Ronald M. Kanter (born February 25, 1948) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

from 1987 to 1990.

Background

Kanter was educated at Glendon College,

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

, the

University of Toronto Faculty of Law The University of Toronto Faculty of Law (U of T Law, UToronto Law) is the law school of the University of Toronto. The Faculty's admissions process is the most selective of law schools in Canada and is one of the most selective in North America. ...

, and

Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The law school is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the Journal of Law and Social Policy, and the '' Osgoode Hall L ...

. He was called to the Bar in 1976. In 1984, he was named a course director at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Kanter served as special assistant to Ontario Liberal Party leader Stuart Smith from 1976 to 1980.

Politics

He served as an alderman on the

Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The current term began on November 15, 2022. Structure The c ...

from 1980 to 1987, and was also a member of the Metro Toronto council from 1985 to 1987. He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial election, upsetting Progressive Conservative leader and longtime MPP Larry Grossman by 3,676 votes in the constituency of St. Andrew—St. Patrick. Shortly after the election he was appointed as

Parliamentary Assistant In UK politics, a parliamentary assistant is an unelected partisan member of staff employed by a Member of Parliament (MP) to assist them with their parliamentary duties. Parliamentary assistants usually work at the House of Commons in the ...

to Solicitor General

Joan Smith Joan Alison Smith (born 27 August 1953) is an English journalist, novelist, and human rights activist, who is a former chair of the Writers in Prison committee in the English section of International PEN and was the Executive Director of Ha ...

David Peterson David Robert Peterson (born December 28, 1943) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 20th premier of Ontario from 1985 to 1990. He was the first Liberal officeholder in 42 years, ending the so-called Tory dynasty. Backgr ...

's government. In July 1989, Kanter was implicated in the Patti Starr affair. Starr, who was head of the National Council of Jewish Women, misused her position by having the organization make political contributions to the riding associations of prominent Liberal MPPs. Kanter's riding of St. Andrew-St. Patrick was among those who received these illegal contributions. In August, when Peterson shuffled his cabinet in the wake of the scandal, Kanter was not included. The Liberals were defeated by the

Ontario New Democratic Party The Ontario New Democratic Party (french: link=no, Nouveau Parti démocratique de l'Ontario; abbr. ONDP or NDP) is a social-democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in Ontario following th ...

in the 1990 provincial election. Kanter's connection to the tainted Starr scandal was mentioned as one of the reasons that he finished third in his bid for re-election, 1,383 votes behind winner

Zanana Akande Zanana Lorraine Akande (born ) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1994 who represented the downtown Toronto riding of St. Andrew—St. Patrick. She ser ...

of the NDP.

Later life

Kanter now practises regulatory law with the firm of Macdonald Sager LLP. He serves on the Toronto Board of Trade Task Force, and writes and speaks frequently on municipal government and planning issues. In July 1990, he authored a publication entitled "Space for all: options for a Greater Toronto Area greenlands strategy". The report, commissioned by the provincial government recommended the establishment of a regional green lands system. Kanter said "Not only should green lands be protected, but they should be linked wherever possible by trail systems, local parks, river valleys and other green corridors." The report placed special emphasis on the protection of the

Oak Ridges Moraine The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically important geological landform in the Mixedwood Plains of south-central Ontario, Canada. The moraine covers a geographic area of between Caledon and Rice Lake, near Peterborough. One of the most sign ...

Election results (partial)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kanter, Ron 1948 births Living people Lawyers in Ontario Ontario Liberal Party MPPs Politicians from Brantford Toronto city councillors Glendon College alumni