The doctor is in . . . the race
Hoskins’ humanitarian background, star power add ‘diversity’ to field
Dr. Eric Hoskins hopes he has the prescription for what ails the Ontario Liberal Party.
On Tuesday, the former children and youth services minister and cofounder of the charity War Child will become the sixth candidate in the race to succeed Premier Dalton McGuinty.
“The diversity of his experience is his strength,” a source close to him told the Star on Monday.
The 51-year-old is a relative newcomer to politics, unlike many of the other candidates. The former Rhodes scholar has run an international non-governmental organization that helps children in war-ravaged countries — and been a family doctor.
“Ontarians are looking for an approach to leadership . . . that isn’t just politics as usual,” said the Hoskins confidant, noting the physician’s long focus on youth issues should help attract younger people to the Liberals.
His friendships with pop stars K’naan, Raine Maida, Chantal Kreviazuk and the band Sum 41, who have all helped raise funds for War Child, may give him some street credibility his rivals lack.
That could help him because Liberal members as young as 14 will be among the 2,500 or so delegates voting at the Jan. 25-27 convention.
“So my good friend @DrEricHoskins is running 4 leader of Ontario Liberals. Good news for those who want to see humanity in politics,” tweeted K’naan, who performed his international hit “Wavin’ Flag” at last spring’s NDP convention.
Liberal delegate selection meetings will be held in all 107 Ontario ridings on Jan. 12-13.
The three-year St. Paul’s MPP will launch his campaign at 11 a.m. at the Centre for Social Innovation on Bathurst St. in the Annex.
His entry follows Gerard Kennedy, 52, who announced his return to provincial politics in a Monday story.
Kennedy — a former education minister who finished second to McGuinty in the 1996 Liberal leadership race — made a splash by distancing himself from the government’s controversial legislation banning teachers’ strikes, freezing wages and curbing benefits.
“I wasn’t part of the cabinet that brought in Bill 115,” he said Monday, noting when he ran the Ministry of Education between 2003 and 2006 there was labour peace and progress in classrooms.
“I don’t need legislation to get a fix, to get a repair in education.”
That appeared to be Kennedy’s shot across the bow at the ministers who were at the cabinet table when the minority Liberals joined forces with the Progressive Conservatives to legislate a contract on teachers.
Aside from Hoskins, other recent ministers seeking McGuinty’s job are Glen Murray, 55, Charles Sousa, 54, and Kathleen Wynne, 59.
All were part of the decision to impose legislation upon teachers.
As of Monday, Government Services Minister Harinder Takhar, 61, was still considering his own bid.
The front-runner in the race is seen as Sandra Pupatello, 50, a former minister who did not run in the Oct. 6, 2011 election and had been working on Bay Street.
Liberal campaign chair Greg Sorbara, a key player in McGuinty’s electoral victories, said he’s “really confident the party is renewing itself.”
Leadership hopefuls have until Nov. 23 to join the race, which has a $50,000 entry fee and a $500,000 spending limit.