Dateline: 05/31/11
About Bob Rae
A bilingual lawyer and Toronto member of parliament, Bob Rae was named interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada after the party's disastrous results in the 2011 Canadian federal election. He is expected to be interim leader for 18 to 24 months, and has told the Liberal caucus, and his wife, that he will not run for the permanent leadership of the party. He has also made the commitment that he will not try to merge the Liberal Party with the NDP. He is seen as a strong leader who can compete with both Stephen Harper and Jack Layton at the same time he starts the crucial rebuilding of the Liberal Party.
Bob Rae's background as a member of parliament, as Premier of Ontario for five years and his independent policy work have given him expertise in a wide range of policy areas, including foreign affairs, constitution negotiations, education, health services, trade, security and aboriginal affairs.
Interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
2011 to present
Premier of Ontario
1990 to 1995
Birth
August 2, 1948 in Ottawa, Ontario
Education
- LLB - University of Toronto
- BPhil (Rhodes Scholar) - Oxford University
Professions
- Lawyer
- Public policy advisor
- Chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University
- Adjunct professor at the University of Toronto
- Author
Political Affiliations
Ridings (Electoral Districts)
Federal Ridings
- Broadview (1978-79)
- Broadview-Greenwood (1979-82)
- Toronto Centre (2008 to present)
- York South (1982-96)
Bob Rae's Early Political Career
Bob Rae was first elected to the House of Commons as a New Democratic Party MP in 1978, and he became finance critic for the NDP. In 1982 he was elected leader of the Ontario NDP and resigned as a federal MP. He was elected to the Ontario Legislative Assembly later in 1982.
In 1985, Ontario Premier Bill Davis retired. Although the Progressive Conservatives won two more seats than the Liberals in the 1985 Ontario election, the Liberals took Bob Rae up on his offer of NDP support in exchange for enactment of a list of NDP policies and David Peterson became Premier. In 1987 the Liberals won a large majority and Bob Rae became Leader of the Official Opposition.
Bob Rae, Premier of Ontario
In the 1990 Ontario election, the NDP won a majority government and Bob Rae became the first NDP Premier of Ontario. In his efforts to run a middle course as premier, Bob Rae managed to alienate all sides. His biggest problems were a deep recession and huge Ontario deficits.
When the government could not get the public sector unions to cooperate in civil service wage cuts, it acted unilaterally. The Rae government introduced a "social contract," re-opening public sector union contracts, imposing a wage freeze and introducing unpaid leave for civil servants, including teachers and nurses. The unpaid time off became known as Rae Days. The Social Contract created a rift with the labour movement, a fundamental supporter of the NDP.
In the 1995 Ontario election, the NDP were soundly defeated by Mike Harris and the Progressive Conservatives. Bob Rae resigned as NDP Leader and as MPP for York South in 1996.
Bob Rae Continues a Public Policy Role
After his resignation from the Ontario legislative assembly, Bob Rae continued an active role in public policy, including work on the Security Intelligence Review Committee, as a board member of the Institute of Research on Public Policy and advising the federal Liberal government on the Air India disaster. By 2002 he was becoming openly critical of the NDP, especially of the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel stand taken by Svend Robinson, then NDP foreign policy critic.
The Liberal Bob Rae
Gradually becoming disaffected with the New Democratic Party, Bob Rae switched his allegiance to the Liberal Party in 2006 and immediately joined the race for the Liberal leadership. Defeated in his first bid to be Liberal leader, Bob Rae served as Liberal critic on foreign affairs and was elected to the House of Commons for the riding of Toronto Centre in March 2008.
At the beginning of December 2008, Bob Rae officially filed papers to enter the Liberal leadership race to replace Stéphane Dion. When a crisis in parliament brought the possibility of an election close, Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc withdrew from the leadership race so the Liberal Party could resolve the leadership issue quickly. Michael Ignatieff was named leader of the federal Liberal Party.
The 2011 Canadian federal election was a disaster ior the Liberals, reducing the party to third place in parliament for the first time in the party's long history. Michael Ignatieff lost his riding and resigned. The Liberal caucus chose Bob Rae as interim leader to help rebuild the party. He expects to be interim leader for 18 months to two years and has said he will not run for permanent leader of the party.
