Alan Tonks
Encyclopedia
Alan Tonks is a Canadian
politician. He was the Liberal
MP
for the federal electoral district of York South—Weston
in Toronto from 2000 to 2011, and was the final Metro Toronto Chairman before the amalgamation
of Metro Toronto into the new City of Toronto
.
and alderman
in what was then the Borough of York in Metropolitan Toronto. After graduating from York Memorial Collegiate Institute
Alan Tonks attended York University
where he earned a Master's degree
in political economy and the University of Toronto
where he received a Masters in Education. He spent time working for a Canadian aid agency in Jamaica
before becoming a junior high teacher for the Scarborough Board of Education for several years.
Married to Cecile, Tonks has three adult children, Chris, Matthew, and Alison. His son Chris is now a trustee on the Toronto District School Board
.
in York before serving as mayor
from 1982 to 1988.
Due to a change in the Act governing Metropolitan Toronto, the position of Metro Chairman, beginning in 1988, had to be elected from Metro Councillors who were themselves elected to represent specific wards. Mayors continued to sit on Metro Council on an ex-officio basis but were now ineligible to be candidates for Metro Chairman as were former or non-members of Metro Council. Accordingly, incumbent Metro Chairman Dennis Flynn
, a former mayor of Etobicoke, had to run for Metro Councillor in a specific ward if he wanted to remain Metro Chairman. Similarly, Tonks, who wished to become Metro Chairman, could not run for that position while being Mayor of York. Accordingly, in the 1988 municipal election, he did not run for re-election as Mayor of York and instead ran for the position of Metro Councillor representing one of York's two Metro wards.
At the first Metro Council session following the municipal election, Tonks was elected Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto
by the other members of Metro Toronto Council defeating incumbent Metro Chairman Dennis Flynn
, the only time a sitting Metro Chairman would be defeated by a challenger.
Tonks served as Metro Chairman until 1997 when the municipality was amalgamated by the provincial government of Mike Harris
resulting in the abolition of Metro Council and the replacement of the Metro Chairman by a new Mayor of Toronto directly elected by all voters. Tonks was a supporter of the city's amalgamation, and led the Transition Team responsible for administering the new City of Toronto. He did not run in the 1997 "Megacity" election for the position of mayor and retired from elected municipal politics. In 1999, he was appointed chair of the Greater Toronto Services Board
and served until 2000.
in the 1975 provincial election
as a candidate of the Ontario Liberal Party
, and finished third in York South
against former New Democratic Party
leader Donald C. MacDonald
. He was also unsuccessful in the 1987 Ontario election
, losing to NDP
leader Bob Rae
by only 333 votes in York South
.
in the 2000 election
as the Liberal
MP
for York South—Weston
defeating Independent MP (and former Liberal) John Nunziata
by 1,497 votes. In 2003 he served as a parliamentary secretary
to the Minister for the Environment
. He was re-elected by a much greater margin in the federal elections held in 2004
. Since the 2006
election he has been a member of the official opposition.
Tonks currently served as the Vice Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources from 2007 until 2011.
Alan Tonks gained negative attention from human rights organizations for his history of voting against giving equal rights to gay and lesbian Canadians.http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?lang=E&item=249&tab=Q2000&person=449
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. He was the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the federal electoral district of York South—Weston
York South—Weston
York South—Weston is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Electoral district:It is in the west-end of Toronto. The riding has a largely working class and immigrant population...
in Toronto from 2000 to 2011, and was the final Metro Toronto Chairman before the amalgamation
Amalgamation (politics)
A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...
of Metro Toronto into the new City of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Background
Tonks is the son of the late Chris Tonks, who was a mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in what was then the Borough of York in Metropolitan Toronto. After graduating from York Memorial Collegiate Institute
York Memorial Collegiate Institute
York Memorial Collegiate Institute is a public school that is part of the Toronto District School Board in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and is located at 2690 Eglinton Avenue West, at the corner of Eglinton Ave. W. and Trethewey Drive...
Alan Tonks attended York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
where he earned a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in political economy and the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
where he received a Masters in Education. He spent time working for a Canadian aid agency in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
before becoming a junior high teacher for the Scarborough Board of Education for several years.
Married to Cecile, Tonks has three adult children, Chris, Matthew, and Alison. His son Chris is now a trustee on the Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
.
Local/municipal politics
Tonks entered municipal politics in the 1970s and served as an aldermanAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in York before serving as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
from 1982 to 1988.
Due to a change in the Act governing Metropolitan Toronto, the position of Metro Chairman, beginning in 1988, had to be elected from Metro Councillors who were themselves elected to represent specific wards. Mayors continued to sit on Metro Council on an ex-officio basis but were now ineligible to be candidates for Metro Chairman as were former or non-members of Metro Council. Accordingly, incumbent Metro Chairman Dennis Flynn
Dennis Flynn
Christopher Dennis Flynn O.Ont, was Chairman of Metropolitan Toronto from 1984 to 1988. Flynn rarely used his first name and was commonly known as Dennis Flynn.-Background:...
, a former mayor of Etobicoke, had to run for Metro Councillor in a specific ward if he wanted to remain Metro Chairman. Similarly, Tonks, who wished to become Metro Chairman, could not run for that position while being Mayor of York. Accordingly, in the 1988 municipal election, he did not run for re-election as Mayor of York and instead ran for the position of Metro Councillor representing one of York's two Metro wards.
At the first Metro Council session following the municipal election, Tonks was elected Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto
Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto
The Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto or Metro Chairman was the leader of Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and the most senior political figure in the municipality. The Metro Chairman was elected by the members of Metropolitan Toronto Council.-New Level of Government:The position...
by the other members of Metro Toronto Council defeating incumbent Metro Chairman Dennis Flynn
Dennis Flynn
Christopher Dennis Flynn O.Ont, was Chairman of Metropolitan Toronto from 1984 to 1988. Flynn rarely used his first name and was commonly known as Dennis Flynn.-Background:...
, the only time a sitting Metro Chairman would be defeated by a challenger.
Tonks served as Metro Chairman until 1997 when the municipality was amalgamated by the provincial government of Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
resulting in the abolition of Metro Council and the replacement of the Metro Chairman by a new Mayor of Toronto directly elected by all voters. Tonks was a supporter of the city's amalgamation, and led the Transition Team responsible for administering the new City of Toronto. He did not run in the 1997 "Megacity" election for the position of mayor and retired from elected municipal politics. In 1999, he was appointed chair of the Greater Toronto Services Board
Greater Toronto Services Board
Greater Toronto Services Board was created in 1998 under the Greater Toronto Services Act by the province of Ontario and began sessions in 1999. It was created following the amalgamation of the City of Toronto. In some ways it was seen as a replacement for Metro Toronto Council and regional...
and served until 2000.
Provincial politics
He first ran for the Legislative Assembly of OntarioLegislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
in the 1975 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
as a candidate of the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
, and finished third in York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
against former New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
leader Donald C. MacDonald
Donald C. MacDonald
Donald Cameron MacDonald, CM, O.Ont was a long time Canadian politician and political party leader and had been referred to as the "Best premier Ontario never had." He represented the provincial riding of York South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1955 to 1982...
. He was also unsuccessful in the 1987 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, losing to NDP
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
leader Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
by only 333 votes in York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
.
Federal politics
He was elected to the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 2000 election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for York South—Weston
York South—Weston
York South—Weston is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Electoral district:It is in the west-end of Toronto. The riding has a largely working class and immigrant population...
defeating Independent MP (and former Liberal) John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
by 1,497 votes. In 2003 he served as a parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister for the Environment
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
. He was re-elected by a much greater margin in the federal elections held in 2004
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
. Since the 2006
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
election he has been a member of the official opposition.
Tonks currently served as the Vice Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources from 2007 until 2011.
Alan Tonks gained negative attention from human rights organizations for his history of voting against giving equal rights to gay and lesbian Canadians.http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?lang=E&item=249&tab=Q2000&person=449