David Peterson
David Peterson was Premier of Ontario from 1985 to 1990, and the first Liberal Premier of Ontario in 42 years. He was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1943, and earned degrees from the University of Western Ontario (B.A.) and the University of Toronto (Ll.B.). Peterson was called to the bar in 1969.
David Peterson was first elected as a Liberal MPP in 1975. He became Liberal leader and Leader of the Opposition in 1982.
In 1985, he began the Ontario election campaign with several problems. Dismal polling numbers, a Canada-wide trend against electing Liberal politicians, and a 42 year history of futility by the Ontario Liberal Party all led to predictions that his party was on the verge of annihilation. Instead, he came within 4 seats of defeating the Progressive Conservative government. The PCs and Premier Frank Miller tried, but failed, to hold on to their slim minority government. With the help of the NDP, David Peterson's Liberals toppled Miller's PCs, and Peterson was sworn in as premier on June 26, 1985. This began a slow Canada-wide trend toward electing Liberal politicians.
Peterson's government eliminated extra billing by doctors, and Peterson was a vocal opponent of free trade with the United States. Peterson was one of the architects of the "Meech Lake" constitutional accord, which never became part of the Canadian constitution, and which proved dangerously divisive. In 1987, Peterson's Liberals won a landslide majority government, taking three quarters of the seats in the legislature.
The Peterson years saw some of Ontario's best economic times. Fiscally, their record was mixed. In 1989-90, when deficit spending was de rigeur in most western governments, the Liberal government registered a slight surplus. However, in their next budget, they predicted a surplus, and Ontario turned out to be over three billion dollars in deficit.
When Peterson called an election in 1990, he was still popular, owning a 54 per cent approval rating, and standing at 50 per cent in the polls. However, his luck turned immediately upon an election call. Disappointed by high expectations, groups representing several interests, such as teachers, doctors, and environmentalists, came out against Peterson on television, radio, and in person. The general public felt that Peterson's early election call was cynical, the party also appeared poorly when half way through their campaign they proposed to cut the provincial sales tax. Some believed that Peterson was a better premier when his government was in a minority position. Many Ontarians, independently of one another, decided to vote strategically and reduce the Liberals to a minority government. This combined with a well run NDP campaign and a strong performance by NDP leader Bob Rae ended Peterson's tenure as premier. On September 5, 1990, the NDP out-polled the Liberals 38% to 34%, and Bob Rae's New Democrats were able to win a majority government. David Peterson even lost his own seat. Peterson resigned as premier on October 1, 1990.
David Peterson was the Founding Chairman of the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club of the NBA, and was a member of Toronto's Olympics Bid Committee. Since leaving politics, he has been a professor at York University in Toronto, a senior partner and chairman of the Toronto law firm Cassels, Brock & Blackwell, and has been director or member of several charitable, cultural, and environmental organizations. He is married to actress Shelley Peterson.
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Preceded by: | List of Ontario premiers |
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