Ontario NDP names Toronto caucus member Peter Tabuns as interim leader
A longtime Toronto legislator has been named interim leader of Ontario's New Democrats as the Official Opposition party gears up for a leadership contest.
Peter Tabuns was elected to the role by the NDP's provincial council, the party announced on Tuesday. It said more details would come later about the timeline and rules of the leadership race.
“The NDP is honoured that the people of Ontario have asked us, once again, to form the Official Opposition, and I’m humbled to have an opportunity to lead the party for a time,” Tabuns said in a written statement.
He said the caucus is "energized and committed" to holding Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government to account on issues like workers' wages, health-care wait times, climate change and the needs of students and long-term care residents.
Tabuns has represented the riding of Toronto-Danforth since 2006 and has served as critic for various portfolios, including energy and environment.
He will replace Andrea Horwath at the helm of the province's Official Opposition party after she announced on election night that she would step down.
The NDP rose from third party to Official Opposition status between 2009 and 2018 under Horwath's leadership, but their seat count diminished to 31 this election.
The party said Tuesday that its provincial council would hold another meeting to determine the rules and election date for the party's leadership contest.
Several NDP caucus members have said they are considering potential bids for the leadership, including Laura Mae Lindo, who represents Kitchener Centre, Marit Stiles, who represents Davenport, and Wayne Gates, who represents Niagara Falls.
Party president Janelle Brady thanked Horwath for her leadership and congratulated Tabuns in a Tuesday statement that said the NDP is in a "strong position" financially and with its supporters and volunteers.
"The choice of a new leader and the direction of our party belongs to the tens of thousands of NDP members in Ontario — and I can confidently say the party is in good hands," she said.
Tabuns served as a Toronto city councillor in the 1990s and worked as executive director of Greenpeace Canada before being elected to the provincial legislature.
He also managed a housing co-op and led a citizens' environmental group in his Toronto neighbourhood before entering politics.
Ontario's New Democrats aren't the only opposition party seeking to fill a leadership void after this month's election.
Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca also resigned on election night after he didn't win his own seat and his party failed once again to gain official party status.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.