Whitby - Oshawa

This Greater Toronto Area riding contains the town of Whitby and part of the city of Oshawa. The riding runs from Lake Ontario to the CP Rail tracks, between Lake Ridge Road in the east and King Street West, Oshawa Creek, Rossland Road West, Simcoe Street North, Winchester Road East and Townline Road North in the west.

Manufacturing, including the General Motors plant in Oshawa, is the main industry in the area. The 2006 census shows an average family income of $103,694 and an unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent.

The riding of Whitby-Oshawa was established in the 2004 redistribution from 68 per cent of Whitby-Ajax, 20 per cent of Oshawa and three per cent of Durham. The riding of Whitby-Ajax was formed in 1996 from Ontario riding and a small part of Durham riding.

Population: 135,893 (2006 census; an increase of 20.5% since 2001)

Political History

In 2006, Conservative Jim Flaherty beat Liberal incumbent Jodi Longfield by 3,412 votes and won his first term in this riding. Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Flaherty as minister of finance and minister responsible for the Greater Toronto Area.

In 2004, Longfield defeated Conservative Ian MacNeil to win a third term.

In a 1952 byelection, PC Mike Starr was first elected in Ontario riding, holding it until 1968 when he ran in Oshawa-Whitby. He was a minister of labour, House leader and interim leader under John Diefenbaker. Liberal Norm Cafik won in 1968, 1972 and 1974. He was defeated in 1979 by Scott Fennell of the PCs, who served three terms. In 1988, PC René Soetens was elected and in 1993, it was Liberal Dan McTeague. Soetens finished third behind a Reform candidate.

Ontario:

• 1925, 1926 - CON
• 1930-45 - LIB
• 1948 byelection - CCF
• 1949 - LIB
• 1952 byelection to 1965 inclusive - PC
• 1968, 1972, 1974 - LIB
• 1979-88 - PC
• 1993 - LIB

Whitby-Ajax:

• 1997, 2000 - LIB

Whitby-Oshawa:

• 2004 - LIB
• 2006 - CON