David Christopherson

David Christopherson (born October 5, 1954) is a Canadian politician.

He was active with the United Auto Workers union, becoming plant chairman in 1978 and president of the Local 525 in 1979.

Christopherson was also a constituency assistant for NDP Member of Parliament (MP) Ian Deans in the mid-1980s.

Christopherson campaigned in Hamilton East in the 1984 federal election, finishing second against Liberal candidate Sheila Copps.

He sought the NDP nomination for Hamilton Mountain after Deans's retirement in 1986, but lost to Marion Dewar.

He was elected to Hamilton, Ontario City Council the following year for the city's fourth ward, and re-elected in 1988.

Christopherson became chairman of Hamilton's licensing committee, and made a concerted effort to reform the city's notorious regulatory practices.

He developed a reputation on as a hard worker, and was one of three councillors to decline a pay increase in 1988.

He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the provincial government of Bob Rae.

Christopherson is a member of the New Democratic Party.

Christopherson was born in Hamilton, Ontario.

He is self-educated, having dropped out of high school in the ninth grade.

A voracious reader, he is a particular fan of books on politics.

He began working with International Harvester in Hamilton at age 19, and remained with the company for eleven years.

Christopherson was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1990 provincial election, defeating Liberal cabinet minister Lily Oddie Munro in Hamilton Centre as the NDP won a majority government across the province.

He was chair of caucus and parliamentary assistant to Provincial Treasurer Floyd Laughren from 1990 to 1992.

Christopherson was respected by all parties for his legislative work ethic and contributions to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, and was widely considered as one of the most skilled backbenchers in the government caucus.

There was little surprise when he was appointed to cabinet as Minister of Correctional Services on September 23, 1992, notwithstanding that Hamilton already had three representatives in cabinet.

Christopherson's portfolio was extremely challenging, and was described by one journalist as "one of the worst jobs in government".

The Correctional Services ministry had previously been damaged by reports of sexual abuse and intimidation involving staff at Ontario jails and training centres, and Christopherson was required to enact substantial internal reforms.

He supported former NDP leader Stephen Lewis's recommendations on race relations in the criminal justice system, and made efforts to address racism in Ontario prisons.

On February 3, 1993, Christopherson was given additional cabinet responsibilities as Solicitor General of Ontario.

This was also a difficult portfolio, and Christopherson has since acknowledged that relations between the Rae government and Ontario police services were extremely tense when he entered the ministry.

He has been credited with improving this situation, winning the respect of many in the police community.

Julian Fantino, then an executive member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, commented that there was "marked improvement" in relations following Christopherson's appointment.

Christopherson allowed semi-automatic weapons to be issued to officers in late 1993.

This was supported by many in the police service, but was criticized by some in the legal community on the grounds that the new weapons were not safer than the .38 models they replaced.

Christopherson also introduced new guidelines for targeting hate crimes, and mandated stricter standards for police investigations of spousal assault.

In May 1994, Christopherson introduced a pilot project to reduce illegal gun ownership in Ontario.

For a three-month period, Ontarians were permitted to turn over illegal or unwanted firearms to the police without risking prosecution for illegal possession.

The policy was endorsed by the police community.

After three months, the ministry announced that 1,000 pistols and revolvers, 2,000 rifles and shotguns and over 150,000 rounds of ammunition had been turned over to the police.

In addition to his official cabinet portfolios, Christopherson was also responsible for articulating the Rae government's strategy for the proposed Red Hill Creek Expressway in Hamilton.

Although he had previously opposed the project for environmental and other reasons, Christopherson argued in 1994 that a scaled-back four-lane highway would be the "best possible compromise" under the circumstances.

The Rae government approved the plan, although it was later rejected by the succeeding ministry.

Christopherson was widely respected for his abilities in cabinet, and often won praise from members of the opposition.

Progressive Conservative Bob Runciman credited him for his competence and managerial skills, while Liberal Tim Murphy described him as "the best of a bad bunch".

Early in 1995, he announced that police would soon be given the right to warn the general public about sex offenders released into residential neighbourhoods.

He served until the defeat of the Rae government in 1995.

From 2004 until 2019, he represented the riding of Hamilton Centre in the House of Commons of Canada.