David Christopherson
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David Christopherson (born October 5, 1954) is a Canadian politician. Since 2004, he has represented the riding of Hamilton Centre in the Canadian House of Commons. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the provincial government of Bob Rae. Christopherson is a member of the New Democratic Party.
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Early life and career
Christopherson was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He is self-educated, having dropped out of high school in the ninth grade. Described as a voracious reader, he is a particular fan of books on politics.
He began working with International Harvester in Hamilton at age 19, and remained with the company for eleven years. He was active with the United Auto Workers Union, becoming plant chairman in 1978 and president of the Local 525 in 1979.Template:Ref
Christopherson campaigned in Hamilton East in the 1984 federal election, and finished second against Liberal candidate Sheila Copps. He was elected to Hamilton City Council the following year for the city's fourth ward, and re-elected in 1988. He developed a reputation on as a hard worker, and in 1988 was noted as one of three councillors to decline a pay increase.Template:Ref
Christopherson was also a constituency assistant for NDP Member of Parliament (MP) Ian Deans in the mid-1980s.Template:Ref. He sought the NDP nomination for Hamilton Mountain after Deans's retirement in 1986, but lost to Marion Dewar.Template:Ref
Member of Provincial Parliament
Government backbencher
Christopherson was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1990 provincial election, defeating Liberal cabinet minister Lily Oddie Munro in Hamilton Centre.Template:Ref The NDP won a majority government in the election under Bob Rae's leadership, and Christopherson initially served at Queen's Park as a government backbencher. From 1990 to 1992, he was chair of caucusTemplate:Ref and parliamentary assistant to Provincial Treasurer Floyd Laughren.Template:Ref
Cabinet minister
Christopherson was respected among all parties for his legislative work and contributions to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, and was widely regarded as one of the most skilled backbenchers in the government caucus.Template:Ref There was little surprise when he was appointed to cabinet as Minister of Correctional Services on September 23, 1992, notwithstanding that Hamilton already had three representatives in cabinet.
Christopherson's portfolio was extremely challenging, and was described by one journalist as "one of the worst jobs in government". The Correctional Services ministry had previously been damaged by reports of sexual abuse and intimidation involving staff at Ontario jails and training centres, and Christopherson was required to enact substantial internal reforms.Template:Ref He also supported former NDP leader Stephen Lewis's recommendations on race relations in the criminal justice system,Template:Ref and made efforts to address racism in Ontario prisons.Template:Ref
On February 3, 1993, Christopherson was given additional cabinet responsibilities as Solicitor-General of Ontario.Template:Ref This was also a difficult portfolio, and Christopherson has acknowledged that relations between the Rae government and Ontario police services were extremely tense when he entered the ministry. He was credited with improving this situation, and won the respect of many in the police community. Julian Fantino, then an executive on the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, commented that there was "marked improvement" in relations between the police community and the ministry after Christopherson's appointment.Template:Ref
Christopherson allowed semi-automatic weapons to be issued to officers in late 1993.Template:Ref This decision was supported by many in the police service, but was criticized by some in the legal community on the grounds that the new weapons were not safer than the .38 models they replaced.Template:Ref Christopherson also introduced new guidelines for targeting hate crimes,Template:Ref and mandated stricter standards for police investigations of spousal assault.Template:Ref Early in 1995, he announced that police would soon be given the right to warn the general public about sex offenders being released into residential neighbourhoods.Template:Ref
In May 1994, Christopherson introduced a pilot project to reduce illegal gun ownership in Ontario. For a three-month period, Ontarians were permitted to turn over illegal or unwanted firearms to the police without risking prosecution for illegal possession. The policy was endorsed by the police community.Template:Ref After three months, the ministry announced that 1,000 pistols and revolvers, 2,000 rifles and shotguns and over 150,000 rounds of ammunition had been turned over to the police.Template:Ref
In addition to his official cabinet portfolios, Christopherson was also responsible for articulating the Rae government's strategy for the proposed Red Hill Creek Expressway in Hamilton. Although he had previously opposed the project for environmental and other reasons, Christopherson argued in 1994 that a scaled-back four-lane highway would be the best option for the region.Template:Ref He was quoted as saying that this would be the "best possible compromise" under the circumstances.Template:Ref The Rae government approved the plan, although it was subsequently rejected by a succeeding ministry.
Christopherson was widely respected for his abilities as a minister, and often won praise from members of the opposition. Progressive Conservative Bob Runciman credited him for his competence and managerial skills, while Liberal Tim Murphy described him as "the best of a bad bunch".Template:Ref He served in cabinet until the defeat of the Rae government in 1995.
Opposition member
The Rae government was defeated in the 1995 election, falling to only seventeen seats out of 130. Christopherson, still personally popular, was narrowly re-elected for Hamilton Centre. He served in the legislature as NDP critic for labour issues and the Workers' Compensation Board.Template:Ref
After Rae's resignation as party leader in 1996, there was considerable media speculation that Christopherson would run to succeed him. Toronto Star journalist Thomas Walkom indicated that he would be a powerful candidate on the centrist wing of the party, and would likely win the support of pro-Rae trade unions such as the Steelworkers.Template:Ref He decided against running and instead gave his support to Howard Hampton, the eventual winner.Template:Ref
During the late 1990s, Christopherson became a prominent supporter of Hamilton's amalgamation with neighbouring municipalities.Template:Ref The policy, which was supported by some members of all three major parties, was enacted by the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris in 2000. Christopherson also considered running to lead the Ontario Federation of Labour in 1997, but declined the opportunity.Template:Ref
His Hamilton Centre riding was eliminated by redistribution in 1996, and he chose to contest the expanded riding of Hamilton West in the 1999 provincial election against incumbent Progressive Conservative Lillian Ross. He was re-elected, and became one of only nine New Democrats returned to the reduced 103-seat legislature. He served as his party's Finance and Labour Critic, and was also appointed as House Leader.Template:Ref There were strong rumours that he would campaign for Mayor of Hamilton in 2000, but he reluctantly declined.Template:Ref
Christopherson resigned as NDP House Leader in 2001, amid rumours of a rift with Hampton.Template:Ref He continued to serve as his party's critic for Consumer and Business Services and the Management Board of Cabinet, and was a deputy speaker in the legislature from 2001 to 2003.
Mayoral campaign
Christopherson did not seek re-election to the legislature in 2003, but instead campaigned for mayor of Hamilton in that year's municipal campaign. He promised to reform the city's disclosure laws, requiring municipal politicians to declare their assets, debts and holdings.Template:Ref He also spoke out against plans to build an incinerator in the city for waste disposal.Template:Ref He was supported by two teachers' unions and the city firefighters' union, as well as by Liberal MPP Dominic Agostino from Hamilton East. Initially considered the frontrunner, he was ultimately defeated by Larry DiIanni. Hamilton's amalgamation with the more right-leaning suburbs was a factor, as was Christopherson's opposition to a revised Red Hill Expressway.Template:Ref
Federal politician
Christopherson returned to political life a few months later, winning the federal NDP nomination for Hamilton Centre in the buildup to the 2004 election. In the general election, he defeated Liberal cabinet minister Stan Keyes by over 5,000 votes. The Liberal Party won a minority government, and Christopherson served as NDP critic for cities, community infrastructure, labour and steel policy in the 38th parliament.
In late 2004, he was part of a Canadian delegation that observed presidential elections in Ukraine.Template:Ref He was re-elected in the 2006 federal election with an increased majority.
Ideology
Christopherson is often described as a pragmatic politician. He once said that he has never been a "hard-line ideologue", though he notes that "the NDP is where I'm most comfortable."Template:Ref
Table of offices held
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Electoral record
| 2006 federal election: Hamilton Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||||||||||||||||||
| New Democratic Party | (x)David Christopherson | 24,503 | 51.29 | Liberal | Javid Mirza | 11,224 | 23.49 | Conservative | Eliot Lewis Hill | 9,696 | 20.29 | Green | John Livingstone | 2,022 | 4.23 |
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Canadian Action/row | Canadian Action Party | Tony Des Lauriers | 332 | 0.69 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 47,777 | 100.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 279 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 48,056 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 federal election: Hamilton Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Democratic Party | David Christopherson | 20,321 | 45.81 | $72,723.37 | Liberal | (x)Stan Keyes | 14,948 | 33.70 | $71,403.14 | Conservative | Leon Patrick O'Connor | 6,714 | 15.13 | $25,596.37 | Green | Anne Marie Pavlov | 1,422 | 3.21 | 1,154.49
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Christian Heritage/row | Christian Heritage | Stephen Downey | 520 | 1.17 | 1,581.38 | Independent | Michael James Baldasaro | 345 | 0.78 | $413.20
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Marxist-Leninist/row | Marxist-Leninist | Jamilé Ghaddar | 91 | 0.21 | $10.00 |
| Total valid votes | 44,361 | 100.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 328 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 44,689 | 55.32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 80,778 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| Larry DiIanni | 70,539 | 50.92 |
| David Christopherson | 54,298 | 39.20 |
| Dick Wildeman | 4,462 | 3.22 |
| Michael Peters | 3,270 | 2.36 |
| Tom Murray | 2,881 | 2.08 |
| Michael James Baldasaro | 2,569 | 1.85 |
| Matt Jelly | 510 | 0.37 |
| Total valid votes | 138,529 | 100.00 |
| 1999 provincial election: Hamilton West | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Democratic Party | (x)David Christopherson | 15,625 | 37.84 | $63,891.36
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row | Progressive Conservative | (x)Lillian Ross | 12,261 | 29.70 | $58,588.68 | Liberal | Frank D'Amico | 12,037 | 29.15 | $48,994.28 | Green | Phyllis McColl | 495 | 1.20 | $6,090.89
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Family Coalition/row | Family Coalition | Lynne Scime | 403 | 0.98 | $1,100.80 | Ind. (Marxist-Leninist) | Wendell Fields | 236 | 0.57 | $0.00 | Natural Law | Rita Rassenberg | 231 | 0.56 | $0.00 |
| Total valid votes | 41,288 | 100.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 549 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 41,837 | 57.87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electors on the lists | 72,295 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 provincial election: Hamilton Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||||||||||||||||||
| New Democratic Party | (x)David Christopherson | 8,012 | 36.81 | $40,543.33 | Liberal | Filomena Tassi | 7,322 | 33.64 | $34,483.85
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row | Progressive Conservative | Angie Tomasic | 5,723 | 26.30 | $18,222.88
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Family Coalition/row | Family Coalition | Tom Wigglesworth | 376 | 1.73 | $1,548.28 | Natural Law | Monique Poudrette | 331 | 1.52 | $0.00 |
| Total valid votes | 21,764 | 100.00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 372 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 22,136 | 54.71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electors on the lists | 40,459 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990 provincial election: Hamilton Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| New Democratic Party | David Christopherson | 14,029 | 55.32 | Liberal | (x)Lily Oddie Munro | 7,814 | 30.81
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row | Progressive Conservative | Graham Snelgrove | 2,116 | 8.34 | Green | Brent Monkley | 605 | 2.39 | Libertarian | Julien Frost | 429 | 1.69
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Family Coalition/row | Family Coalition | Jewell Wolgram | 365 | 1.44 |
| Total valid votes | 25,358 | 100.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 446 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 25,804 | 59.78 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Electors on the lists | 43,166 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| (x)Geraldine Copps | 8,174 | 44.07 |
| (x)David Christopherson | 8,055 | 43.43 |
| Bob Fanjoy | 2,319 | 12.50 |
| Total valid votes | 18,548 | 100.00 |
Two candidates were elected, and electors were permitted to vote for two candidates.
Results taken from the Hamilton Spectator, 5 November 1991.
Copps and Christopherson were also elected for Ward Four in the 1985 municipal election.
| 1984 federal election: Hamilton East | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberal | Sheila Copps | 14,533 | 37.88 | New Democratic Party | David Christopherson | 11,872 | 30.95
Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Progressive Conservatives/row | Progressive Conservative | Jack MacDonald | 11,711 | 30.53 | Social Credit | Vince G. Vostrez | 102 | 0.27 | Communist | Elizabeth Rowley | 87 | 0.23 | Commonwealth | Ken Perry | 59 | 0.15 |
| Total valid votes | 38,364 | 100.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 348 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 38,712 | 74.87 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Electors on the lists | 51,705 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
All federal election information is taken from Elections Canada. All provincial election information is taken from Elections Ontario. The 2003 municipal election results are taken from official results provided by the City of Hamilton, available here. Italicized expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available.
The 1999 expenditure entries are taken from official candidate reports as listed by Elections Ontario. The figures cited are the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations. The 1995 expenditures do not include these transfers, and cover only candidate expenses subject to limitation.
Notes and sources
- Template:Note Jill Morrison, "Great expectations", Hamilton Spectator, 13 February 1993, B3.
- Template:Note "3 Hamilton aldermen refuse pay raise", Globe and Mail, 28 April 1988, A22.
- Template:Note "Political infighting erupts in race for Deans' Hamilton riding", Toronto Star, 19 January 1987, A8.
- Template:Note "Dewar wins Hamilton nomination", Globe and Mail, 24 January 1987, A5.
- Template:Note Gene Allen, "Cost of Starr scandal is unclear", Globe and Mail, 20 August 1990, A3.
- Template:Note Emilia Cassella, "Sunday shopping", Hamilton Spectator, 13 May 1992, A1.
- Template:Note Emilia Cassella, "NDP betting on optimistic projections", Hamilton Spectator, 1 May 1992, A1.
- Template:Note Emilia Cassella, "Christopherson touted for NDP cabinet shuffle", Hamilton Spectator, 14 August 1992, A1.
- Template:Note Richard Mackie, "Critics brand cabinet shuffle 'damage control'", Globe and Mail, 24 September 1992, A7 and "Hiring, Property and Internal Investigations", Hamilton Spectator, 22 July 1993, B4.
- Template:Note "Ontario unveils policy for police race relations", Globe and Mail, 6 April 1993, A12.
- Template:Note Sean Fine, "Prison racism rampant, panel finds", Globe and Mail, 2 February 1994, A5.
- Template:Note "Rae shuffles deck", Hamilton Spectator, 3 February 1993, A1.
- Template:Note Richard Brennan, "Street smarts", Hamilton Spectator, 28 December 1994, B3.
- Template:Note "New guns for police estimated at $17M", Financial Post, 22 October 1993, p. 51. This decision was criticized by some activist and legal groups in the province. See also "Solicitor General announces new handgun and training for police", Canada NewsWire, 27 January 1994.
- Template:Note Robert Sheppard, "Ready, aim and hope for the best", Globe and Mail, 31 January 1994, A11.
- Template:Note "Guidelines on hate crimes issued", Globe and Mail, 23 July 1993, A4.
- Template:Note "Hate crime, wife assault crackdown launched", Financial Post, 20 January 1994, p. 55.
- Template:Note "Sex offender warnings", Globe and Mail, 10 February 1995, A2.
- Template:Note Amber Nasrulla, "Firearms amnesty launched", Globe and Mail, 17 May 1994, A4 and Ross Longbottom, "Amnesty for guns way to safer streets", Hamilton Spectator, 17 May 1994, B3.
- Template:Note "Success of province-wide firearms program", Canada NewsWire, 1 September 1994.
- Template:Note Emilia Cassella, "Too little, too late say PCs, Grits", Hamilton Spectator, 3 March 1994, B2.
- Template:Note Sharon Oosthoek, "Friends of valley road embrace", Hamilton Spectator, 22 March 1994, B1.
- Template:Note Richard Brennan, "Street smarts", Hamilton Spectator, 28 December 1994, B3.
- Template:Note Lee Prokaska, "Critics lambast WCB cuts", Hamilton Spectator, 26 July 1995, B3.
- Template:Note Thomas Walkom, "NDP needs an identity as well as a leader", Toronto Star, 16 January 1996, A15.
- Template:Note "Hampton to seek NDP leadership", Globe and Mail, 20 February 1996, A11.
- Template:Note "Just one MPP opposes H-W supercity", Hamilton Spectator, 4 December 1996, A11.
- Template:Note "Race for top post reveals crack in house of labour", Toronto Star, 1 November 1997, p. 1.
- Template:Note "Hampton announces critic portfolios", Canada NewsWire, 28 June 1999, 15:14 report.
- Template:Note Eric Mcguinness, "Morrow throws his hat into the ring", Hamilton Spectator, 31 May 2000, A01.
- Template:Note Richard Brennan, "Signs of rift in NDP as house leader quits", 19 April 2001, A11.
- Template:Note Chinta Puxley, "Mayoral hopeful pushes disclosure rule", Hamilton Spectator, 16 June 2003.
- Template:Note Fred Vallance-Jones, "Incinerator fuels mayoral clash", Hamilton Spectator, 8 September 2003, A04.
- Template:Note "Expressway dispute", Broadcast News, 12 November 2003, 03:24 report.
- Template:Note "Hamilton New Democrat M-P David Christopherson is heading to Ukraine for Christmas", Broadcast News, 17 December 2004, 03:58 report.
- Template:Note Richard Brennan, "Street smarts", Hamilton Spectator, 28 December 1994, B3.