Peter Tabuns named interim leader of Ontario NDP as Andrea Horwath steps aside

Nearly four weeks after Andrea Horwath said she would step down as leader of the Ontario NDP, veteran Toronto MPP Peter Tabuns has officially been named as the interim head of the party.

“My thanks to the members of the #ONDP who have appointed me their interim leader,” Tabuns said in a tweet posted Tuesday evening.

“I appreciate your confidence and your trust. You know I will fight for the people of this province, I know you will too.”

In a subsequent statement, Tabuns highlighted workers’ wages, health-care wait times, long-term care, climate change and education as issues the party would be focused on.

Tabuns was first elected to the Ontario legislature as the MPP for Toronto–Danforth in a 2006 byelection and has served in various critic roles, focusing on energy and the environment in recent years.

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There were reports in recent days Tabuns would be named by the party’s provincial council to the temporary leadership post during a meeting on Tuesday. A statement issued by the party said the provincial council is charged with selecting the temporary leader while “taking into account a recommendation from the provincial executive.”

“The provincial executive must and did consult with the NDP caucus as well as NDP committees in that process,” the statement said.

Horwath, who served as leader of the Ontario NDP since 2009, announced on June 2, election night, that it was time to “pass the torch.” The decision came after the party lost nine seats in the provincial election. The Ontario NDP has 31 MPPs in the 124-seat legislature.

For now, Horwath will continue to serve as the MPP for Hamilton Centre. There has been speculation recently she could announce a run for mayor of Hamilton in October’s municipal election, something she hasn’t ruled out yet.

The party was supposed to set a date for the upcoming leadership convention, but CityNews has learned that will be determined at a future time since Tuesday evening’s proceedings ran late.

With files from Richard Southern