David Tsubouchi facts for kids

David Hiroshi Tsubouchi (坪内 デビト, Tsubouchi Debito) (born August 20, 1951) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003. During this time, he served as a cabinet minister in the governments led by Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. David Tsubouchi was the first Japanese Canadian person ever elected to a provincial legislature in Canada.

About David Tsubouchi

David Tsubouchi was born in Toronto and grew up in the Agincourt area of Scarborough. His parents were Japanese Canadians. They were from British Columbia and were held in special camps during World War II. After the war, they moved to Toronto.

David Tsubouchi finished high school in 1968. He then went to York University and earned a degree in 1972. He later studied law at Osgoode Hall and became a lawyer in 1975. He was a senior partner at his own law firm. He also helped lead the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.

Before his political career, David Tsubouchi even worked as an actor for a short time. He had small roles in a movie called Videodrome and on TV shows like Bizarre and SCTV.

His Political Journey

City Councillor in Markham

David Tsubouchi started his political career in local government. He was elected as a city councillor for ward 5 in Markham. He served in this role from 1988 to 1994.

Provincial Politics in Ontario

In the provincial election of 1995, David Tsubouchi ran as a candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party. He won by a large number of votes in the area of Markham.

Because his party won the election and formed the government, David Tsubouchi was chosen to be a cabinet minister. On June 26, 1995, he became the Minister of Community and Social Services. In this job, he was in charge of programs that help people in need. This was a challenging role, and some of his decisions about welfare programs were met with criticism. He worked to manage changes to these services.

On August 16, 1996, he was given a new role. He became the Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations. This job involved looking after rules for businesses and protecting consumers.

David Tsubouchi was re-elected in the provincial election of 1999. He won against his opponent by over 13,000 votes.

After this election, he was appointed as the Solicitor-General on June 17, 1999. This position is like a chief law enforcement officer for the province. He held this job until February 8, 2001. Then, he became the Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet. This role involves managing the government's operations.

In 2002, David Tsubouchi supported Ernie Eves to become the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. When Ernie Eves became Premier, he kept David Tsubouchi in his role as Chair of the Management Board. He also made him Ontario's Minister of Culture on April 15, 2002. This job focuses on promoting arts and heritage in the province.

In the provincial election of 2003, David Tsubouchi lost his seat to Tony Wong. He left provincial politics after this election.

Cabinet Roles Held

David Tsubouchi held several important roles in the provincial government:

• Minister of Community and Social Services (1995–1996)
• Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations (1996–1999)
• Solicitor General (1999–2001)
• Management Board Chair (2001–2003)
• Minister of Culture (2002–2003)

Life After Politics

After leaving politics, David Tsubouchi continued his career in law. He worked as a lawyer at the firm Miller Thomson LLP. He also started his own company called Deduce International Markets Inc.

In 2007, he was recognized for his achievements and became a Knight in The Equestrian, Secular and Chapterial Order of Saint Joachim.

More recently, David Tsubouchi has worked as a partner at the law firm Fogler, Rubinoff LLP. In 2013, he was chosen to lead the Ontario College of Trades. Also in 2013, he wrote a book about his life and career called Gambatte.