Bob Rae

honourable the Robert Keith “Bob” Rae , C.P., O.C, O.Ont, C.R., B.A., B.Ph, LL.B (born the August 2nd 1948 with Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian politician . He was the 21e Prime Minister of the Canadian province of the Ontario, the first chief néo-democrat to occupy this station. He was Prime Minister of October 1st 1990 with the June 28th 1995.

Beginning of career

Rae makes its studies at the Public school Crichton Street with Ottawa, at the Public school Horace Mann with Washington (Julie Nixon, girl of Richard Nixon, was in its class) and with the International École of Geneva. It finishes with honors its formation with the Université of Toronto, from which it obtains also later its diploma of right. Rae is the joint tenant of Michael Ignatieff while it is at the University of Toronto. It is implied initially in policy while working like voluntary in the countryside with the leadership of the Liberal party of Pierre Trudeau in 1968. He works subsequently for the countryside of the liberal Charles Caccia at the time of the federal election of 1968. Rae and Caccia remain friendly during all their political careers.

In result of its excellent assessment of studies, Bob Rae is seen granting a Bourse Rhodos to the Université of Oxford, where he studies under Isaiah Berlin. Its thesis of baccalaureat criticizes the cultural imperialism of the first Fabian Socialists to the the United Kingdom like Sidney and Beatrice Webb. During its stay in Great Britain, it is implied in social work, helping of the squatteurs to find residences to be rented with London. He says experiment that it helped it to develop a major devotion to social justice and, to his return to Canada in 1974, Rea joined the social-democrats Nouveau Democratic party. He is initially elected with the House of Commons of Canada in 1978. Rae quickly becomes one of the members more in front of the NPD with the national scales.

He is initially elected with the communes at the time of a by-election in 1978, demolishing the progressist-conservative Tom Clifford by 420 votes in the Toronto-native district of Broadview. He is re-elected in the new district of Broadview-Greenwood at the time of the federal election of 1979, and gains a national notoriety under spokesperson of the NPD as regards Finances. It is the vote on the motion of not-confidence deposited by Rae which makes fall the government progressist-conservative from Joe Clark in December 1979.

Chief of the NPDO

Rae is re-elected at the federal Parliament at the time of the election of 1980. During this same period, the Nouveau Democratic party of Ontario suffers from internal divisions under the leadership of Michael Cassidy. Cassidy resigns of its post of head after a poor performance with the provincial election of 1981 and a movement is stated to make elect Rae to replace it.

In 1981, a provincial delegation carried out by the Ontarian Député Dave Cooke tries to convince Rae to aspire to the provincial nomination. It declines initially the offer, but changes idea following insistences of Stephen Lewis and good of others. Rae, the center candidate in the race, demolishes easily Richard Johnston and Jim Foulds with the congress of nomination held early in 1982.

Although enjoying the supports of the Establishment of the party, Rae is initially unpopular among certain members of the Caucus néo-democrat. Eleven of the 21 provincial deputies of the party had supported its candidature, but it has few strong allies, put aside Cooke and the former chief Donald C. MacDonald. Elie Martel, which had supported it at the time of the race to the leadership, becomes shortly after an important rival with the caucus. It runs out a time of several months before MacDonald resigns of its seat in York South to start a by-election, and that Rae can make its entry with the legislative Assemblée of Ontario. It demolishes the liberal John Nunziata, future federal deputy, at the time of a by-election the November 4th 1982. By counting the race with the direction, it was the fifth election of Rae in as many years.

At the time, Ontario is controlled by the Parti progressist-conservative since 1943. The liberal , forming the official opposition, are carried out by a David Peterson inexperienced, and several strategists néo-democrats believe that their party is able to exceed the liberals to obtain the second place. The NPD gains two liberal seats at the time of bys-election in 1984, and the surveys of " Research" decimated; during this period granted a light advance to the NPD on the liberals (though always far behind the progressist-conservatives).

In the light of all this, the results of the Ontarian provincial election of 1985 are disappointing for many members of the party. The party gains only 25 seats out of 125, a very modest improvement of their result of 1981. The Party progressist-conservative had lost considerably supports after having chosen Frank Miller as chief before the election, but they are the liberals rather than the néo-democrats who collect the fruits of them.

Rae plays nevertheless a central role in the collapse of the 42 years dynasty of the Party progressist-conservative. The election of 1985 has as a result a Minority government where the tories hold only four seats moreover than the liberals of Peterson. After a round of negotiations - started by a telephone call with Peterson on behalf of Rae shortly after the day of the poll - Rae and Peterson sign a " liberal-NDP" agreement; in virtue of which the néo-democrats agree to support a liberal government during two years. The liberals, in return, agree to apply certain policies preached by the NPD. There were discussions on the possibility of including the NPD in the Council of Ministers within a formal coalition, but this proposal is disallowed by all the parties concerned.

The progressist-conservatives are demolished with the legislature the June 18th 1985, and Peterson is sworn in like Prime Minister shortly after. With the support of Rae, the government of Peterson socially creates laws progressists on questions like wage equity and an end with the additional facturaton of the doctors.

In 1986, Ian Orenstein disputes the leadership of Rae. The countryside of Orenstein was a manner symbolic system of protesting against the center policies of the party under the direction of Rae. Rae leaves victorious the dispute, without difficulty.

The liberals gain a majority Gouvernement at the conclusion of the provincial election of 1987, started after the conclusion of the liberal-NPD agreement. The NPD is reduced to 19 seats, and Rae is re-elected in its district by only 333 votes moreover than its liberal rival Alan Tonks (later mayor of York and federal deputy). The progressist-conservatives are reduced to only sixteen seats, however, and Rae is used for the title of chief of the opposition in the legislature which followed.

Several speculated that Rae would leave the direction of the provincial NPD to aspire to the direction of the federal party following the resignation of ED Broadbent in 1989. Important members of the party, such as Stephen Lewis, Allen Blakeney, Roy Romanow, Gary Doer and Alexa McDonough encourage it all to declare candidate, while Bud Wildman, Ruth Grier and Richard Johnston prepare campaigns to succeed to him the head of the provincial party. The October 5th 1989, Rae announces however that it would not turn over in federal policy and would remain provincial chief.

The NPD launches out in the election of 1990 without great waitings, the liberals always holding an important advance in the opinion polls. The newspapers of this period indicate that the party expected to lose seats, and that Rae planned to resign of the direction of the party after the election. A great number of recognized deputies, including Johnston, Marion Bryden, Michael Breaugh and David Reville choose not to try their re-election in the following countryside. Floyd Laughren plans to also take its retirement, but did not finalize its plans when a election-surprise is started in the summer of 1990.

Contrary to waitings, the levels of supports to the Liberal party drop in an important way about the middle of the countryside. The progressist-conservatives are carried out by a Mike Harris inexperienced and, at the time, without much profile near the public; thus, the néo-democrats of Rae are the first recipients of the liberal tumble. Surveys carried out late in the countryside show the NPD with a mean advance on the liberals.

The September 6th 1990, the party gains a majority Gouvernement unexpected with 74 seats with the legislature. Rae becomes the minister-indicated first, and the néo-democrats form their first (and, to date, single) provincial government in Ontario. Several reasons explain this surprising victory. Peterson, sure of its re-election, had started an election after less than three years to the capacity. This hasty release had been interpreted by many voters like a sign of arrogance. This, combined with a poor campaign, the Affaire Patti Starr and a scandal surrounding one redéveloppement in Toronto, had as a result that Rae and the NPD is projected with the capacity with only 37% of the votes. Some also suggest that the support of Peterson to the Accord of the lake Meech notched supports with its government; however, Rae also supported the agreement of Meech.

Prime Minister

Rae is extremely popular during its first six months at the post of Prime Minister; a survey showed that its personal rate of popularity exceeded the 70%. The federal NPD also improved its supports in the surveys during this period, and several believed that they were able to carry out a historical opening with the next federal election. The Rae government is however unable to preserve its popularity, and in 1992 had tumbled down in third place in the surveys. The popularity of the party continues to fall during the year 1993, followed by a modest improvement over the two following years. Combined with the unpopularity of the government néo-democrat of Michael Harcourt in Colombia-British, this leads to an important loss of popularity for the federal party. To date, the parties néo-democrats Ontarian and federal did not find their levels of popularity of 1991.

Several reasons explain the fall of popularity of the Rae government between 1991 and 1993. The NPD had never been with the capacity in Ontario before, and the province then crossed the worst recession since the Grande Depression. The government disavows several electoral promises, in particular the introduction of a public automobile insurance. A certain number of scandals to the cabinet and the caucus, as well as divisions within the party and of its partisans, also crossed in the popularity of the government.

Moreover, the Rae government underestimates the extent of the North-American recession initially. Their first budget presents a deficit of almost 10 billion $ and implements program series of expenditure to mitigate the worst effects of the economic retreat. Some estimate that this budget follows an orthodoxy keynesienne, spending of the money in the public sector to stimulate employment and the productivity. Unfortunately, the funds envisaged in the budget are not enough against the recession, and do not create sufficient productivity. Thomas Walcom qualifies the budget of the " worse of both mondes" - irritating the community of the businesses and not making enough for the relief of the public. For several, this budget reinforces the popular stereotype of the NPD taxed with extravagant irresponsible.

The government changes the x-ray economic one after 1991, and founds budgetary cuts to control the deficit going up of the province. The government also creates the Social Contract , a law of austerity which reopened the collective agreements with the trade unions of the public sector. This law imposes a gel of the wages and creates what quickly becomes known like the " Rae days ", imposing of ten days the not-paid annual leaves to all the public employees (including the teachers, the doctors, the nurses, etc). These cuts lead to a rupture with the Syndicat S of the public sector, in particular the " Trade union of the Employees of the Public office of Ontario" (SEFPO) and " Canadian workers of Automobile" (TCA) and their chief Buzz Hargrove. Sid Ryan, Ontarian president of the " Canadian Union off Public Employees" (CUPE) the social Contract of worse law qualifies on the work which he had ever seen.

This rupture between the NPD and the Trade union movement carries a hard blow to the foundations of the party. The NPD had been founded by an alliance between old the " Co-operative the Commonwealth Federation" and the trade union movement, and the decisions of Rae alienated many voters traditional néo-democrats to him. Thousands of members leave the party, and several trade unions are turned over against the NPD and swear to make fall the government to the next elections. The Rae government subsequently tries to regain the trade-union support by adopting law 40, a measurement which (inter alia) creates a law anti-breaker of strike for the province. It is not enough to repair the rupture with the trade unions, however, and the party loses a good part of its organization. The decision of Rae to approve the lotteries and casinos in the province also irritates several within the party of them. Among the more popular programs, one finds wage equity, the safeguard of employment in Algoma and DeHavilland, the beginning of an extension of subway (a work subsequently fallen through and stopped by the tories of Harris), the assistance with the social housing, the program of creation of " employment; Ontario" jobs;.

To the federal election of 1993, the NPD falls to a historical floor from 6% from supports in Ontario. The day following the election, the deputy demolishes Steven Langdon Rae nap to resign of his post of Prime Minister. Langdon had made countryside openly against the austerity measures of the Rae government and had received a percentage of votes higher than all the other candidates néo-democrats in the province.

The Rae government tries to introduce a variety of socially liberal measurements during its mandate, with rather mitigated results. In 1994, the government files in a bill which would have recognized advantages with the homosexual couples in the province. At the time, this was seen as a revolutionary stage in the advance of the homosexual cause; however, the east project demolishes when twelve deputies néo-democrats (including two ministers) vote against.

Measurements of positive discrimination of the Rae government also raise the controversy. In 1993, the government seeks to increase the number of women, ethnic minorities, autochtones and handicapped people working in the public sector. Several supposed that this result could be obtained by methods of preferential recruiting. This policy would probably not have raised as much controversy in a better economic climate; right in the middle of a recession, however, many unemployed perceive it like a threat. There is no doubt that this measurement removed supports with the NPD among the working class. Moreover, some on the political left estimated that the NPD put too many emphase on the ethnicity at the detriment of the considerations of classes.

Despite everything its problems, the Rae government makes a success of some positive achievements during its mandate. It safeguarded many employment in the north of Ontario by carrying out a rescue of " Algoma Steel" , and a similar contract for workers with Kapuskasing negotiates. The government also begins several negotiations with autochtones groups with an aim of granting the car-governorship to them. In certain areas of the north of Ontario, the NPD made better figure in the surveys in 1995 than in 1990.

The New Democratic party of Rae east demolishes by the Parti progressist-conservative of Mike Harris at the time of the election of 1995, falling to only 17 seats. In 1996, Rae resigns under chief of the party and deputy for York South to launch out in a career in the right, education and the private sector.

Reprocess of the policy and NPD

Rae leaves the Nouveau Democratic party towards the end of the Années 1990 because of its nomination at the Inspection committee of the activities of information of safety (CSARS). Some speculated that the Prime Minister Jean Chrétien would name it General governor of Canada in 1999, but its candidature is put on side in favor of that of Adrienne Clarkson. There were still rumors that Rae would be candidate for the federal Liberal party with the election of 2000, but they proved nonfounded. Rae is made Officier of the Ordre of Canada in 2000, and in 2004 it is seen decreeing the Ordre of Ontario. He becomes the sixth president of the Université Wilfrid Laurier the July 2nd 2003 and is installed at the assembly of this insitution in October. Rae is currently partner at Goodmans LP (a lawyer firm of Toronto), assistant professor with the Université of Toronto, and professor with the Massey College. He wrote two books: From Protest to Power: personal reflections one has life in politics (1996) and Three Questions: Prosperity and the Public Good (1998). He is the national spokesperson for the " Leukemia Research Foundation".

Rae makes a return to the political controversy activates the April 16th 2002, two days after the resignation of Mike Harris of the post of Prime Minister, with a text of opinion published in the daily newspaper National Post . In an article entitled Parting Company with the NDP (To leave the NPD), Rae strongly criticizes what it perceives like a skew against the state of Israel at the federal party. He also criticizes the NDP to have rejected the center Third Way of Tony Blair and to have refused to accept universalization and the open markets, suggesting that the economic policies of the party are insufficient for the 21e century and that the complete party was not from now on worthy any more to be supported.

NPD of Ontario took its distances with the policies of Rae under the direction of Howard Hampton. During the provincial election of 2003, Hampton affirms that Rae was wrong to give up the promise of the NPD on the public automobile insurance. The relations of the party with the trade union movement are not completions not cured, though the situation improved since 1993. Those with the TCA remain especially tended, and the memory of the social contract damage the credibility of the NPD at a new generation of workmen of the public sector, in spite of the efforts of the party to outdistance measurement.

Rae works successfully on the file of the contaminated blood of the Croix-rouge and was also invested to try a resolution of the conflict of fishing to Burnt Church (New Brunswick). Its efforts are regarded as determinants in the rescue and the reorganization of the Symphony orchestra of Toronto. Rae became famous as a lecturer, frequently discussing the challenges to which Canada faces.

In 2005, Rae writes a report/ratio for the liberal government of Dalton McGuinty on education post-secondary, commonly called the " Rae" report/ratio;. Although his report/ratio recommends an increased financing of the government towards the colleges and universities, and an financial aid improved especially for the students with low-income, its proposals on the school fees are discussed. The report/ratio of Rae suggests that the individual insitutions should have the right to determine the school fees to impose without governmental intervention. The student groups objected themselves, noting the important recent increases in the school fees in Ontario under the government of Mike Harris, as well as the increase of 57% on the whole of the school fees lasting all its mandate of Prime Minister.

Rae was also implied in international cases in the recent years. In 2002 and 2003, under president of the Forum of the federations, it helped to supervise constitutional discussions between the government of the Sri Lanka and the rebellious Tigres of tamoul. The April 26th 2005, it is named to advise the Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan on the question of a governmental investigation about the disaster of Air India of 1985. He worked with the development of the constitution Iraq ienne, like with the development of the civil society in India, with the Nigeria and various other countries.

In July 2005, the newspapers The Globe and Mail and National Post bring back both that Rae was again taken into account for the general governor position. The nomination rather went to Michaëlle Jean.

Return as a liberal

At the time of an interview in July 2005 with the journalist Michael Valpy, Rae affirms that he is always devoted to the public life. It did not try reconciliation with the NPD since its letter of 2002, and definitively appears to have broken with the party. The report of Valpy on Rae includes/understands a comment of Arlene Perly Rae according to what it could return to the policy if there were a crisis of national unit.

The November 23rd 2005, Rae presents its recommendations which there should be a formal investigation into the disaster of Air India. Two days later, the Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan announces the nomination of Rae for the control of an investigation limited in the business of Air India under a order-in-council of the government. Rae, with a team of young lawyers and of advise carried out by Taleeb Noormohamed and Benjamin Zarnett, produces an exhaustive report/ratio tracing the question-keys which could be looked at, leading the spokesperson of the victims of Air India Lata Pada to declare that it is " encouraged that the requests for answers will be considérées."

The August 24th 2005, the Toronto Star reports that Rae was under a " pressure croissante" so that it is presented for the federal liberals in the federal election of 2006. Although it was little clearly how long would last the investigation of Air India, the nomination of Rae prevented any possibility of being presented in the form of a candidate to the election of January 23rd. A survey by ITS Research suggested that Rae was the second favorite, behind Frank McKenna, to be potential candidate with the direction of the federal liberals.

The new government of Stephen Harper names a judge to deal with the investigation of Air India in March 2006, thus slackening Rae of its preceding obligation and releasing it for a possible candidature for the congress of nomination of the Liberal party.

At the time of a speech made in front of Canadian Club of Winnipeg the March 13rd 2006, Rae expresses its interest to link the " forces progressistes" in Canada in order to regain a majority Government with the House of Commons of Canada. " There is an assessment progressist which is shared by a majority of Canadians, but up to now, we did not succeed in training a majority with the House of Commons; we must thus think a little of the way in which that could produire."

The April 5th 2006, one reports that Rae had made an application to become member of the Liberal party. Its candidature is supported by Greg Sorbara and George Smitherman of the Liberal party of Ontario, the former advisers of Jean Chrétien Eddie Goldenberg and the brother of Rae, John, as well as the former adviser of Paul Martin John Webster and others associated with the Martin camp. He officially announced his candidature the April 24th 2006. The launching of its countryside he answered his criticisms while saying: “ I have made errors before being in policy, I have made errors in policy, I have made errors when I was Prime Minister… I can to only say you that I learned from these errors and I am only more sage. ”

The candidature of Rae for the direction of the Liberal party causes a certain passion, and it is quickly perceived like one of the leaders, with Michael Ignatieff. It receives the support of Allan MacEachen, a former minister for the Trudeau era, which becomes president of its countryside on a purely honorary basis. June 16th, it receives the support of Robert Nixon, former chief of the Liberal party of Ontario and treasurer of the province which had been chief of the opposition to the Ontarian government of Rae pendance a certain time. It also received the support of the liberal deputies Irwin Cotler, Ujjal Dosanjh (itself a former néo-democrat), Lawrence MacAulay, Diane Marleau and Brian Murphy, just as several senators. Several other candidates with the direction of the party, perceiving not to be likely any to gain the victory, withdraw themselves and grant their support to him to be started with Maurizio Bevilacqua on August 14th, follow-up of near by Carolyn Bennett on September 15th, Hedy Fry on September 25th and John Godfrey on October 20th.

The evening of the congress on December 1st, Bob Rae is addressed to crowd without notes rather than to make a formal speech. Joe Volpe, another marginal candidate, announces his support with Bob Rae after the end of the speeches. The morning of December 2nd, two candidates moreover withdraw themselves and grant their support to him, starting with Scott Brison, and then Ken Dryden after the second round. However, Rae is eliminated at the time of the third turn of vote when it finishes third behind Stephan Dion and Michael Ignatieff.

Rae affirms that it always intends to be candidate with the House of Commons at the time of the next general election. The February 22nd 2007, Bill Graham announces its intention not to be presented again to the next elections; according to the liberal strategists, Rae would be interested to succeed to him as a liberal candidate in the district of Toronto-Center.

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