Michael Laxer
Born1970 (age 53–54)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupations
Political party
Relatives

Michael Laxer (born 1970) is a Canadian political activist and the former chairperson of the Socialist Party of Ontario.

Background

Laxer lives in the Toronto neighbourhood of Long Branch, in Etobicoke, where he and his wife own and operate a used book store, the only independent used bookstore in south Etobicoke until it closed its bricks and mortar operation at the end of 2015, becoming an online bookstore.[1][2] He is the son of writer, political scientist, professor, and former NDP leadership candidate James Laxer[3] and grandson of Robert Laxer.

Politics

He was a candidate for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in the 2000 federal election in the riding of Scarborough—Agincourt, and for the Ontario NDP during the 2003 provincial election in Scarborough Centre. Laxer was also an unsuccessful candidate for Toronto City Council in Ward 6 (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) in the 2010 municipal election.[4]

In 2008, he criticized the $15,000 entrance fee for the Ontario NDP leadership election as being too high saying, "What you get by doing that is you manifestly limit the number of people who are outside the party establishment, and who have available big backers of one kind or another."[5]

Laxer subsequently began the Ginger Project calling for the Ontario NDP (ONDP) to issue a comprehensive manifesto of policies and build support for their ideas rather than put all their resources into winning marginal ridings. In an open letter to ONDP leader Andrea Horwath, Laxer wrote:

Many party members had reservations relating to the "push to win" strategy that prioritized certain ridings for party resources at the expense of others. We feel that this strategy should be abandoned, as it has failed to produce any tangible results during an election. The NDP should instead adopt a policy that ensures each riding association has the ability to reach every household in their riding at least once during an election campaign. We should force the other parties to have to engage us seriously in every riding in the province.[6]

He and the Ginger Project left the NDP in 2011 due to its cancellation of a policy convention and what they viewed as the silencing of left-wingers telling the Toronto Star, "I was surprised that they would not have a policy convention prior to an election."[3] Laxer was one of two official spokespersons of the Socialist Party of Ontario from 2011 to 2012 and was the party's chairperson.

In 2010 and 2014 Laxer ran for City Councillor in Toronto's Ward 6 Etobicoke—Lakeshore receiving 717 votes in his first effort and 305 in his second.

Laxer is a social activist who opposes men's rights groups because he believes men's rights movement is a vocal opponent of feminism.[7] In 2015, he told the Toronto Star he had been encouraging people to fight the Canadian Association for Equality's inclusion at the LGBT Pride parade, because he believed allowing men’s rights groups to walk would "legitimize them and mainstream misogyny".[7]

Election results

2014 Toronto election, Ward 6
Candidate Votes  %
Mark Grimes1133743.96
Russ Ford879134.08
Tony Vella271810.54
Miroslaw Jankielewicz11144.32
Sean O'Callaghan5011.94
Peggy Moulder3981.54
Michael Laxer3051.18
Everett Sheppard2210.86
Ruthmary James1690.66
Robert Sysak900.35
John Letonja840.33
Dave Searle640.25
Total25,792100.00
2010 Toronto election, Ward 6[8]
Candidate Votes  %
Mark Grimes12,22860.4
Jem Cain5,84728.9
Michael Laxer7173.5
Wendell Brereton6053.0
Cecilia Luu4662.3
David Searle3751.9
Total20,238100%

References

  1. ↑ "A day at the lakeshore". Daily XTRA. February 20, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  2. ↑ "The Left Chapter: A Farewell to a Bookstore". 8 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 Cohn, Martin Regg (2011-06-19). "Ontario NDP preens for power — and prorogues dissenters". Toronto Star. Toronto. Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  4. ↑ "Candidates". Vote 2010. Toronto: City of Toronto. 2010. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  5. ↑ "Critic says NDP leadership race too expensive". CBC News. Toronto. 2008-07-17. Archived from the original on 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  6. ↑ Steele, Andrew (June 10, 2009). "Lessons from Nova Scotia". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on January 25, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  7. 1 2 "Pride faces controversy over application from men's rights group to march in parade". Toronto Star. June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  8. ↑ City of Toronto elections page Archived 2010-10-26 at the Wayback Machine
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