Nathaniel Erskine-Smith
MP
Nathaniel 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
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
SpouseAmy Symington
Children2
ResidenceThe Beaches, Toronto[1][2]
Alma mater
ProfessionLawyer
Websitehttps://meetnate.ca

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. On May 8, 2023, Erskine-Smith announced his candidacy for the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election.[3]

Early life and education

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 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 [4]

Erskine-Smith practised 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.

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.[5] In a notable civil liberties case in 2014, Erskine-Smith successfully argued against compulsory religious studies at publicly funded high schools in Ontario.[5]

Political career

42nd Parliament (2015-2019)

Committee work

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.[6]

Other roles

He served as the president of the Canadian group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union for a one-year term in 2016.[7] In that capacity, he delivered a speech about youth in politics at an IPU meeting in Zambia.[8]

Independence

Erskine-Smith has been called Canada's most independent parliamentarian,[9] with the National Post has described him as “maverick”[10] and CBC describing him as Ottawa's “least predictable MP.”[11] Erskine-Smith described his position in an op-ed in the Toronto Star, writing:[12]

"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

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.[13][14]

On February 26, 2016, Erskine-Smith introduced Bill C-246, the Modernizing Animal Protections Act,[15] to ban the import of shark fins and make Canada's animal cruelty laws tougher.[8] The bill won support from EndCruelty, a coalition of Canadians who support stronger animal protection laws.[16] Due to concerns from animal use lobbyists, the bill was defeated 198 to 84 at second reading.[15] 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.[17] The defeat of Erskine-Smith's Bill C-246 led to the creation of the Liberal Animal Welfare Caucus in 2017.[18] 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.[19]

Animal welfare awards

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.[20] In 2017, Erskine-Smith received the Fur-Bearers’ Clements award for his dedication to improving the lives of animals with Bill C-246.[21][22] 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.[23][24]

Climate action and Bill C-454

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.[25] 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.[26][27]

Drug policy reform and Bill C-460

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.[28] 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.[29] 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.[30] 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.[31] 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.[32]

Bill C-460

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.[33] 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.[34][35]

Cannabis record expungement

Erskine-Smith seconded a bill introduced by New Democratic MP Murray Rankin.[36] 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.[37]

Privacy work

In 2017, Erskine-Smith traveled to Washington [38] 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[39] privacy experts, and with officials from the Federal Trade Commission.[40] In May 2018, Erskine-Smith scrutinized Facebook [41] officials at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics [42] regarding the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the extent of privacy breaches for Canadians.[43] 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.[44] 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.[45] In May 2019, Erskine-Smith participated in the Canadian delegation of the International Grand Committee [46] 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.[47] 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.[48]

43rd Parliament (2019-2021)

Support for universal pharmaceutical provision

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.[49] 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.[50]

Committee work

Erskine-Smith is a member of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.[51]

Bill C-235 and C-236

In 2020, Erskine-Smith introduced Bill C-235. This bill would delete the drug possession offence from the Criminal Code.[52]

He also introduced Bill C-236, which would provide diversion options to law enforcement, crown attorneys, and judges for drug possession cases.[52]

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.[53]

44th Parliament (2022- )

Emergencies Act

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.[54][55][56]

Provincial leadership campaign

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%.[57]

Personal life

Erskine-Smith was raised vegetarian, and is now vegan.[58] He has Crohn's disease.[59]

Erskine-Smith married Amelia (Amy) Symington, a prominent Toronto vegan chef and nutritionist, on her family farm in Camlachie, Ontario.[58] The two met in an undergraduate film studies course at Queen's University.[60] They have two sons, Mackinlay, born in 2016, and Crawford, born in 2019.[61]

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalNathaniel Erskine-Smith28,91956.58-0.65
New DemocraticAlejandra Ruiz Vargas11,51322.52+1.23
ConservativeLisa Robinson*7,33614.35+0.19
People'sRadu Rautescu1,6133.16+1.70
GreenReuben Anthony DeBoer1,3882.71-3.15
IndependentKaren Lee Wilde1660.32
CommunistJennifer Moxon1310.26
Marxist–LeninistPhilip Fernandez500.10
Total valid votes 51,11699.34
Total rejected ballots 3400.66+0.07
Turnout 51,45665.05-5.15
Eligible voters 79,102
Liberal hold Swing -0.94
Source: Elections Canada[62] *Robinson was dropped as the CPC candidate and would not have the Conservative caucus had she won.[63]
2019 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalNathaniel Erskine-Smith32,16857.2+7.75$74,562.95
New DemocraticMae J. Nam11,96421.3-9.52$91,821.20
ConservativeNadirah Nazeer7,95714.2-2.23none listed
GreenSean Manners3,2955.9+3.32none listed
People'sDeborah McKenzie8221.5-$1,821.54
Total valid votes/expense limit 56,206100.0  
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters 80,981
Liberal hold Swing +8.64
Source: Elections Canada[64][65]
2015 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalNathaniel Erskine-Smith27,45849.45+18.69$104,089.50
New DemocraticMatthew Kellway17,11330.82-10.82$129,211.99
ConservativeBill Burrows9,12416.43-6.31$35,453.04
GreenRandall Sach1,4332.58-2.02$3,691.94
IndependentJames Sears2540.46–$35,400.00
Marxist–LeninistRoger Carter1050.19-0.08–
IndependentPeter Surjanac430.08–$449.62
Total valid votes/expense limit 55,530100.00 $208,561.84
Total rejected ballots 2160.39–
Turnout 55,74673.18–
Eligible voters 76,173
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +14.76
Source: Elections Canada[66][67]
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

  1. ↑ Lavoie, Joanna (2 January 2016). "Rookie MPs Julie Dabrusin and Nathaniel Erskine-Smith eager to get to work in 2016". Inside Toronto. Metroland Media. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  2. ↑ "Six questions for candidates in Beaches-East York". Beach Metro Community News. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  3. ↑ ""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 8 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Biography | Nathaniel Erskine-Smith | Your member of parliament for Beaches-East York". nerskine-smith.liberal.ca. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Catholic schools: Ontario parents fighting to have children exempt from religious studies". thestar.com. 3 February 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  6. ↑ "Home". lop.parl.ca. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith represents Canada on the Inter-Parliamentary Union". Toronto.com. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Beaches—East York MP is a different political animal: Delacourt". thestar.com. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "Nathaniel Erskine-Smith provides a rare breath of fresh air in the SNC-Lavalin affair". thestar.com. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020. The National Post has called him a “maverick,” and the CBC referred to him as Ottawa's “least predictable MP.”
  10. ↑ "One maverick Liberal on ethics committee not enough to force showdown over SNC-Lavalin affair". nationalpost. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  11. ↑ Wherry, Aaron (17 June 2016). "The least predictable MP highlights a slightly unpredictable Parliament". CBC. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  12. ↑ "Opinion | Should dissident Liberals stay in caucus? Yes". thestar.com. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  13. ↑ Protecting Endangered Whales, retrieved 22 April 2020
  14. ↑ "Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, "Endangered Whales" on June 4th, 2018 | openparliament.ca". openparliament.ca. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  15. 1 2 "Liberal MP's Animal Cruelty Bill Defeated". HuffPost Canada. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "End Animal Cruelty – Support Bill C-246". EndCruelty.ca. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Feds to ban all forms of bestiality, crack down on animal fighting". CTVNews. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  18. ↑ Feb 1, Kelsey Johnson Published on; 2017 11:42am (1 February 2017). "Liberal internal caucus to focus on animal welfare". iPolitics. Retrieved 22 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ Erskine-Smith, Nathaniel (5 September 2017). "Opinion: Why I'm a vegan but don't consider myself an animal activist". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "2016 Pro Bono & Humane Legislator Awards Recognize Outstanding Advocates". Animal Justice. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "The Fur-Bearers". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  22. ↑ "EPISODE 401: NATHANIEL'S MESSAGE OF HOPE". 2016.
  23. ↑ "Nathaniel Erskine-Smith". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  24. ↑ "Nathaniel Erskine-Smith". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  25. ↑ "Trudeau Government Urged To Step Up Climate Action In Emergency Debate". HuffPost Canada. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  26. ↑ "Private Member's Bill C-454 (42-1) - First Reading - Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Act - Parliament of Canada". www.parl.ca. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  27. ↑ "Liberal MP proposes 'net zero' emissions target for 2050". thestar.com. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  28. ↑ Feb 8, Kyle Duggan Published on; 2016 5:00am (8 February 2016). "Liberal MP brings government's pro-pot stance to world stage". iPolitics. Retrieved 22 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ↑ Erskine-Smith, Nathaniel (26 January 2017). "I'm a member of Trudeau's Liberals and I think the government should decriminalize all drugs". Vice. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  30. ↑ "Debates (Hansard) No. 130 - January 31, 2017 (42-1) - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  31. ↑ "Political Blind Date series hopes opposites attract, or at least get along". thestar.com. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  32. ↑ "Sex work, drugs and pharmacare: What Liberals want in 2019 platform". CTVNews. 21 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  33. ↑ "Why A Liberal MP Tabled A Bill To Decriminalize Hard Drugs At The Worst Time". HuffPost Canada. 23 June 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  34. ↑ "Canada's Liberal party considers decriminalization of all illicit drugs". the Guardian. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  35. ↑ "Canada endorsed U.S. 'war on drugs' document to appease U.S., Liberal MP says". CBC. 2018.
  36. ↑ Kirkup, Kristy (15 March 2019). "Liberals urged to follow U.S. jurisdictions to expunge cannabis records". CTVNews. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  37. ↑ Erskine-Smith, Nathaniel (12 March 2019). "Pot pardons don't go far enough to address racial injustices, says Liberal MP". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  38. ↑ "Nathaniel Erskine-Smith". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  39. ↑ "Facebook app". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  40. ↑ "Federal Trade Commission". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  41. ↑ "Facebook - Log In or Sign Up". Facebook. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  42. ↑ "ETHI - Home - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  43. ↑ "Cambridge Analytica, AggregateIQ and the Facebook scandal: A guide to who's accused of what". Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  44. ↑ Innovation (11 December 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 22 April 2020.
  45. ↑ Jun 20, Sarah Turnbull Published on; 2018 4:00pm (20 June 2018). "Liberal backbencher tables bill to give privacy commissioner more power". iPolitics. Retrieved 22 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  46. ↑ "Ethics committee votes to subpoena Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to testify". CBC. 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  47. ↑ "'Call their bluff': Shut down social media platforms, ex-Facebook adviser urges". CBC. 2019.
  48. ↑ "Do people have the right to be forgotten on the internet?". thestar.com. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  49. ↑ Nerenberg, Karl (25 February 2021). "Liberals rhetorically support NDP pharmacare bill, then vote against it". rabble.ca. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  50. ↑ Zimonjic, Peter (22 March 2022). "How the Liberal-NDP agreement will work and what it might mean for Canadians". CBC. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  51. ↑ "INDU - Home - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  52. 1 2 "Beaches-East York MP introduces Private Members Bill to emphasize public health over criminal charges in controlled drugs act". Beach Metro Community News. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  53. ↑ Shackleton, Al (29 October 2019). "In My Opinion: Minority government can hold the potential for greatness". Beach Metro Community News. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  54. ↑ Woodward, Jon (21 February 2022). "Toronto Liberal MP mused voting against Emergencies Act". CTV News Toronto. Toronto ON: BellMedia. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  55. ↑ Erskine-Smith, Nathaniel (21 February 2022). "[Untitled speech]". Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal M.P. for Beaches-East York. Toronto ON. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  56. ↑ "Statutory Order" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Canada: House of Commons of Canada. 21 February 2022. pp. 2882–3.
  57. ↑ "Bonnie Crombie wins Ontario Liberal leadership race, says party focused on beating Doug Ford". CBC News. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  58. 1 2 Delacourt, Susan (6 September 2016). "Beaches—East York MP is a different political animal: Delacourt". thestar.com. Toronto Star. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  59. ↑ Domise, Andray (22 February 2016). "Legal Weed is Bad for Poor People". Canadaland Commons (Podcast). Canadaland. Event occurs at 19:42. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  60. ↑ MacAlpine, Ian (26 October 2015). "Council run helps fuel new MP's success". Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  61. ↑ "Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith helps deliver baby son Crawford". Beach Metro Community News. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  62. ↑ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  63. ↑ "Beaches-East York CPC candidate asked to step down over 'offensive' tweets". 10 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  64. ↑ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  65. ↑ "Election Night Results-". Elections Canada. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  66. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Beaches—East York, 30 September 2015
  67. ↑ Elections Canada – Final Candidates Election Expenses Limits
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