Elizabeth White (born c. 1950) is a Canadian animal rights activist and politician.[1]

Elizabeth White
White at a debate during the 2008 Toronto Centre by-election
Leader of the Animal Protection Party of Canada
Assumed office
August 2, 2005
Preceded byFirst leader
Personal details
Bornc. 1950
Political partyAnimal Protection

Early life

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White was born in Toronto, to parents who both were teachers. She earned a nursing degree at McGill University, and then worked in Kitchener, before moving back to Toronto a few years later. She was involved in political organizing, first with the New Democratic Party, beginning from age 20.[2]

Career

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White is a founder and board member of the Animal Alliance of Canada, a non-profit organization set up in 1991, where she focuses on legislative issues, municipal animal control by-laws, hunting and human-wildlife conflict, and fundraising.[3]

White also leads the Animal Protection Party of Canada (formerly the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada), a federal political party registered by the Animal Alliance in 2005 with the aim of winning air time to discuss issues other parties might not raise, and to allow donors to receive tax credit. She stood unsuccessfully for election in Toronto-area ridings in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2019.[4]

White is an opponent of the annual Canadian seal hunt, and as a result supports a boycott of Canada's seafood industry. She has also campaigned against the sale of dogs from the Winnipeg city pound to animal researchers. She was one of three women (along with Lesli Bisgould of the University of Toronto and Shelagh MacDonald of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies) who drafted Bill C-17B/C-10B, an anti-cruelty bill that among other things called for animals to be regarded as "living property." The Bill passed the House of Commons twice, but was defeated in the Senate in 2008.[5]

Electoral record

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2021 Canadian federal election: Toronto—Danforth
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Julie Dabrusin 23,038 48.41 +0.58 $77,319.65
New Democratic Clare Hacksel 15,881 33.28 +0.08 $94,784.85
Conservative Michael Carey 6,105 12.83 +2.29 $25,348.44
People's Wayne Simmons 1,238 2.59 +1.49 $766.61
Green Maryem Tollar 949 1.99 -4.51 $2,899.08
Communist Elizabeth Rowley 204 0.43 +0.13 $0.00
Animal Protection Liz White 179 0.38 -0.02 $3,315.07
Independent Habiba Desai 125 0.26 $510.82
Total valid votes/expense limit 47,719 $110,583.29
Total rejected ballots
Turnout 47,719 59.84
Eligible voters 79,749
Source: Elections Canada[6]
2019 Canadian federal election: University—Rosedale
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Chrystia Freeland 29,652 51.7 +1.90 $83,556.09
New Democratic Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda 12,573 21.9 −6.60 $28,390.50
Conservative Helen-Claire Tingling 9,342 16.3 −1.03 $38,588.65
Green Tim Grant 4,861 8.5 +5.57 $33,386.65
People's Aran Lockwood 510 0.9 none listed
Animal Protection Liz White 159 0.3 +0.08 none listed
Communist Drew Garvie 143 0.2 −0.02 none listed
Stop Climate Change Karin Brothers 124 0.2 none listed
Marxist–Leninist Steve Rutschinski 27 0.0 −0.10 none listed
Total valid votes/expense limit 57,391 100.0
Total rejected ballots 281
Turnout 57,672 71.6
Eligible voters 80,567
Liberal hold Swing +4.25
Source: Elections Canada[7][8]
2015 Canadian federal election: Etobicoke—Lakeshore
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal James Maloney 34,638 53.70 +18.60 $154,037.25
Conservative Bernard Trottier 20,932 32.45 -7.78 $114,083.23
New Democratic Phil Trotter 7,030 10.90 -9.40 $27,861.80
Green Angela Salewsky 1,507 2.34 -1.68 $2,045.10
Animal Alliance Liz White 233 0.36 $4,975.83
Marxist–Leninist Janice Murray 168 0.26 -0.10
Total valid votes/expense limit 64,508 99.53   $233,887.62
Total rejected ballots 307 0.47
Turnout 64,815 69.04
Eligible voters 93,880
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +13.19
Source: Elections Canada[9][10]


2011 Canadian federal election: Thornhill
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Peter Kent 36,629 61.38 +12.37 $85,817.95
Liberal Karen Mock 14,125 23.67 -15.76 $89,258.36
New Democratic Simon Strelchik 7,141 11.97 +5.35 $5,397.91
Green Norbert Koehl 1,562 2.62 -2.32 $11,470.40
Animal Alliance Liz White 215 0.36 $7,002.05
Total valid votes/Expense limit 59,672 100.00 $99,784.20
Total rejected ballots 275 0.46
Turnout 59,947 60.98
Eligible voters 98,312
2008 Canadian federal election: Toronto Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Bob Rae 27,462 53.53 -5.94 $ 48,353.21
Conservative David Gentili 9,402 18.33 +6.01 39,290.89
New Democratic El-Farouk Khaki 7,743 15.09 +1.21 21,305.27
Green Ellen Michelson 6,081 11.85 -1.56 23,041.16
Communist Johan Boyden 193 0.38 432.31
Animal Alliance Liz White 187 0.36 -0.16 685.91
Independent Gerald Derome 146 0.28 2,063.60
Marxist–Leninist Philip Fernandez 92 0.18 –    
Total valid votes/Expense limit/Total Expenditures 51,306 100.00 $ 92,067.97 $ 135,172.35
Total rejected ballots 257 0.50
Turnout 51,563 57.39
By-election on March 17, 2008: Toronto Centre
On Bill Graham's resignation, July 2, 2007
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Bob Rae 14,187 59.47 +7.24
New Democratic El-Farouk Khaki 3,312 13.88 -9.86
Green Chris Tindal 3,199 13.41 +8.20
Conservative Donald Meredith 2,939 12.32 -5.89
Animal Alliance Liz White 123 0.52 +0.40
Canadian Action Doug Plumb 97 0.41
Total valid votes 23,857 100.00
Total rejected ballots 96 0.40
Turnout 23,953 27.86
  Liberal hold Swing +8.5
2006 Canadian federal election: Toronto Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Bill Graham 30,874 52.23 -4.30
New Democratic Michael Shapcott 14,036 23.74 -0.01
Conservative Lewis Reford 10,763 18.21 +3.42
Green Chris Tindal 3,080 5.21 +1.30
Communist Johan Boyden 120 0.2 -0.05
Independent Michel Prairie 101 0.2
Animal Alliance Liz White 72 0.12
Marxist–Leninist Philip Fernandez 66 0.11 -0.01
Total valid votes 59,112 100.00
  Liberal hold Swing -2.1

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Strobel, Mike. "One Party Stands up for the Animals," Toronto Sun, 7 January 2006.
  2. ^ Medley, Mark (October 11, 2008). "Who Are You Calling Fringe? Canadians will not wake up to an Animal Alliance Environment Voters government on Wednesday, and Liz White will most assuredly not be our prime minister. That's not stopping the Toronto-Centre candidate from giving this election everything she's got". National Post. p. TO.10.
  3. ^ Dupras, George. Values in Conflict: Reflections of an Animal Advocate. iUniverse, 2011, pp. 180–181.
  4. ^ Boatright, Robert G. Interest Groups and Campaign Finance Reform in the United States and Canada. University of Michigan Press, 2011, p. 167.
  5. ^ Dupras, George. Values in Conflict: Reflections of an Animal Advocate. iUniverse, 2011, pp. 28–30.
    • Also see Bill C-10B, Parliament of Canada, accessed 22 May 2012.
  6. ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  7. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  8. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  9. ^ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Etobicoke—Lakeshore, 30 September 2015
  10. ^ Elections Canada – Final Candidates Election Expenses Limits