Tim Peterson
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Tim Peterson (born June 6, 1947 in London, Ontario) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the Greater Toronto Area riding of Mississauga South. He was elected in the 2003 provincial election as a for the Liberal, but sat as an independent as of March 29, 2007 and intends to seek re-election as a Progressive Conservative. [1]
Tim Peterson is the brother two prominent Liberal politicians: former Ontario Premier David Peterson and former federal cabinet minister Jim Peterson. He was the last of the three brothers to enter political life.
Peterson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Western Ontario. He is a director of Northern Crown Capital, Inc. (a merchant banking firm) and has sat on the Board of Directors of Process Capital, Nordex Explosives and Oxegen and Prescott Paper Products, as well as the Mississauga Hospital Foundation.
Despite his family's political background and increased Liberal strength leading up to the 2003 provincial election, Peterson was still regarded as a longshot against incumbent Progressive Conservative Margaret Marland, a longtime Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the riding. Peterson nonetheless defeated Marland by 234 votes on election night.
On October 23, 2003, Peterson was named parliamentary assistant to Jim Bradley, the Ontario Minister of Tourism and Recreation, in 2005 he was elevated to parliamentary assistant to George Smitherman, the Ontario Health and Long-Term Care.
On March 29, 2007, Peterson announced that he is leaving the Liberal Party to run for the Progressive Conservatives in the next election. However, he will sit as an independent until the election. No reason was given why he chose to cross the floor although the Globe and Mail reported that unnamed Liberal government sources claim Peterson was disgruntled over being passed over for a cabinet post. Peterson said of his decision "I knew that our government and I were not in agreement and my first instinct was to not run in October,” Peterson mentioned his disagreement with the government's energy policy and his view that his region was not getting its share. “Fortunately, I have known John Tory for several years and it was easy to establish a dialogue about these issues.”[2]
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Preceded by: |
Independent MPP Mississauga South (2003-) |
Succeeded by: |
