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Nathaniel Erskine-Smith

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith MP (born June 15, 1984) is a Canadian politician who is the member of Parliament (MP) for Beaches—East York. A member of the Liberal Party, Erskine-Smith was elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 federal election. Before entering politics, Erskine-Smith was a commercial litigation lawyer. In 2023, Erskine-Smith was a candidate in the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election, which he ultimately came second to Bonnie Crombie with 46% of the vote.[3]

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith
Erskine-Smith in 2023
Member of Parliament
for Beaches—East York
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded byMatthew Kellway
Personal details
Born (1984-06-15) June 15, 1984 (age 39)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
SpouseAmy Symington
Children2
ResidenceThe Beaches, Toronto[1][2]
Alma mater
ProfessionLawyer
Websitemeetnate.ca

Erskine-Smith announced in December 2023 that he would not be standing in the next federal election, expected in 2025.[4]

Early life and education edit

Erskine-Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario, attending Bowmore Elementary School and Malvern Collegiate. His parents, Sara Erskine and Lawrence Smith, were public school teachers.

Erskine-Smith attended Queen's University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics in 2007, before completing law school in 2010. While a student at Queen's, Erskine-Smith was an unsuccessful candidate for city council for Sydenham District in Kingston, Ontario, in the 2006 municipal elections. He also attempted to start a business selling panini sandwiches from a trailer and hoped to start a catering business.[5] He then went on to study political philosophy and constitutional law at the University of Oxford, where he earned a Master of Laws (BCL) degree in 2013 [6]

Legal career edit

Erskine-Smith practiced commercial litigation as an associate at Kramer Simaan Dhillon, after working as a law student at Aird & Berlis LLP. He also performed volunteer work for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.[citation needed]

He worked pro bono for a range of clients and causes, including a civil liberties case to protect religious freedom in Ontario's school system.[7] In a notable civil liberties case in 2014, Erskine-Smith successfully argued against compulsory religious studies at publicly funded high schools in Ontario.[7]

Political career edit

42nd Parliament (2015–2019) edit

Committee work edit

Erskine-Smith served as a member of the Public Safety and National Security Committee, and as the Vice-Chair of the Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics committee in the 42nd parliament.[8]

Other roles edit

He served as the president of the Canadian group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union for a one-year term in 2016.[9] In that capacity, he delivered a speech about youth in politics at an IPU meeting in Zambia.[10]

Independence edit

Erskine-Smith has been called Canada's most independent parliamentarian,[11] with the National Post has described him as “maverick”[12] and CBC describing him as Ottawa's “least predictable MP.”[13] Erskine-Smith described his position in an op-ed in the Toronto Star, writing:[14]

"No political party represents our views perfectly. We find the party that best represents our views and values, and we engage, debate and organize to bring both our party and country closer to those objectives. I am a Liberal MP and I continue to support our Liberal government. But that does not mean that I support every government action taken, or that I ought to refrain from public disagreement. In contrast to blind partisan loyalty, we promised to empower MPs and their communities through more free votes in the House of Commons."

Animal welfare and Bill C-246 edit

In 2015, Erskine-Smith seconded Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, that became law in June 2019. The bill prohibits the captivity of cetaceans and requires permits to import and export them to and from Canada. Erskine-Smith spoke to the house about the importance of the bill in June 2018.[15][16]

On February 26, 2016, Erskine-Smith introduced Bill C-246, the Modernizing Animal Protections Act,[17] to ban the import of shark fins and make Canada's animal cruelty laws tougher.[10] The bill won support from EndCruelty, a coalition of Canadians who support stronger animal protection laws.[18] Due to concerns from animal use lobbyists, the bill was defeated 198 to 84 at second reading.[17] Two years later, a government bill addressing similar concerns was tabled by Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould. She acknowledged Erskine-Smith's efforts as a precursor to the government's legislation.[19] The defeat of Erskine-Smith's Bill C-246 led to the creation of the Liberal Animal Welfare Caucus in 2017.[20] On September 5, 2017, Erskine-Smith wrote a piece in Now Magazine addressing his veganism and the importance of a social change towards the treatment of animals.[21]

Animal welfare awards edit

In 2016, Erskine-Smith received the Humane Legislator Award from Animal Justice for his efforts to modernize Canada's federal animal protection laws with Bill C-246.[22] In 2017, Erskine-Smith received the Fur-Bearers’ Clements award for his dedication to improving the lives of animals with Bill C-246.[23][24] In 2019, Erskine-Smith was awarded the Toronto Vegetarian Association Lisa Grill Compassion for Animals Award for his compassion and commitment toward animals. He was also recognized by Humane Canada for his dedication to ending animal abuse.[25][26]

Climate action and Bill C-454 edit

In October 2018, Erskine-Smith called an emergency debate on climate change in Parliament in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's special report on global warming. He requested action to be taken by the government and Canadians to ensure that Canada can reduce its emissions and reach the targeted goals.[27] On June 5, 2019, Erskine-Smith introduced Bill C-454, the Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Act, to require the Government of Canada to reduce GHG emissions to net zero by 2050.[28][29]

Drug policy reform and Bill C-460 edit

Erskine-Smith believes that the war on drugs has been a failure. He has been a vocal supporter of cannabis legalization and regulation, and has called for a new approach to treat drug use as a health issue. In February 2016, Erskine-Smith represented the Canadian government's pro-marijuana legalization views to a joint United Nations/Inter-Parliamentary Union conference reviewing how different countries were dealing with illegal drugs. He partnered with Mexican Senator Laura Rojas to argue that countries should seek alternatives to incarceration in cases where individuals have drugs solely for personal use.[30] In early January 2017, Erskine-Smith published an op-ed in Vice News Canada calling for the decriminalization of all drug possession as a logical next step to the government's progressive drug policy.[31] In late January 2017, Erskine-Smith delivered a speech in the House of Commons in support of Bill C-37, to expand access to safe injection clinics across Canada.[32] In the first episode of the television series Political Blind Date in 2017, Erskine-Smith and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis discussed their differing perspectives on the legalization of marijuana in Canada.[33] Erskine-Smith introduced a Liberal caucus policy resolution to address the opioid crisis through a public health approach, and it was adopted as the second overall priority by the grassroots Liberal membership at the Liberal Policy Convention in Halifax in April 2018.[34]

Bill C-460 edit

To ensure more people access treatment, Erskine-Smith introduced a bill to remove criminal sanctions for low-level possession and to reduce the stigma associated with seeking treatment.[35] In 2018, Erskine-Smith appeared on CBC's Power & Politics to speak about his disappointment in the Liberal government's signing of the United States’ ‘War on Drugs’ document. He argued it brought the conversation about drugs away from a health issue, which ran counter to his push for drug decriminalization and domestic policy at the time.[36][37]

Cannabis record expungement edit

Erskine-Smith seconded a bill introduced by New Democratic MP Murray Rankin.[38] In March 2019, Erskine-Smith wrote an op-ed for NOW Magazine where he discussed his support for Rankin's bill, stating that only expungements would address the injustice of cannabis criminalization.[39]

Privacy work edit

In 2017, Erskine-Smith traveled to Washington [40] with the Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics committee to attend a congressional hearing on the Equifax data breach, and met with Congressmen from the Digital Commerce subcommittee, with Facebook[41] privacy experts, and with officials from the Federal Trade Commission.[42] In May 2018, Erskine-Smith scrutinized Facebook [43] officials at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics [44] regarding the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the extent of privacy breaches for Canadians.[45] In 2018, Erskine-Smith participated as the Canadian delegation in the U.K.’s International Grand Committee on social media and disinformation. In total, 24 officials from 9 countries representing 447 million people participated.[46] In June 2018, Erskine-Smith introduced Bill-C413, an Act to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, to give new powers for the Privacy Commissioner to better protect our privacy.[47] In May 2019, Erskine-Smith participated in the Canadian delegation of the International Grand Committee [48] to meet with representatives from Google, Facebook and Twitter, among others. The Silicon Valley representatives were asked to defend their companies' records on protecting users' data.[49] In August 2019, Erskine-Smith wrote an op-ed for the Toronto Star expressing his desire for the right to be forgotten. He explained that in an increasingly connected, online world citizens should have the right to hide content published about them from search engines if the individual’s privacy is being seriously violated.[50]

43rd Parliament (2019–2021) edit

Support for universal pharmaceutical provision edit

In February 2021, alongside Wayne Long, Erskine-Smith was one of only two Liberal MPs to vote in favour of a New Democratic Party (NDP) motion to take a first step towards developing a national pharmacare system. The bill, proposed by Peter Julian, would have established the conditions for federal financial contributions to provincial drug insurance plans.[51] The following year, the Liberal Party would commit to work towards a "universal national pharmacare program" as part of their confidence and supply agreement with the NDP following the 2021 federal election.[52]

Committee work edit

Erskine-Smith is a member of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.[53]

Bill C-235 and C-236 edit

In 2020, Erskine-Smith introduced Bill C-235. This bill would delete the drug possession offence from the Criminal Code.[54]

He also introduced Bill C-236, which would provide diversion options to law enforcement, crown attorneys, and judges for drug possession cases.[54]

Gun Control

In an op-ed published in October of 2019, Erskine-Smith stated his belief that minority governments hold potential for greatness, among various other campaign talking points Erskine-Smith advocates for stronger gun control.[55]

44th Parliament (2022–) edit

Emergencies Act edit

In response to the occupation of downtown Ottawa by the so-called "Freedom Convoy", the government enacted the Emergencies Act. With Ottawa streets being largely cleared of protesters by the time of the vote, Erskine-Smith's Speech to Parliament condemned the protests, but questioned the use of the Act, and its approval after the clearance. He ultimately voted to confirm the use of the Act.[56][57][58]

Provincial leadership campaign edit

Erskine-Smith ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election. He campaigned against frontrunner Bonnie Crombie's plan to move the party back to the centre arguing that the way for the party to win the next provincial election was by wooing people who voted for the Ontario New Democratic Party, which had replaced the Liberals as the official opposition, saying ““We have to earn the trust of progressive voters in this province. “If we split the vote with the NDP, we lose... We have to earn the trust of progressive voters in this province.” Erskine-Smith joined fellow Liberal MP and leadership candidate Yasir Naqvi in a mutual support pact in an attempt to defeat Crombie. However, Crombie was elected on the third ballot, ahead of Erskine-Smith who came in second with 46% support behind Crombie's 53%.[59]

Personal life edit

Erskine-Smith was raised vegetarian, and is now vegan.[60] He has Crohn's disease.[61]

Erskine-Smith married Amelia (Amy) Symington, a prominent Toronto vegan chef and nutritionist, on her family farm in Camlachie, Ontario.[60] The two met in an undergraduate film studies course at Queen's University.[62] They have two sons, Mackinlay, born in 2016, and Crawford, born in 2019.[63]

Electoral record edit

2021 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Nathaniel Erskine-Smith 28,919 56.58 -0.65 $84,476.95
New Democratic Alejandra Ruiz Vargas 11,513 22.52 +1.23 $34,400.36
Conservative Lisa Robinson* 7,336 14.35 +0.19 $20,930.77
People's Radu Rautescu 1,613 3.16 +1.70 $0.00
Green Reuben Anthony DeBoer 1,388 2.71 -3.15 $1,906.03
Independent Karen Lee Wilde 166 0.32 $0.00
Communist Jennifer Moxon 131 0.26 $0.00
Marxist–Leninist Philip Fernandez 50 0.10 $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 51,116 99.34 $110,305.28
Total rejected ballots 340 0.66 +0.07
Turnout 51,456 65.05 -5.15
Eligible voters 79,102
Liberal hold Swing -0.94
Source: Elections Canada[64] *After the ballots had been printed, but before the election day itself, Robinson was dropped by the party as the CPC candidate. She would not have been admitted to the Conservative caucus had she won.[65]
2019 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Nathaniel Erskine-Smith 32,168 57.2 +7.75 $74,562.95
New Democratic Mae J. Nam 11,964 21.3 -9.52 $91,821.20
Conservative Nadirah Nazeer 7,957 14.2 -2.23 none listed
Green Sean Manners 3,295 5.9 +3.32 none listed
People's Deborah McKenzie 822 1.5 - $1,821.54
Total valid votes/expense limit 56,206 100.0  
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters 80,981
Liberal hold Swing +8.64
Source: Elections Canada[66][67]
2015 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Nathaniel Erskine-Smith 27,458 49.45 +18.69 $104,089.50
New Democratic Matthew Kellway 17,113 30.82 -10.82 $129,211.99
Conservative Bill Burrows 9,124 16.43 -6.31 $35,453.04
Green Randall Sach 1,433 2.58 -2.02 $3,691.94
Independent James Sears 254 0.46 $35,400.00
Marxist–Leninist Roger Carter 105 0.19 -0.08
Independent Peter Surjanac 43 0.08 $449.62
Total valid votes/expense limit 55,530 100.00   $208,561.84
Total rejected ballots 216 0.39
Turnout 55,746 73.18
Eligible voters 76,173
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +14.76
Source: Elections Canada[68][69]
Candidates for the November 13, 2006 Kingston, Ontario Sydenham District City Councillor Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes % ±%
Bill Glover 1,180 46.24% -
Floyd Patterson 912 35.74% -
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith 297 11.64% -
Alex Huntley 163 6.39% -
Total votes 2,552

References edit

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  5. ^ "Meet your city council candidates". Queen's Journal. November 3, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
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  21. ^ Erskine-Smith, Nathaniel (September 5, 2017). "Opinion: Why I'm a vegan but don't consider myself an animal activist". NOW Magazine. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  22. ^ "2016 Pro Bono & Humane Legislator Awards Recognize Outstanding Advocates". Animal Justice. December 29, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
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  31. ^ Erskine-Smith, Nathaniel (January 26, 2017). "I'm a member of Trudeau's Liberals and I think the government should decriminalize all drugs". Vice. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
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  36. ^ "Canada's Liberal party considers decriminalization of all illicit drugs". the Guardian. April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  37. ^ "Canada endorsed U.S. 'war on drugs' document to appease U.S., Liberal MP says". CBC. 2018.
  38. ^ Kirkup, Kristy (March 15, 2019). "Liberals urged to follow U.S. jurisdictions to expunge cannabis records". CTVNews. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  39. ^ Erskine-Smith, Nathaniel (March 12, 2019). "Pot pardons don't go far enough to address racial injustices, says Liberal MP". NOW Magazine. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  40. ^ "Nathaniel Erskine-Smith". www.facebook.com. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  41. ^ "Facebook app". www.facebook.com. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
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  43. ^ "Facebook - Log In or Sign Up". Facebook. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
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  47. ^ Jun 20, Sarah Turnbull Published on; 2018 4:00pm (June 20, 2018). "Liberal backbencher tables bill to give privacy commissioner more power". iPolitics. Retrieved April 22, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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  49. ^ "'Call their bluff': Shut down social media platforms, ex-Facebook adviser urges". CBC. 2019.
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  51. ^ Nerenberg, Karl (February 25, 2021). "Liberals rhetorically support NDP pharmacare bill, then vote against it". rabble.ca. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  52. ^ Zimonjic, Peter (March 22, 2022). "How the Liberal-NDP agreement will work and what it might mean for Canadians". CBC. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  53. ^ "INDU - Home - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  54. ^ a b "Beaches-East York MP introduces Private Members Bill to emphasize public health over criminal charges in controlled drugs act". Beach Metro Community News. March 11, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  55. ^ Shackleton, Al (October 29, 2019). "In My Opinion: Minority government can hold the potential for greatness". Beach Metro Community News. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  56. ^ Woodward, Jon (February 21, 2022). "Toronto Liberal MP mused voting against Emergencies Act". CTV News Toronto. Toronto ON: BellMedia. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  57. ^ Erskine-Smith, Nathaniel (February 21, 2022). "[Untitled speech]". Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal M.P. for Beaches-East York. Toronto ON. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
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  60. ^ a b Delacourt, Susan (September 6, 2016). "Beaches—East York MP is a different political animal: Delacourt". thestar.com. Toronto Star. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  61. ^ Domise, Andray (February 22, 2016). "Legal Weed is Bad for Poor People". Canadaland Commons (Podcast). Canadaland. Event occurs at 19:42. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  62. ^ MacAlpine, Ian (October 26, 2015). "Council run helps fuel new MP's success". Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  63. ^ "Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith helps deliver baby son Crawford". Beach Metro Community News. January 7, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  64. ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
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  69. ^ Elections Canada – Final Candidates Election Expenses Limits

External links edit

  • Nathaniel Erskine-Smith – Parliament of Canada biography
  • Official website
  • Campaign Website

nathaniel, erskine, smith, born, june, 1984, canadian, politician, member, parliament, beaches, east, york, member, liberal, party, erskine, smith, elected, house, commons, 2015, federal, election, before, entering, politics, erskine, smith, commercial, litiga. Nathaniel Erskine Smith MP born June 15 1984 is a Canadian politician who is the member of Parliament MP for Beaches East York A member of the Liberal Party Erskine Smith was elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 federal election Before entering politics Erskine Smith was a commercial litigation lawyer In 2023 Erskine Smith was a candidate in the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election which he ultimately came second to Bonnie Crombie with 46 of the vote 3 Nathaniel Erskine SmithMPErskine Smith in 2023Member of Parliamentfor Beaches East YorkIncumbentAssumed office October 19 2015Preceded byMatthew KellwayPersonal detailsBorn 1984 06 15 June 15 1984 age 39 Toronto Ontario CanadaPolitical partyLiberalSpouseAmy SymingtonChildren2ResidenceThe Beaches Toronto 1 2 Alma materQueen s University BA JD University College Oxford BCL ProfessionLawyerWebsitemeetnate wbr ca Erskine Smith announced in December 2023 that he would not be standing in the next federal election expected in 2025 4 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Legal career 3 Political career 3 1 42nd Parliament 2015 2019 3 1 1 Committee work 3 1 2 Other roles 3 1 3 Independence 3 1 4 Animal welfare and Bill C 246 3 1 4 1 Animal welfare awards 3 1 5 Climate action and Bill C 454 3 1 6 Drug policy reform and Bill C 460 3 1 7 Bill C 460 3 1 8 Cannabis record expungement 3 1 9 Privacy work 3 2 43rd Parliament 2019 2021 3 2 1 Support for universal pharmaceutical provision 3 2 2 Committee work 3 2 3 Bill C 235 and C 236 3 3 44th Parliament 2022 3 3 1 Emergencies Act 4 Provincial leadership campaign 5 Personal life 6 Electoral record 7 References 8 External linksEarly life and education editErskine Smith was born in Toronto Ontario attending Bowmore Elementary School and Malvern Collegiate His parents Sara Erskine and Lawrence Smith were public school teachers Erskine Smith attended Queen s University where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics in 2007 before completing law school in 2010 While a student at Queen s Erskine Smith was an unsuccessful candidate for city council for Sydenham District in Kingston Ontario in the 2006 municipal elections He also attempted to start a business selling panini sandwiches from a trailer and hoped to start a catering business 5 He then went on to study political philosophy and constitutional law at the University of Oxford where he earned a Master of Laws BCL degree in 2013 6 Legal career editErskine Smith practiced commercial litigation as an associate at Kramer Simaan Dhillon after working as a law student at Aird amp Berlis LLP He also performed volunteer work for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association citation needed He worked pro bono for a range of clients and causes including a civil liberties case to protect religious freedom in Ontario s school system 7 In a notable civil liberties case in 2014 Erskine Smith successfully argued against compulsory religious studies at publicly funded high schools in Ontario 7 Political career edit42nd Parliament 2015 2019 edit Committee work edit Erskine Smith served as a member of the Public Safety and National Security Committee and as the Vice Chair of the Access to Information Privacy and Ethics committee in the 42nd parliament 8 Other roles edit He served as the president of the Canadian group of the Inter Parliamentary Union for a one year term in 2016 9 In that capacity he delivered a speech about youth in politics at an IPU meeting in Zambia 10 Independence edit Erskine Smith has been called Canada s most independent parliamentarian 11 with the National Post has described him as maverick 12 and CBC describing him as Ottawa s least predictable MP 13 Erskine Smith described his position in an op ed in the Toronto Star writing 14 No political party represents our views perfectly We find the party that best represents our views and values and we engage debate and organize to bring both our party and country closer to those objectives I am a Liberal MP and I continue to support our Liberal government But that does not mean that I support every government action taken or that I ought to refrain from public disagreement In contrast to blind partisan loyalty we promised to empower MPs and their communities through more free votes in the House of Commons Animal welfare and Bill C 246 edit In 2015 Erskine Smith seconded Bill S 203 the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act that became law in June 2019 The bill prohibits the captivity of cetaceans and requires permits to import and export them to and from Canada Erskine Smith spoke to the house about the importance of the bill in June 2018 15 16 On February 26 2016 Erskine Smith introduced Bill C 246 the Modernizing Animal Protections Act 17 to ban the import of shark fins and make Canada s animal cruelty laws tougher 10 The bill won support from EndCruelty a coalition of Canadians who support stronger animal protection laws 18 Due to concerns from animal use lobbyists the bill was defeated 198 to 84 at second reading 17 Two years later a government bill addressing similar concerns was tabled by Justice Minister Jody Wilson Raybould She acknowledged Erskine Smith s efforts as a precursor to the government s legislation 19 The defeat of Erskine Smith s Bill C 246 led to the creation of the Liberal Animal Welfare Caucus in 2017 20 On September 5 2017 Erskine Smith wrote a piece in Now Magazine addressing his veganism and the importance of a social change towards the treatment of animals 21 Animal welfare awards edit In 2016 Erskine Smith received the Humane Legislator Award from Animal Justice for his efforts to modernize Canada s federal animal protection laws with Bill C 246 22 In 2017 Erskine Smith received the Fur Bearers Clements award for his dedication to improving the lives of animals with Bill C 246 23 24 In 2019 Erskine Smith was awarded the Toronto Vegetarian Association Lisa Grill Compassion for Animals Award for his compassion and commitment toward animals He was also recognized by Humane Canada for his dedication to ending animal abuse 25 26 Climate action and Bill C 454 edit In October 2018 Erskine Smith called an emergency debate on climate change in Parliament in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change s special report on global warming He requested action to be taken by the government and Canadians to ensure that Canada can reduce its emissions and reach the targeted goals 27 On June 5 2019 Erskine Smith introduced Bill C 454 the Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Act to require the Government of Canada to reduce GHG emissions to net zero by 2050 28 29 Drug policy reform and Bill C 460 edit Erskine Smith believes that the war on drugs has been a failure He has been a vocal supporter of cannabis legalization and regulation and has called for a new approach to treat drug use as a health issue In February 2016 Erskine Smith represented the Canadian government s pro marijuana legalization views to a joint United Nations Inter Parliamentary Union conference reviewing how different countries were dealing with illegal drugs He partnered with Mexican Senator Laura Rojas to argue that countries should seek alternatives to incarceration in cases where individuals have drugs solely for personal use 30 In early January 2017 Erskine Smith published an op ed in Vice News Canada calling for the decriminalization of all drug possession as a logical next step to the government s progressive drug policy 31 In late January 2017 Erskine Smith delivered a speech in the House of Commons in support of Bill C 37 to expand access to safe injection clinics across Canada 32 In the first episode of the television series Political Blind Date in 2017 Erskine Smith and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis discussed their differing perspectives on the legalization of marijuana in Canada 33 Erskine Smith introduced a Liberal caucus policy resolution to address the opioid crisis through a public health approach and it was adopted as the second overall priority by the grassroots Liberal membership at the Liberal Policy Convention in Halifax in April 2018 34 Bill C 460 edit To ensure more people access treatment Erskine Smith introduced a bill to remove criminal sanctions for low level possession and to reduce the stigma associated with seeking treatment 35 In 2018 Erskine Smith appeared on CBC s Power amp Politics to speak about his disappointment in the Liberal government s signing of the United States War on Drugs document He argued it brought the conversation about drugs away from a health issue which ran counter to his push for drug decriminalization and domestic policy at the time 36 37 Cannabis record expungement edit Erskine Smith seconded a bill introduced by New Democratic MP Murray Rankin 38 In March 2019 Erskine Smith wrote an op ed for NOW Magazine where he discussed his support for Rankin s bill stating that only expungements would address the injustice of cannabis criminalization 39 Privacy work edit In 2017 Erskine Smith traveled to Washington 40 with the Access to Information Privacy and Ethics committee to attend a congressional hearing on the Equifax data breach and met with Congressmen from the Digital Commerce subcommittee with Facebook 41 privacy experts and with officials from the Federal Trade Commission 42 In May 2018 Erskine Smith scrutinized Facebook 43 officials at the Standing Committee on Access to Information Privacy and Ethics 44 regarding the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the extent of privacy breaches for Canadians 45 In 2018 Erskine Smith participated as the Canadian delegation in the U K s International Grand Committee on social media and disinformation In total 24 officials from 9 countries representing 447 million people participated 46 In June 2018 Erskine Smith introduced Bill C413 an Act to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act to give new powers for the Privacy Commissioner to better protect our privacy 47 In May 2019 Erskine Smith participated in the Canadian delegation of the International Grand Committee 48 to meet with representatives from Google Facebook and Twitter among others The Silicon Valley representatives were asked to defend their companies records on protecting users data 49 In August 2019 Erskine Smith wrote an op ed for the Toronto Star expressing his desire for the right to be forgotten He explained that in an increasingly connected online world citizens should have the right to hide content published about them from search engines if the individual s privacy is being seriously violated 50 43rd Parliament 2019 2021 edit Support for universal pharmaceutical provision edit In February 2021 alongside Wayne Long Erskine Smith was one of only two Liberal MPs to vote in favour of a New Democratic Party NDP motion to take a first step towards developing a national pharmacare system The bill proposed by Peter Julian would have established the conditions for federal financial contributions to provincial drug insurance plans 51 The following year the Liberal Party would commit to work towards a universal national pharmacare program as part of their confidence and supply agreement with the NDP following the 2021 federal election 52 Committee work edit Erskine Smith is a member of the Standing Committee on Industry Science and Technology 53 Bill C 235 and C 236 edit In 2020 Erskine Smith introduced Bill C 235 This bill would delete the drug possession offence from the Criminal Code 54 He also introduced Bill C 236 which would provide diversion options to law enforcement crown attorneys and judges for drug possession cases 54 Gun ControlIn an op ed published in October of 2019 Erskine Smith stated his belief that minority governments hold potential for greatness among various other campaign talking points Erskine Smith advocates for stronger gun control 55 44th Parliament 2022 edit Emergencies Act edit In response to the occupation of downtown Ottawa by the so called Freedom Convoy the government enacted the Emergencies Act With Ottawa streets being largely cleared of protesters by the time of the vote Erskine Smith s Speech to Parliament condemned the protests but questioned the use of the Act and its approval after the clearance He ultimately voted to confirm the use of the Act 56 57 58 Provincial leadership campaign editErskine Smith ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election He campaigned against frontrunner Bonnie Crombie s plan to move the party back to the centre arguing that the way for the party to win the next provincial election was by wooing people who voted for the Ontario New Democratic Party which had replaced the Liberals as the official opposition saying We have to earn the trust of progressive voters in this province If we split the vote with the NDP we lose We have to earn the trust of progressive voters in this province Erskine Smith joined fellow Liberal MP and leadership candidate Yasir Naqvi in a mutual support pact in an attempt to defeat Crombie However Crombie was elected on the third ballot ahead of Erskine Smith who came in second with 46 support behind Crombie s 53 59 Personal life editErskine Smith was raised vegetarian and is now vegan 60 He has Crohn s disease 61 Erskine Smith married Amelia Amy Symington a prominent Toronto vegan chef and nutritionist on her family farm in Camlachie Ontario 60 The two met in an undergraduate film studies course at Queen s University 62 They have two sons Mackinlay born in 2016 and Crawford born in 2019 63 Electoral record editvte2021 Canadian federal election Beaches East York Party Candidate Votes Expenditures Liberal Nathaniel Erskine Smith 28 919 56 58 0 65 84 476 95 New Democratic Alejandra Ruiz Vargas 11 513 22 52 1 23 34 400 36 Conservative Lisa Robinson 7 336 14 35 0 19 20 930 77 People s Radu Rautescu 1 613 3 16 1 70 0 00 Green Reuben Anthony DeBoer 1 388 2 71 3 15 1 906 03 Independent Karen Lee Wilde 166 0 32 0 00 Communist Jennifer Moxon 131 0 26 0 00 Marxist Leninist Philip Fernandez 50 0 10 0 00 Total valid votes expense limit 51 116 99 34 110 305 28 Total rejected ballots 340 0 66 0 07 Turnout 51 456 65 05 5 15 Eligible voters 79 102 Liberal hold Swing 0 94 Source Elections Canada 64 After the ballots had been printed but before the election day itself Robinson was dropped by the party as the CPC candidate She would not have been admitted to the Conservative caucus had she won 65 vte2019 Canadian federal election Beaches East York Party Candidate Votes Expenditures Liberal Nathaniel Erskine Smith 32 168 57 2 7 75 74 562 95 New Democratic Mae J Nam 11 964 21 3 9 52 91 821 20 Conservative Nadirah Nazeer 7 957 14 2 2 23 none listed Green Sean Manners 3 295 5 9 3 32 none listed People s Deborah McKenzie 822 1 5 1 821 54 Total valid votes expense limit 56 206 100 0 Total rejected ballots Turnout Eligible voters 80 981 Liberal hold Swing 8 64 Source Elections Canada 66 67 vte2015 Canadian federal election Beaches East York Party Candidate Votes Expenditures Liberal Nathaniel Erskine Smith 27 458 49 45 18 69 104 089 50 New Democratic Matthew Kellway 17 113 30 82 10 82 129 211 99 Conservative Bill Burrows 9 124 16 43 6 31 35 453 04 Green Randall Sach 1 433 2 58 2 02 3 691 94 Independent James Sears 254 0 46 35 400 00 Marxist Leninist Roger Carter 105 0 19 0 08 Independent Peter Surjanac 43 0 08 449 62 Total valid votes expense limit 55 530 100 00 208 561 84 Total rejected ballots 216 0 39 Turnout 55 746 73 18 Eligible voters 76 173 Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing 14 76 Source Elections Canada 68 69 Candidates for the November 13 2006 Kingston Ontario Sydenham District City Councillor Election Candidate Popular vote Votes Bill Glover 1 180 46 24 Floyd Patterson 912 35 74 Nathaniel Erskine Smith 297 11 64 Alex Huntley 163 6 39 Total votes 2 552References edit Lavoie Joanna January 2 2016 Rookie MPs Julie Dabrusin and Nathaniel Erskine Smith eager to get to work in 2016 Inside Toronto Metroland Media Retrieved October 2 2016 Six questions for candidates in Beaches East York Beach Metro Community News September 23 2015 Retrieved October 3 2016 I m running for Ontario Liberal leader To make a difference to help make you see politics the way I see it and to rebuild a party ready to rebuild our province http meetnate ca Twitter Retrieved May 8 2023 Shackleton Al December 7 2023 MP Erskine Smith runner up in Ontario Liberal leadership race won t seek federal re election in Beaches East York Meet your city council candidates Queen s Journal November 3 2006 Retrieved February 9 2024 Biography Nathaniel Erskine Smith Your member of parliament for Beaches East York nerskine smith liberal ca Retrieved April 22 2020 a b Catholic schools Ontario parents fighting to have children exempt from religious studies thestar com February 3 2013 Retrieved April 22 2020 Home lop parl ca Retrieved April 22 2020 Beaches East York MP Nathaniel Erskine Smith represents Canada on the Inter Parliamentary Union Toronto com March 3 2016 Retrieved April 22 2020 a b Beaches East York MP is a different political animal Delacourt thestar com September 9 2016 Retrieved April 22 2020 Nathaniel Erskine Smith provides a rare breath of fresh air in the SNC Lavalin affair thestar com March 26 2019 Retrieved April 22 2020 The National Post has called him a maverick and the CBC referred to him as Ottawa s least predictable MP One maverick Liberal on ethics committee not enough to force showdown over SNC Lavalin affair nationalpost Retrieved January 30 2023 Wherry Aaron June 17 2016 The least predictable MP highlights a slightly unpredictable Parliament CBC Retrieved April 20 2020 Opinion Should dissident Liberals stay in caucus Yes thestar com March 26 2019 Retrieved January 30 2023 Protecting Endangered Whales retrieved April 22 2020 Nathaniel Erskine Smith Endangered Whales on June 4th 2018 openparliament ca openparliament ca Retrieved April 22 2020 a b Liberal MP s Animal Cruelty Bill Defeated HuffPost Canada October 6 2016 Retrieved April 22 2020 End Animal Cruelty Support Bill C 246 EndCruelty ca Retrieved April 22 2020 Feds to ban all forms of bestiality crack down on animal fighting CTVNews October 18 2018 Retrieved April 22 2020 Feb 1 Kelsey Johnson Published on 2017 11 42am February 1 2017 Liberal internal caucus to focus on animal welfare iPolitics Retrieved April 22 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Erskine Smith Nathaniel September 5 2017 Opinion Why I m a vegan but don t consider myself an animal activist NOW Magazine Retrieved April 22 2020 2016 Pro Bono amp Humane Legislator Awards Recognize Outstanding Advocates Animal Justice December 29 2016 Retrieved April 22 2020 The Fur Bearers www facebook com Retrieved April 22 2020 EPISODE 401 NATHANIEL S MESSAGE OF HOPE 2016 Nathaniel Erskine Smith www facebook com Retrieved April 22 2020 Nathaniel Erskine Smith www facebook com Retrieved April 22 2020 Trudeau Government Urged To Step Up Climate Action In Emergency Debate HuffPost Canada October 16 2018 Retrieved April 22 2020 Private Member s Bill C 454 42 1 First Reading Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Act Parliament of Canada www parl ca Retrieved April 22 2020 Liberal MP proposes net zero emissions target for 2050 thestar com June 5 2019 Retrieved April 22 2020 Feb 8 Kyle Duggan Published on 2016 5 00am February 8 2016 Liberal MP brings government s pro pot stance to world stage iPolitics Retrieved April 22 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Erskine Smith Nathaniel January 26 2017 I m a member of Trudeau s Liberals and I think the government should decriminalize all drugs Vice Retrieved April 22 2020 Debates Hansard No 130 January 31 2017 42 1 House of Commons of Canada www ourcommons ca Retrieved April 22 2020 Political Blind Date series hopes opposites attract or at least get along thestar com November 4 2017 Retrieved April 22 2020 Sex work drugs and pharmacare What Liberals want in 2019 platform CTVNews April 21 2018 Retrieved April 22 2020 Why A Liberal MP Tabled A Bill To Decriminalize Hard Drugs At The Worst Time HuffPost Canada June 23 2019 Retrieved April 22 2020 Canada s Liberal party considers decriminalization of all illicit drugs the Guardian April 16 2018 Retrieved April 22 2020 Canada endorsed U S war on drugs document to appease U S Liberal MP says CBC 2018 Kirkup Kristy March 15 2019 Liberals urged to follow U S jurisdictions to expunge cannabis records CTVNews Retrieved April 22 2020 Erskine Smith Nathaniel March 12 2019 Pot pardons don t go far enough to address racial injustices says Liberal MP NOW Magazine Retrieved April 22 2020 Nathaniel Erskine Smith www facebook com Retrieved April 22 2020 Facebook app www facebook com Retrieved April 22 2020 Federal Trade Commission www facebook com Retrieved April 22 2020 Facebook Log In or Sign Up Facebook Retrieved April 22 2020 ETHI Home House of Commons of Canada www ourcommons ca Retrieved April 22 2020 Cambridge Analytica AggregateIQ and the Facebook scandal A guide to who s accused of what Retrieved April 22 2020 Innovation December 11 2018 Remember the internet of the 90s That s what Canada s outdated data protection laws were meant to handle Financial Post Financial Post Retrieved April 22 2020 Jun 20 Sarah Turnbull Published on 2018 4 00pm June 20 2018 Liberal backbencher tables bill to give privacy commissioner more power iPolitics Retrieved April 22 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Ethics committee votes to subpoena Facebook s Mark Zuckerberg to testify CBC 2019 Retrieved September 18 2023 Call their bluff Shut down social media platforms ex Facebook adviser urges CBC 2019 Do people have the right to be forgotten on the internet thestar com August 27 2019 Retrieved April 22 2020 Nerenberg Karl February 25 2021 Liberals rhetorically support NDP pharmacare bill then vote against it rabble ca Retrieved March 23 2022 Zimonjic Peter March 22 2022 How the Liberal NDP agreement will work and what it might mean for Canadians CBC Retrieved March 23 2022 INDU Home House of Commons of Canada www ourcommons ca Retrieved April 22 2020 a b Beaches East York MP introduces Private Members Bill to emphasize public health over criminal charges in controlled drugs act Beach Metro Community News March 11 2020 Retrieved April 22 2020 Shackleton Al October 29 2019 In My Opinion Minority government can hold the potential for greatness Beach Metro Community News Retrieved February 24 2023 Woodward Jon February 21 2022 Toronto Liberal MP mused voting against Emergencies Act CTV News Toronto Toronto ON BellMedia Retrieved February 21 2022 Erskine Smith Nathaniel February 21 2022 Untitled speech Nathaniel Erskine Smith Liberal M P for Beaches East York Toronto ON Retrieved February 21 2022 Statutory Order PDF Parliamentary Debates Hansard Canada House of Commons of Canada February 21 2022 pp 2882 3 Bonnie Crombie wins Ontario Liberal leadership race says party focused on beating Doug Ford CBC News December 2 2023 Retrieved December 2 2023 a b Delacourt Susan September 6 2016 Beaches East York MP is a different political animal Delacourt thestar com Toronto Star Retrieved October 1 2016 Domise Andray February 22 2016 Legal Weed is Bad for Poor People Canadaland Commons Podcast Canadaland Event occurs at 19 42 Retrieved August 30 2016 MacAlpine Ian October 26 2015 Council run helps fuel new MP s success Kingston Whig Standard Retrieved August 30 2016 Beaches East York MP Nathaniel Erskine Smith helps deliver baby son Crawford Beach Metro Community News January 7 2020 Retrieved March 4 2020 List of confirmed candidates September 20 2021 Federal Election Elections Canada Retrieved September 2 2021 Beaches East York CPC candidate asked to step down over offensive tweets September 10 2021 Retrieved September 11 2021 List of confirmed candidates Elections Canada Retrieved October 4 2019 Election Night Results Elections Canada Retrieved October 22 2019 Elections Canada Confirmed candidates for Beaches East York 30 September 2015 Elections Canada Final Candidates Election Expenses LimitsExternal links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Nathaniel Erskine Smith Nathaniel Erskine Smith Parliament of Canada biography Official website Campaign Website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nathaniel Erskine Smith amp oldid 1223754036, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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