Donald Abel
Encyclopedia
Donald Clarke Abel 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
.
, 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.
, 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 dog
s, which failed to pass through the legislature before the government was defeated in the 1995 election
.
. 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. Although finishing in third place, the Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock NDP received its highest number of votes since the 1990 provincial election.
Note: the 2011 election was held on October 6, 2011.
** Preliminary Results - Not Official Yet. **
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician and community activist. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
in the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
as an Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
MPP, representing the riding of Wentworth North
Wentworth North (provincial electoral district)
Wentworth North was a provincial electoral district that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 1934 and from 1967 to 1999...
.
Background
Prior to entering politics, Abel studied economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, industrial sociology
Industrial sociology
Industrial sociology, until recently a crucial research area within the field of sociology of work, examines "the direction and implications of trends in technological change, globalization, labour markets, work organization, managerial practices and employment relations to the extent to which...
, political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, labour history and labour law at the Labour College of Canada in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. He served 10 years as the president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees
Canadian Union of Public Employees
The Canadian Union of Public Employees is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector - although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well...
Local 1572, and was a CUPE national representative for a brief period preceding his election to the legislature.
Politics
Abel's election victory was rated as one of the biggest election upsets of the 1990 provincial electionOntario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, as he defeated the high profile Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
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
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
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
Rent control
Rent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling.Rent control exists in approximately 40 countries around the world...
bill, and is remembered for his stand on environmental issues, including his adamant opposition to the proposed construction of a megadump in Flamborough
Flamborough, Ontario
Flamborough is a former town near, and a current community in, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada....
. 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
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
providing certain rights for hearing dog
Hearing dog
A hearing dog is a specific type of assistance dog specifically selected and trained to assist people who are deaf or hearing impaired by alerting their handler to important sounds, such as doorbells, smoke alarms, ringing telephones, or alarm clocks...
s, which failed to pass through the legislature before the government was defeated in the 1995 election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
.
After politics
After his defeat in 1995, he established the Dundas Review, a weekly community newspaper in DundasDundas, Ontario
Dundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
. 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
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock (provincial electoral district)
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock is a provincial electoral district in Central Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....
for the 2011 Ontario Election. This placed him in a race with two other candidates with parliamentary experience. Although finishing in third place, the Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock NDP received its highest number of votes since the 1990 provincial election.
Electoral record
Note: the 2011 election was held on October 6, 2011.
** Preliminary Results - Not Official Yet. **