Wikipedia

Peter Bevan-Baker

Peter Stewart Bevan-Baker[2] (born 3 June 1962) is a Scottish-Canadian politician. He served as the leader of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island from 2012 to 2023.[3] He is currently the member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island representing New Haven-Rocky Point (formerly representing Kellys Cross-Cumberland). He previously stood as a candidate for both the Green Party of Ontario and the Green Party of Canada. Bevan-Baker is a dentist by profession as well as being an active writer, musician and public speaker. Bevan-Baker served as the Leader of the Official Opposition in the 66th General Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 2019 to 2023.[4]

The Honourable
Peter Bevan-Baker
MLA
Leader of the Opposition in
Prince Edward Island
In office
9 May 2019 – 3 April 2023
Preceded byJames Aylward
Succeeded byHal Perry
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 April 2019
Preceded byRiding established
ConstituencyNew Haven-Rocky Point
In office
4 May 2015 – 26 March 2019
Preceded byValerie Docherty
Succeeded byRiding dissolved
ConstituencyKellys Cross-Cumberland
Leader of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island
In office
3 November 2012 – 21 July 2023
DeputyLynne Lund (2015–2023)
Preceded byDarcie Lanthier (interim)
Succeeded byKarla Bernard (interim)
Personal details
Born
Peter Stewart Bevan-Baker

(1962-06-03) 3 June 1962 (age 62)
Aberdeen, Scotland
Political partyGreen
ResidenceBonshaw, Prince Edward Island[1]
EducationUniversity of Glasgow
OccupationDentist
Websitepeterbevanbaker.ca

Personal life

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He is the second child of composer John Bevan Baker and June Findlay. He holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Glasgow. In 1985 he emigrated to Canada, living first in Lewisporte, Newfoundland and then Brockville, Ontario before settling in Prince Edward Island in 2003. He became a Canadian citizen in 1992.[5][6][7]

Political career

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Bevan-Baker joined the Green Party of Canada in 1992, and has run as a candidate for the House of Commons of Canada in the elections of 1993, 1997 in the riding of Leeds—Grenville and provincially in 1995 in the riding of Leeds-Grenville in Ontario, and 2008 and 2011 in Malpeque, PEI.[8]

In 1997, he ran on a platform that advocated establishing a Genuine Progress Index (GPI). This was proposed to replace the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the standard measure for assessing national progress with an index that gauged the health and well-being of people, communities and eco-systems. Though not elected from 1997 to 2001, he forged an alliance with Liberal MP Joe Jordan to draft the Canada Well-Being Measurement Bill (C-268), which incorporated many of the central tenets of the GPI. The bill received first reading on 14 February 2001, but did not become law.[citation needed]

Bevan-Baker has also run three times as a candidate in provincial elections in Ontario, and on Prince Edward Island in the riding of Kelly's Cross-Cumberland in 2007 and 2011.[9]

In 2012 he spearheaded a coalition from a broad spectrum of Islanders against a project known as "Plan B", which involved rerouting a portion of the Trans Canada Highway through a section of ancient Acadian forest, citing negative environmental and fiscal implications for the province. In 2015, Bevan-Baker was elected to the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly with 54% of the vote, winning the first-ever seat for the Green Party of Prince Edward Island.[3][7] It was his tenth attempt at winning a seat.[10] He is the third member of a provincial Green Party to win a seat in a provincial legislature in Canada, following Andrew Weaver in British Columbia and David Coon in New Brunswick.

In 2019 the Green Party under Bevan-Baker's leadership witnessed the best electoral performance of any Green Party in Canada, finishing with enough seats to form the Official Opposition, marking the first time that the Green Party has formed the Official Opposition at any level in Canadian history.

Following the 2023 election Bevan-Baker announced his intention to resign as leader.[11] He was succeeded by fellow MLA Karla Bernard on an interim basis.[12] As of September 8, 2024, he serves as the House Leader of the Third Party in the Legislature.

Electoral history

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2023 Prince Edward Island general election: New Haven-Rocky Point
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 1,457 42.8 -11.0
Progressive Conservative Donalda Docherty 1,351 39.6 +8.9
Liberal Sharon Cameron 502 14.7 -0.1
New Democratic Douglas Dahn 49 1.4
Island Neil Emery 49 1.4
Total valid votes 3,408 100.0
Green hold Swing -10.0
Source(s)
[13]
2019 Prince Edward Island general election: New Haven-Rocky Point
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 1,869 53.7% –
Progressive Conservative Kris Currie 1,068 30.7% –
Liberal Judy MacNevin 515 14.8% –
Independent Don Wills 26 0.7% –
Green pickup new district.
[14]
2015 Prince Edward Island general election: Kellys Cross-Cumberland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 2,077 54.80 +45.44
Liberal Valerie Docherty 1,046 27.60 -26.48
Progressive Conservative Randy Robar 609 16.07 -13.33
New Democratic Jesse Cousins 58 1.53 -4.04
Total valid votes 3,790 100.0  
Green gain from Liberal Swing +35.96
[15]
2011 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Easter 8,605 42.40 -1.79 $47,363.15
Conservative Tim Ogilvie 7,934 39.10 -0.18 $62.426.68
New Democratic Rita Jackson 2,970 14.63 +4.96 $5,426.11
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 785 3.87 -2.99 $1,367.33
Total valid votes/expense limit 20,294 100.0     $69,634.73
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 90 0.44 -0.16
Turnout 20,384 77.47 +6.06
Eligible voters 26,311
Liberal hold Swing -0.80
Sources:[16][17]
2011 Prince Edward Island general election: Kellys Cross-Cumberland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Valerie Docherty 1,768 54.08 +1.57
Progressive Conservative Neila Auld 961 29.40 -6.73
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 306 9.36 +2.95
New Democratic Jesse Reddin Cousins 182 5.57 +0.61
Island Paul Smitz 37 1.13
Independent Arthur C. Mackenzie, Sr. 15 0.52
Total valid votes 3,269 100.0  
Liberal hold Swing +4.15
2008 Canadian federal election: Malpeque
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Wayne Easter 8,312 44.19 -6.29 $51,835.54
Conservative Mary Crane 7,388 39.28 +4.65 $56,705.00
New Democratic J'Nan Brown 1,819 9.67 -0.57 $5,225.01
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 1,291 6.86 +2.21 $3,626.22
Total valid votes/expense limit 18,810 100.0     $67,177
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 113 0.60 +0.01
Turnout 18,923 71.41 -3.69
Eligible voters 26,498
Liberal hold Swing -5.47
2007 Prince Edward Island general election: Kellys Cross-Cumberland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Valerie Docherty 1,811 52.51 +1.86
Progressive Conservative Steven Stead 1,246 36.13 -10.48
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 221 6.41
New Democratic Lorraine Begley 171 4.96 +2.22
Total valid votes 3,449 100.0  
Liberal hold Swing 6.17
1997 Canadian federal election: Leeds—Grenville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Joe Jordan 19,123 39.47 -13.10 $48,446
Progressive Conservative Sandra Lawn 15,636 32.27 +5.34 $58,733
Reform Doug Aldridge 10,476 21.62 +5.65 $18,190
New Democratic Jennifer Breakspear 1,757 3.63 +1.60 $3,522
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 1,102 2.27 +1.21 $1,427
Christian Heritage Donny F. Platt 241 0.50 * $544
Natural Law Wayne Foster 119 0.25 -0.14 $0
Total valid votes 48,454 100.00
Liberal hold Swing -9.22
1995 Ontario general election: Leeds—Grenville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Progressive Conservative Bob Runciman 21,763 63.27 +14.20 $ 44,550.77
Liberal Peter McKenna 8,955 26.03 −0.68 45,063.22
New Democratic Charles Stewart 2,316 6.73 −17.48 3,608.98
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 927 2.69   1,692.83
Independent Phillip Blancher 438 1.27   669.80
Total valid votes/Expense limit 34,399 100.0   +0.20 $ 47,488.00
Total rejected ballots 255 0.74
Turnout 34,654 63.06
Eligible voters 54,953  
Source(s)
"General Election of June 8 1995 – Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Retrieved 8 June 2014.
"General Election of June 8 1995 – Statistical Summary". Elections Ontario.
"1995 Details of Candidate Income and Expenses" (3.16MB). & "1995 Summary of Income and Campaign Expenses" (  Word'95 .doc files (146KB)).
1993 Canadian federal election: Leeds—Grenville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Jim Jordan 26,567 52.57 +9.17 $49,114
Progressive Conservative Sandra Lawn 13,608 26.93 -11.97 $53,521
Reform Paul West 8,071 15.97 * $8,164
New Democratic Mary Ann Greenwood 1,026 2.03 -9.05 $6,686
Green Peter Bevan-Baker 538 1.06 * $0
National Holly Baker 474 0.94 * $490
Natural Law Richard Beecroft 196 0.39 * $0
Abolitionist Christine Richardson 59 0.12 * $200
Total valid votes 50,539 100.00
Liberal hold Swing +10.57

References

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  1. ^ "20 QUESTIONS: Green leader Peter Bevan-Baker's most treasured possession is his trumpet | SaltWire".
  2. ^ "History of Federal Ridings since 1867: Leeds-Grenville". Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Bevan-Baker acclaimed as P.E.I. Green Party leader". The Guardian. Charlottetown. 3 November 2012. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  4. ^ "Seven things to know about the P.E.I. election results". CTV News, 23 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Dental Association of Prince Edward Island". Dental Association of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Dental Council of Prince Edward Island". Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker makes P.E.I. political history". CBC. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  8. ^ Fraser, Sara (19 October 2015). "Federal Election 2015: Wayne Easter wins Malpeque riding". CBC. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  9. ^ Gardiner, Nick (14 October 2015). "Rekmans' history anything but green". Brockville, ON: Brockville Recorder and Times. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  10. ^ Tenth time lucky for the Green Party’s Peter Bevan-Baker. Macleans. 6 May 2015.
  11. ^ 'It's hard on you': Peter Bevan-Baker resigning as leader of P.E.I.'s Green Party, cbc.ca, June 17, 2023, Retrieved 26 January 2024
  12. ^ Karla Bernard named interim leader of P.E.I.'s Green Party, cbc.ca, July 21, 2023, Retrieved 26 January 2024
  13. ^ "2023 Election Results". Elections PEI. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  14. ^ "2019 Candidates". Elections PEI. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  15. ^ Elections Prince Edward Island (4 May 2015). "Provincial General Election - Unofficial Results 2015-05-04". Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  16. ^ Elections Canada – Official voting results, Forty-first general election, 2011
  17. ^ Elections Canada – Candidate's electoral campaign return, 41st general election
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