| Tim Peterson | |
|---|---|
| MPP for Mississauga South | |
| In office October 23, 2003 – October 29, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Margaret Marland |
| Succeeded by | Charles Sousa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1947 London, Ontario |
| Political party | Liberal (2003-2007) Independent (2007) Progressive Conservative (2007) |
| Occupation | banker, economist |
Tim Peterson (born June 6, 1947 in London, Ontario) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was 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 Liberal, but sat as an independent from March 29, 2007 until June 6, 2007, and as a Progressive Conservative from June 6, 2007[1][2] until the election.
In the 2007 provincial election, Peterson ran as a PC candidate, but lost to Liberal challenger Charles Sousa.[3]
Tim Peterson is the brother of two prominent Liberal politicians: former Premier of Ontario 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. Peterson was convicted of breaking the Federal Elections Act after being caught on video destroying Reform Party election signs during the 1997 federal election.
Despite his family's political background and increased Liberal strength leading up to the 2003 provincial election, Peterson won the election by the narrowest of margins, only 234 votes to defeat incumbent Progressive Conservative Margaret Marland, a longtime MPP for the riding.
On October 23, 2003, Peterson was named parliamentary assistant to Jim Bradley, the Ontario Minister of Tourism and Recreation, and in 2005 he was elevated to parliamentary assistant to George Smitherman, the Ontario Health and Long-Term Care.
Peterson said that his decision to leave the Liberal Party was due to Dalton McGuinty's failure to address his constituents.[4] Unnamed Liberal government sources claim that he was disgruntled over being passed over for a cabinet post.[5] 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."
In April 2010, Peterson became a member of an advisory board for Sarissa Resources Inc.[6]
Peterson's appointment as the PC candidate was not without controversy, particularly as the local riding association did have a ongoing nomination race. Peterson was installed over Effie Triantafilopoulos, who was the frontrunner for the nomination, and had been discussed as a possible star candidate for the PCs,[7] Brad Butt, the Canadian Alliance candidate in the 2000 federal election, and Zoran Churchin, who later ran as the PC candidate for Mississauga East-Cooksville. Peterson's official nomination meeting was chaotic, with Peterson being barred from speaking, and high-profile Conservative supporters, including Margaret Marland and former Mississauga mayor Ron Searle criticizing the process. Despite predictions that Mississauga South would be an extremely tight race, given the close nature of Peterson's victory in 2003, and the historical dominance of the PCs in the riding, Charles Sousa defeated Peterson by 12.4% and 5,081 votes. While the election was overall a poor night for the Tories, Peterson's floor crossing and the nature of his installation as PC candidate played a role in his defeat.[8]