Monique Taylor Explained

Monique Taylor
Office1:Deputy Whip of the Ontario New Democratic Party
Alongside1:Michael Mantha
Term Start1:February 1, 2021
Leader1:Peter Tabuns (interim)
Office2:Critic, Children and Youth Services
Term Start2:23 August 2018
Leader2:Andrea Horwath
Peter Tabuns (interim)
Parliament3:Ontario Provincial
Term Start3:6 October 2011
Predecessor3:Sophia Aggelonitis
Riding3:Hamilton Mountain
Party:Ontario New Democratic
Birth Date:1972 6, df=yes[1] [2]
Birth Place:Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Children:1
Occupation:Politician

Monique Taylor (born 28 June 1972) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who represents the riding of Hamilton Mountain. She has been an MPP since 2011.

Background

Taylor was born in east end of Hamilton and grew up in the city. She has worked as a waitress and most recently as an administrative assistant to Hamilton City Councillor Scott Duvall.[3]

Politics

In 2011, she ran as the New Democrat candidate in the riding of Hamilton Mountain. She beat Liberal incumbent Sophia Aggelonitis by 5,798 votes.[4] [5] She was re-elected in the 2014 provincial election defeating Liberal candidate Javid Mirza by 8,483 votes.[6]

In 2012, she introduced a private member's bill that would have extended Ontario ombudsman's oversight to Children Aid Societies. The bill made it to second reading but the bill died when Premier Dalton McGuinty prorogued the house in September 2012.[7]

She is the NDP's critic for children and youth services, and critic for accessibility and persons with disabilities.[8] As of August 11, 2024, she serves as the Official Opposition's Deputy Whip and critic for Children, Community and Social Services.

In May 2016, Taylor was ejected from the legislature for repeatedly refusing the Speaker's requests to stop yelling while debating a new Ontario Autism Program with $333 million in funding, but which would move kids with autism older than five to a longer but less intensive therapy program and compensate their families with $8000 for being taken off the intensive therapy waitlist.[9]

In spring 2018, news reports surfaced that two human rights complaints were filed against Taylor by staffers in March 2018.[10] [11] One human rights complaint alleges Taylor attempted to force and coerce one of her assistants to accuse another coworker of sexual harassment to erroneously produce grounds for the employee's termination.[12] The other complaint details MPP Taylor bullying and discriminating against her staff.[13] The complaints were subsequently resolved in December of the same year.[14]

In February 2019, Taylor was ejected from the legislature after refusing to withdraw a remark where she accused the Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Doug Ford of lying to Ontario families about the autism waitlist.[15]

In April 2022, she co-sponsored a bill put forward by MPP Bill Walker that would declare each June in Ontario myasthenia gravis month.[16]

In March 2023, she introduced Bill-74, Missing Persons Amendment Act, 2023. The bill would expand the scope of people the Ontario Provincial Police could issue amber alerts for to encompass "vulnerable persons," defined as persons who have a greater dependency on others because of their age, disability or other circumstances.[17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Newman. Mark. MPP Monique Taylor credits parents for provincial change on autism funding. Hamilton Community News. 6 July 2016 . 10 July 2016.
  2. Web site: Gordon. Andrea. Ontario backs off controversial autism changes, boosts services after parents protest. Toronto Star. 28 June 2016. 10 July 2016.
  3. News: Who is Monique Taylor?. Hamilton Spectator. 8 October 2011. 4 June 2018.
  4. Web site: Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate. Elections Ontario. 6 October 2011. 2014-03-02. 7. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130330163815/http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf. 30 March 2013.
  5. News: Taylor in sensational upset. Hamilton Spectator. 6 October 2011. 4 June 2018.
  6. Web site: General Election by District: Hamilton Mountain. Elections Ontario. 12 June 2014. 11 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140702070933/http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=033. 2 July 2014. dead.
  7. News: Hamilton MPPs watch, frustrated, as bills die after premier prorogues session. Joan. Walters. Hamilton Spectator. 18 October 2012.
  8. News: Horwath sticks around, names NDP shadow cabinet. David. Reevely. 25 June 2014.
  9. News: Hamilton MPP Monique Taylor booted from legislature in debate over autism cuts. 5 May 2016. CBC News. The Canadian Press. 6 May 2016.
  10. News: Human rights complaints filed against two Hamilton NDP politicians. Dongen. Matthew Van. 2018-04-12. The Hamilton Spectator. 2019-06-19. en-CA. 1189-9417.
  11. Web site: NDP employee says Hamilton MPP tried to force her to file sexual harassment complaint CBC News.
  12. Web site: Human rights complaint alleges harassment by MPP Monique Taylor – The Bay Observer. en-US. 2019-06-19.
  13. Web site: TWO HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINTS ALLEGE HARASSMENT BY MPP MONIQUE TAYLOR – The Bay Observer. en-US. 2019-06-19.
  14. Web site: NDP and union resolve human rights complaints from former MPP staffers . . 2018-12-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220517005339/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/human-rights-complaint-taylor-1.4947025 . 2022-05-17 . live . Craggs . Samantha.
  15. Web site: CityNews .
  16. News: Hamilton Mountain MPP Monique Taylor relates personal experience with auto-immune disease . The Hamilton Spectator . 19 April 2022 .
  17. https://nowtoronto.com/news/ontario-could-soon-expand-criteria-for-amber-alerts/