Liz White (politician)
Elizabeth "Liz" White | |
|---|---|
 White at a debate during the 2008 Toronto Centre by-election | |
| Leader of the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party | |
| Assumed office August 2, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | First Leader |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Animal Alliance |
Elizabeth "Liz" White is a Canadian politician and animal rights activist residing in Toronto, Ontario. She is the current leader of the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada, a minor federal political party in Canada.
Animal Alliance of Canada
Liz White works full time in for the Animal Alliance of Canada. She is a current member of the Board of Directors of the organization and deals with issues regarding legislation and media relation.[1] She has been with the organization since the 1980s.
White also supports the complete boycott of Canada's seafood industry and is against the seal hunt.[2] White herself is a vegan and advocates a vegan lifestyle.[3]
Prior to her work with the Animal Alliance, White was the director of the Toronto Humane Society.
Political history
Animal Alliance Environmentalist Voters founding
White founded the Animal Alliance Environmentalist Voters Party in 2005 after laws passed by the Liberal government forced the Animal Alliance an Animal rights lobby group who supported election campaigns of candidates of any stripe who were favorable to advancing animal rights on the federal and provincial level to register as a third party. The party took advantage of a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that allowed Political parties to be registered by only running a single candidate.[4]
White ran as the only candidate for the party in the electoral district of Toronto Centre during the 2006 Canadian federal election.[5] Her candidacy allowed the new party to archive registration status as a full political party and the benefits that come with being registered.[4]
White ran against the Liberals to protest the Liberal caucus in the Senate blocked passage of an Animal cruelty bill in 2003.[6]
White ran a minimal on paper campaign. On election night the Animal Alliance played a marginal impact on the race in Toronto Centre. White won a total of 72 votes taking 0.12% of the popular vote in her district, she finished second last in the field of eight candidates finishing ahead of Marxist-Leninist candidate Philip Fernandez.[5] The party finished last in the overall election standings. The district was held by long time Liberal incumbent Bill Graham.
2008 by-election
Liberal incumbent Bill Graham resigned his seat to let former Premier of Ontario Bob Rae run for a seat in Parliament. White ran for office representing the party for the second time in the Toronto Centre by-election held on March 17, 2008.
White along with Green candidate Chris Tindal were the only two candidates that contested the Toronto Centre election in 2006. Despite the higher voter turnout White's impact in the race was marginal, she finished fifth out of six candidates contesting the by-election slightly ahead of Canadian Action Party candidate Doug Plumb.[7]
2008 federal election
Less than seven months after the March by-elections, White is leading a team of four candidates in the 2008 federal election. White asked and was denied a spot in the national leaders debate [8]
White has been quoted as saying that she and her party are running not to get people elected, but to help raise important issues not being addressed by major candidates.[9] Her party is running on a platform that includes ending the seal hunt, animal rights and stopping climate change.[9] Her local platform for the campaign in Toronto Centre calls for the removal of the Gardiner Expressway and banning guns.[10]
White ran her campaign for the third time in Toronto Centre against incumbent Liberal Bob Rae. She was unsuccessful for the third time.
Electoral record
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Kent | 36,629 | 61.38 | +12.37 | ||
| Karen Mock | 14,125 | 23.67 | -15.76 | ||
| Simon Strelchik | 7,141 | 11.97 | +5.35 | ||
| Norbert Koehl | 1,562 | 2.62 | -2.32 | ||
| Liz White | 215 | 0.36 | – | ||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 59,672 | 100.00 | |||
| Total rejected ballots | 275 | 0.46 | – | ||
| Turnout | 59,947 | 60.98 | – | ||
| Eligible voters | 98,312 | – | |||
| 2008 Canadian federal election - Toronto Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [11] | Name | Affiliation | Vote | % | Bob Rae | Liberal | 27,577 | 53.6% | David Gentili | Conservative | 9,405 | 18.3% | El-Farouk Khaki | NDP | 7,744 | 15.1% | Ellen Michelson | Green | 6,081 | 11.8% | Johan Boyden | Communist | 193 | 0.4%
#DCDCDC |
Liz White | Animal Alliance | 187 | 0.4% | Gerald Derome | Independent | 155 | 0.3%
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Marxist-Leninist/row |
Philip Fernandez | Marxist-Leninist | 92 | 0.2% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 17, 2008 by-election: Toronto Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [7] | Name | Affiliation | Vote | % | Bob Rae | Liberal | 14,187 | 59.2% | El-Farouk Khaki | NDP | 3,299 | 13.8% | Chris Tindal | Green | 3,263 | 13.6% | Donald Meredith | Conservative | 2,982 | 12.5%
#DCDCDC |
Liz White | Animal Alliance | 123 | 0.5%
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Canadian Action/row |
Doug Plumb | Canadian Action | 97 | 0.4% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Canadian federal election - Toronto Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [5] | Name | Affiliation | Vote | % | Bill Graham | Liberal | 30,874 | 52.2% | Michael Shapcott | New Democrat | 14,036 | 23.74% | Lewis Reford | Conservative | 10,763 | 18.21% | Chris Tindal | Green | 3,080 | 5.21% | Johan Boyden | Communist | 120 | 0.20% | Michel Prairie | Independent | 101 | 0.17%
#DCDCDC |
Liz White | Animal Alliance | 72 | 0.12%
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Marxist-Leninist/row |
Philip Fernandez | Marxist-Leninist | 66 | 0.11% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
References
- ^ "Director and Staff Biographies". Animal Alliance of Canada. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ "Boycott Canadian Seafood: About Us". Animal Alliance of Canada. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ Goddard, John (September 12, 2008). "Vegans walk aisle with the Colonel". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ a b "About us". Animal Alliance Environmentalist Voters Party of Canada. Archived from the original on 2008-08-02. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ a b c "Toronto Centre poll by poll Official Voting Results 39th general election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ Peter O’Neil (June 20, 2003). "Senate sends cruelty bill back to MPs 'Shocking' move alarms animal-rights activists". Vancouver Sun.
- ^ a b "By-elections March 17, 2008 Official Voting Results" (PDF). Elections Canada. pp. 33–46. Retrieved 2008-09-25. [dead link]
- ^ "Fringe parties now clamour for ticket to debates". CTV News. September 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ a b Thane Burnett. "Wider debate just a fringe benefit". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 2008-09-24. [dead link]
- ^ Andrew Rampersaud (October 1, 2008). "Parties you don't know that are running too". Town Crier Online. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ^ "Toronto Centre candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2008-09-25.