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Ted Hsu

Ted Hsu
MPP
徐正陶
Hsu in 2023
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Kingston and the Islands
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 2, 2022
Preceded byIan Arthur
Member of Parliament
for Kingston and the Islands
In office
May 2, 2011 – August 4, 2015
Preceded byPeter Milliken
Succeeded byMark Gerretsen
Personal details
Born
Theodore Hsu

(1964-03-04) March 4, 1964 (age 60)
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyOntario Liberal
Other political
affiliations		Liberal (federal)
SpouseTara Sharkey
Residence(s)Kingston, Ontario
Alma materQueen's University (BSc)
Princeton University (PhD)
Websitehttps://www.tedhsu.ca

Theodore (Ted) Hsu MPP (pronounced "shoe": Chinese: 徐正陶; born March 4, 1964) is a Canadian physicist and politician who has represented Kingston and the Islands in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2022 as a member of the Ontario Liberal Party. Before entering provincial politics, Hsu served as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Kingston and the Islands federally from the 2011 to 2015 as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. On May 28, 2023, Hsu announced his candidacy for the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party Leadership Election in which he was eliminated on the first ballot.[1]

Early life and career

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Hsu was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, in 1964 to James and Marjorie and is the oldest of three siblings. Hsu is of Chinese descent and is fluent in English, French, and Mandarin.[2] When he was six months old, the family moved to Kingston, Ontario,[3] where his father joined Queen's University as a chemical engineering professor.

Hsu attended high school at Kingston's Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute. In 1984, he graduated from Queen's University with a Bachelor of Science Honours in physics. He pursued graduate studies at Princeton University, where he completed his PhD in physics in 1989 after successfully defending his dissertation titled "Towards an understanding of the large U-Hubbard model and a theory for high temperature superconductors,"[4] under the supervision of Philip W. Anderson, recipient of the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics. Hsu went on to complete post-doctoral research in Chalk River, Vancouver, and France.[5]

Applying his technical and research skills in math, computing, and problem-solving to capital markets, Hsu worked as a researcher and trader in Paris and Philadelphia for Banque Nationale de Paris, and as an executive director in the Tokyo office of Morgan Stanley.[6]

Hsu is a long-term member of SWITCH, a Kingston-based not-for-profit association that promotes local job creation and green economic growth. From 2007 to 2011, he served as the executive director of SWITCH[7] and compiled the first Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Kingston.

Politics

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Hsu acted as treasurer of the Kingston and the Islands Federal Liberal Association from 2007 to 2010, and was an active member of its policy committee.[8] During this time, he supported the 2007 provincial and 2008 federal Liberal campaigns for John Gerretsen and Peter Milliken, the longest-serving Speaker in the House of Commons.  Following Milliken's announcement in summer 2010 that he would not seek re-election, Hsu won the Liberal nomination in November to be the party's 2011 candidate.[9][10]

In Parliament

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In the federal election held on May 2, 2011, Hsu defeated Conservative candidate Alicia Gordon by less than 3,000 votes. He was one of only two new Liberal MPs elected in Canada[11] in what was the party's poorest showing in history.

One of only a few MPs with an academic science background, Hsu served in the Liberal Party shadow cabinet as the critic for science and technology. He also would serve as critic for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and critic for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario.[12] In August, 2013, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau appointed Hsu to an additional role as Liberal critic for post-secondary education.

In 2011, Hsu was the first runner-up to Conservative MP Chris Alexander as Rookie of the Year, in Maclean's annual Parliamentarians of the Year awards.[13] Hsu was also the first runner-up for the Rising Star award for Maclean's in 2012[14] and the annual accolades continued in November 2013, with Hsu winning the Maclean's Parliamentarian of the Year Award. He was voted by parliamentarians from all parties as the MP who "Best Represents Constituents."[15]

In August 2014, Hsu announced that he would not run for re-election in the upcoming 2015 federal election, citing the burdens of political life on his young family.[16]

Before leaving federal politics, he introduced a noteworthy private member's bill in September 2014. "Bill C-626, An Act to Amend the Statistics Act"[17] was designed to appoint a chief statistician and to reinstate the long-form census, which had been eliminated by the Conservative Party in 2010.[18] Ultimately, the long-form census was restored in 2015, immediately after the new Liberal government took office, but after Hsu had left (see Canada 2011 Census.). Hsu also spent much of his time advocating for the return of the Canadian Prison Farm System which was re-instated, albeit in a more limited format, in 2019.

Post-Parliament

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Upon leaving the House of Commons, Hsu served as the campaign manager for Liberal MPP Sophie Kiwala during the 2018 provincial election in Ontario and, in 2019, during the Canadian federal election Hsu also managed the successful re-election campaign of Mark Gerretsen, the Liberal MP who replaced him.[19]

In 2017, Hsu joined SYNG pharmaceuticals, a Kingston-based biotechnology startup focusing on diagnosing and treating endometriosis. As an advisor for SYNG, Hsu provided communications support.

From 2019-2020, Hsu was asked to co-chair the Mayor's Task Force on Housing,[20] which culminated in a report and a series of recommendations to address Kingston's challenging housing shortage.[21]

Return to politics

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In 2020, Hsu announced his campaign to represent Kingston and the Islands as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate in the upcoming provincial election.[22] He won the bid over previous MPP Sophie Kiwala, who lost in the 2018 Ontario election, in November 2020.[23]

When asked about his motivations for re-entering politics, Hsu said, "As my kids and their young friends have grown up and become aware of their world, they tell me how worried they are." He went on to say, "I want to offer voters someone who has a proven record representing constituents, and also has experience working with scientists, climate researchers, economists, engineers and entrepreneurs."[24] He was elected in the 2022 Ontario general election. He has held the Ontario Liberal Party critic roles for the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Ministry of Mines, and the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. As of February 28, 2024, he serves as the Liberal Party critic for Energy and Natural Resources as well as the critic for Agricultural and Rural Issues.

Ontario Liberal leadership campaign

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Hsu was a candidate in the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election but was eliminated on the first ballot when he placed fourth with 10% of the vote behind Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie, who would win on the third ballot, runner-up Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, and third place finisher Yasir Naqvi.[25]

Electoral record

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2011 federal election : Kingston and the Islands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ted Hsu 23,842 39.31% +0.6%
Conservative Alicia Gordon 21,189 34.93% +2.4%
New Democratic Daniel Beals 13,065 21.54% +4.1%
Green Eric Walton 2,561 4.22% -6.6%
Total valid votes/expense limit 60,657 100.0% n/a
Total rejected ballots 219
Turnout 60,876 63.6%

Source: 2Z3 Elections Canada


2022 Ontario general election: Kingston and the Islands
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Ted Hsu 18,360 37.66 +10.14 $75,749
New Democratic Mary Rita Holland 15,186 31.15 −8.00 $130,691
Progressive Conservative Gary Bennett 11,973 24.56 −1.52 $62,419
Green Zachary Typhair 1,601 3.28 −3.14 $15,397
Ontario Party Shalea Beckwith 827 1.70   $7,396
New Blue Stephen Skyvington 429 0.88   $7,078
Independent Shelley Joanne Galloway 130 0.27   $0
Communist Sebastian Vaillancourt 123 0.25   $0
Consensus Ontario Laurel Claus Johnson 120 0.25   $0
Total valid votes/Expense limit 48,749 99.49 +0.40 $146,496
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 249 0.51 −0.40
Turnout 48,998 46.84 −10.45
Eligible voters 104,645
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +9.07
Source(s)
  • "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023.
  • "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023.

References

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  1. ^ CBC News (28 May 2023). "Kingston MPP Ted Hsu announces bid to lead Ontario Liberals". CBC News.
  2. ^ Gerard, Steve (6 June 2011). "CBC: Ted Hsu, the Future of the Liberal Party?". Kingston Herald. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  3. ^ Ibbitson, John (10 May 2011). "Physicist, financial consultant, green advocate, father - and new Liberal MP". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  4. ^ Hsu, Theodore Cheng-Tao (1989). Towards an understanding of the large U-Hubbard model and a theory for high temperature superconductors. Retrieved 21 February 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Ibbitson, John (10 May 2011). "Physicist, financial consultant, green advocate, father - and new Liberal MP". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Physics Careers: Ted Hsu". Canadian Association of Physicists. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  7. ^ Gerard, Steve (10 June 2011). "CBC: Ted Hsu, the Future of the Liberal Party?". Kingston Herald. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  8. ^ "About Ted Hsu". 30 August 2011. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011.
  9. ^ Gerard, Steve (6 July 2010). "Ted Hsu Launches Campaign to Replace Peter Milliken". Kingston Herald. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  10. ^ Clancy, Clare (9 November 2010). "If the Hsu fits, nominate it".
  11. ^ Ibbitson, John (10 May 2011). "Physicist, financial consultant, green advocate, father - and new Liberal MP". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  12. ^ Gerard, Steve (2 June 2011). "Kingston's Ted Hsu Receives Two Liberal Portfolios". Kingston Herald. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  13. ^ Gerard, Steve (22 November 2011). "Kingston MP Ted Hsu Voted 1st Runner Up, Rookie of the Year". Kingston Herald. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  14. ^ "2012 Parliamentarians of the Year". Maclean's. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  15. ^ "2013 Parliamentarians of the Year". 18 November 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  16. ^ LeBlanc, Daniel (7 August 2014). "Rookie Liberal MP Ted Hsu won't run for re-election citing family balance". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  17. ^ "An Act to amend the Statistics Act (appointment of Chief Statistician and long-form census)". Openparliament.ca. 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  18. ^ Bede Scharper, Stephen (1 February 2015). "Why Canada should reinstate long-form census: Scharper". Toronto Star. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  19. ^ Pinkerton, Charlie (16 June 2022). "Ted Hsu's back and considering an Ontario Liberal leadership run". QP Briefing. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Want to move to Kingston? You may have trouble finding a home". CBC News. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  21. ^ "A Foundation for the Public Good". City of Kingston. 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  22. ^ Mazur, Alexandra (30 July 2020). "Former MP announces bid for Liberal MPP nomination in Kingston and the Islands". Global News. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Liberals in Kingston and the Islands Nominate Ted Hsu as 2022 Ontario Liberal Party Candidate". Liberal Ontario. 7 November 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  24. ^ Vilela, Cris (7 November 2020). "Ted Hsu wins provincial Liberal nomination for Kingston and the Islands". Kingstonist. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Bonnie Crombie wins Ontario Liberal leadership race, says party focused on beating Doug Ford". CBC News. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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