Digital Copyright Canada

Elections Canada Electoral district profile (Links to Map, Past Candidates, and Past Election Results)

Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre / Toronto-Centre

Name: Hon. Bob Rae
e-Mail: <Rae.B@parl.gc.ca>
Party: Liberal Party of Canada

Frank Lenk's article on the effects of Bill C-61 on the Consumer Electronics industry includes the following about Liberal MP, Bob Rae:

It’s more difficult to understand why the consumer electronics industry has not been more vocal in presenting the opposing view, given that tomorrow’s ‘digital VCR’ is now under threat. This was borne home forcefully when I recently had the opportunity of visiting my local Liberal MP, Bob Rae (www.bobrae.ca).

I have been wondering where Bob Rae, recently elected MP for Toronto Center, would come down on copyright, mis-labeled anti-counterfeiting, and new economy issues. Thanks to Michael Geist I have been pointed to an article by Bob Rae.

Current Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre / Toronto-Centre

Name: Hon. Bill Graham

e-Mail: <Graham.B@parl.gc.ca>

Party: Liberal Party of Canada

Gender: Male

MP Prior to 2006 election: Hon. Bill Graham

Election 2006 candidate information for this riding

Elections Canada Electoral district profile (Links to Map, Past Candidates, and Past Election Results)

Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River: Rob Clarke (Conservative) with 47.8% of vote

Toronto Centre: Bob Rae (Liberal) with 59.2% of vote

Vancouver Quadra: Joyce Murray (Liberal) with 36.1% of vote

Willowdale: Martha Hall Findlay (Liberal) with 59.3% of vote

See elections Canada, 2008 By-elections for more details.

One of the things I often say in interviews is that Copyright is not a partisan issue in Canada, that you can't focus on parties, and that the issue comes down to the personal experience and ideas of individual representatives. Given this it is important to talk to sitting members of parliament, as well as candidates running to replace them.

On Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that by-elections will be held on Monday March 17, 2008 in the ridings of Toronto Centre (Ontario), Willowdale (Ontario), Vancouver Quadra (British Columbia) and Desnethé-Missnippi-Churchill River (Saskatchewan).

According to the Hill Times, the following current MPs will not be running in next election. There are 7 vacancies expected by end of summer, with 5 after byelection. Many believe that narrow partisan reasons were used to not call the remaining 5 byelections to happen at the same time.

I'm waiting with baited breath for some by-election calls.

According to Elections Canada (links below), these are the deadlines by which the four by-elections must be called:

Outremont (Quebec), July 28th.
Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot (Quebec), August 25th.

Hill Times reporter Abbas Rana provided a table in this week's Hill Times listing the 15 MPs that have already announced they will not be running in the next election, as well as the 2 vacant seats.

1. Liberal MP Ray Ronin (Nickel Belt)
2. Liberal MP Brenda Chamberlain (Guelph)
3. Liberal MP Stephen Owen (Vancouver Quadra)
4. Liberal MP Bill Graham (Toronto Centre)
5. Liberal MP Paul Martin (LaSalle-Emard)
6. Liberal MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell (Nunavut)
7. Liberal MP Andy Scott (Fredericton)
8. Liberal MP Paul Steckle (Huron-Bruce)
9. Liberal MP Joe McGuire (Egmont)
10. Liberal MP Jim Peterson (Willowdale)
11. Conservative MP Brian Fritzpatrick (Prince Albert)
12. Conservative MP Ken Epp (Edmonton-Sherwood Park)
13. Conservative MP John Williams (Edmonton-St. Albert)
14. Conservative MP Normal Doyle (St. John's East)
15. NDP MP Bill Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona)

Vacant seats:

1. Bloc MP Yvan Loubier (Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot)
2. Liberal MP Jean Lapierre (Outremont)

Joseph R. (Joe) Comuzzi (Thunder Bay--Superior North) is expected not to run, but has not yet made an announcement.