove many of his powers and much of his office's budget.
The Stronger City of Toronto for a Stronger Ontario Act, 2006 (Bill 53) was enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on June 12, 2006.[1] It modified the legal powers and responsibilities available to the city under provincial law.[2]
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