| Donald Clarke Abel | |
|---|---|
| MPP for Wentworth North | |
| In office 1990–1995 |
|
| Preceded by | Chris Ward |
| Succeeded by | Toni Skarica |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 4, 1952 Hamilton, Ontario |
| Political party | New Democratic Party |
| Residence | Cameron, Ontario |
| Occupation | Licensing Officer, Business Owner |
Donald Clarke Abel (born February 4, 1952) is a former Canadian politician and community activist. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 1990 provincial election as an Ontario New Democratic Party MPP, representing the riding of Wentworth North.
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Prior to entering politics, Abel studied economics, industrial sociology, political science, labour history and labour law at the Labour College of Canada in Ottawa. He served 10 years as the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1572, and was a CUPE national representative for a brief period preceding his election to the legislature.
Abel's election victory was rated as one of the biggest election upsets of the 1990 provincial election, as he defeated the high profile Liberal cabinet minister Chris Ward. Prior to the election, Liberal insiders declared Ward's seat "the safest seat in Ontario". Abel won by a mere 88 votes.
Abel served as government whip from 1990 to 1993, deputy chief government whip from 1993 to 1995, and government caucus personnel committee chair from 1993 to 1995. He played a major role in supporting the government's controversial rent control bill, and is remembered for his stand on environmental issues, including his adamant opposition to the proposed construction of a megadump in Flamborough. Plans for the dump were cancelled in 1996.
In 1994, Abel was one of twelve NDP MPPs to vote against Bill 167, a government bill which proposed to extend spousal benefits to same-sex couples.
Abel also introduced a private member's bill providing certain rights for hearing dogs, which failed to pass through the legislature before the government was defeated in the 1995 election.
After his defeat in 1995, he established the Dundas Review, a weekly community newspaper in Dundas. He ran for mayor of Dundas in the final municipal election before the amalgamation of Hamilton-Wentworth, but lost to incumbent mayor John Addison.
Abel and his wife Debra have owned and operated a cottage resort in central Ontario since 1998.
On a first ballot vote against two other contenders, Abel was chosen as the provincial NDP candidate for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock for the 2011 Ontario Election. This placed him in a race with two other candidates with parliamentary experience.[1] Although finishing in third place, the Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock NDP received its highest number of votes since the 1990 provincial election.
| Ontario general election, 2011 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
| Progressive Conservative | Laurie Scott [2] | 22,357 | 45.4 | +4.3 | ||
| Liberal | Rick Johnson | 16,522 | 33.6 | -10.13 | ||
| New Democrat | Don Abel[3] | 8,517 | 17.3 | +11.32 | ||
| Green | Anita Payne[4] | 1,562 | 3.2 | +3.44 | ||
| Freedom | Charles Olito | 254 | 0.5 | +0.1 | ||
| Total valid votes | 49,212 | 100.00 | ||||
Note: the 2011 election was held on October 6, 2011.
** Preliminary Results - Not Official Yet. **
| Ontario general election, 1995 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
| Progressive Conservative | Toni Skarica | 21,165 | 55.65 | - | ||
| Liberal | Chris Ward | 10,393 | 27.33 | - | ||
| New Democrat | Donald Abel | 6,474 | 17.02 | - | ||
| Total valid votes | 38,032 | 100.00 | ||||
| Ontario general election, 1990 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||
| New Democrat | Donald Abel | 11,472 | 34.05 | - | ||
| Liberal | Chris Ward | 11,384 | 33.79 | - | ||
| Progressive Conservative | Don Matthews | 8,740 | 25.94 | - | ||
| Family Coalition | Rien Vanden Enden | 1,236 | 3.67 | - | ||
| Confederation of Regions | Eileen Butson | 860 | 2.55 | - | ||
| Total valid votes | 33,692 | 100.00 | ||||