Monique Taylor
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Monique Taylor
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Monique Taylor MS.png
| caption = Taylor in May 2019
| office1 = Deputy Whip of the Ontario New Democratic Party
| alongside1 = Michael Mantha
| term_start1 = February 1, 2021
| term_end1 = January 28, 2025
| leader1 = Peter Tabuns (interim)
Marit Stiles
| office2 = Critic, Children and Youth Services
| term_start2 = August 23, 2018
| term_end2 = January 28, 2025
| leader2 = Andrea Horwath
Peter Tabuns (interim)
Marit Stiles
| parliament3 = Ontario Provincial
| term_start3 = October 6, 2011
| term_end3 = January 28, 2025
| predecessor3 = Sophia Aggelonitis
| successor3 = Monica Ciriello
| riding3 = Hamilton Mountain
| party = Ontario New Democratic
New Democratic
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1972|06|28}}{{cite web|last1=Newman|first1=Mark|title=MPP Monique Taylor credits parents for provincial change on autism funding|url=https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/6755834-mpp-monique-taylor-credits-parents-for-provincial-change-on-autism-funding/|website=Hamilton Community News|date=6 July 2016 |access-date=10 July 2016}}{{cite web|last1=Gordon|first1=Andrea|title=Ontario backs off controversial autism changes, boosts services after parents protest|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/06/28/ontario-pours-200-million-more-into-autism-care-in-response-to-parents-anger.html|website=Toronto Star|date=28 June 2016|access-date=10 July 2016}}
| birth_place = Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| residence = Hamilton
| children = 1
| occupation = Politician
}}
Monique Taylor (born June 28, 1972) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who represented the riding of Hamilton Mountain. She was an MPP from 2011 to 2025.
Background
Taylor was born in the 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.thespec.com/news-story/2218575-who-is-monique-taylor-/|title=Who is Monique Taylor?|work=Hamilton Spectator|date=8 October 2011|access-date=4 June 2018}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf|title=Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate|publisher=Elections Ontario|date=6 October 2011|access-date=2014-03-02|page=7|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330163815/http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf|archive-date=30 March 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://www.thespec.com/news-story/2221983-taylor-in-sensational-upset/|title=Taylor in sensational upset|work=Hamilton Spectator|date=6 October 2011|access-date=4 June 2018}} She was re-elected in the 2014 provincial election defeating Liberal candidate Javid Mirza by 8,483 votes.{{cite web|title=General Election by District: Hamilton Mountain|publisher=Elections Ontario|date=12 June 2014|url=http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=033|access-date=11 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702070933/http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=033|archive-date=2 July 2014|url-status=dead}}
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.{{cite news |title=Hamilton MPPs watch, frustrated, as bills die after premier prorogues session|url=http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2156491-hamilton-mpps-watch-frustrated-as-bills-die-after-premier-prorogues-session|first=Joan|last=Walters|publisher=Hamilton Spectator|date=18 October 2012}}
She is the NDP's critic for children and youth services, and critic for accessibility and persons with disabilities.{{cite news |title=Horwath sticks around, names NDP shadow cabinet|first=David|last=Reevely|date=25 June 2014|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/reevely-horwath-sticks-around-names-ndp-shadow-cabinet}} 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/hamilton-mpp-monique-taylor-booted-from-legislature-in-debate-over-autism-cuts-1.3568258|title=Hamilton MPP Monique Taylor booted from legislature in debate over autism cuts|date=5 May 2016|publisher=CBC News|agency=The Canadian Press|access-date=6 May 2016}}
In spring 2018, news reports surfaced that two human rights complaints were filed against Taylor by staffers in March 2018.{{cite news|url=https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8388600-human-rights-complaints-filed-against-two-hamilton-ndp-politicians/|title=Human rights complaints filed against two Hamilton NDP politicians|last=Dongen|first=Matthew Van|date=2018-04-12|work=The Hamilton Spectator|access-date=2019-06-19|language=en-CA|issn=1189-9417}}{{cite web| url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/taylor-human-rights-complaint-1.4582442| title = NDP employee says Hamilton MPP tried to force her to file sexual harassment complaint {{!}} CBC News}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://bayobserver.ca/human-rights-complaint-alleges-harassment-by-mpp-monique-taylor/|title=Human rights complaint alleges harassment by MPP Monique Taylor – The Bay Observer|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-19}} The other complaint details MPP Taylor bullying and discriminating against her staff.{{Cite web|url=http://bayobserver.ca/two-human-rights-complaints-allege-harassment-by-mpp-monique-taylor/|title=TWO HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINTS ALLEGE HARASSMENT BY MPP MONIQUE TAYLOR – The Bay Observer|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-19}} The complaints were subsequently resolved in December of the same year.{{cite web |title=NDP and union resolve human rights complaints from former MPP staffers |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/human-rights-complaint-taylor-1.4947025 |website=CBC News |date=2018-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517005339/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/human-rights-complaint-taylor-1.4947025 |archive-date=2022-05-17 |url-status=live |last1=Craggs |first1=Samantha}}
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.{{cite web | url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2019/02/25/ndp-mpp-ejected-from-legislature-for-accusing-tories-of-lying-about-autism-waitlist/ | title=CityNews }}
In April 2022, she co-sponsored a bill put forward by MPP Bill Walker that would declare each June in Ontario myasthenia gravis month.{{cite news | url=https://www.thespec.com/local-hamilton-mountain/news/2022/04/19/hamilton-mountain-mpp-monique-taylor-relates-personal-experience-with-auto-immune-disease.html | title=Hamilton Mountain MPP Monique Taylor relates personal experience with auto-immune disease | newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator | date=19 April 2022 }}
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.{{cite web | url=https://nowtoronto.com/news/ontario-could-soon-expand-criteria-for-amber-alerts/ | title=Ontario could soon expand criteria for Amber Alerts based on age, disability and vulnerable status if new proposed bill passes | date=9 March 2023 }}
In 2024, she announced her intention to seek the federal NDP nomination for Hamilton Mountain.{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Raisa |date=2024-09-29 |title=Third NDP MPP hopes to swap Queen's Park for Ottawa in the next federal election |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/third-ndp-mpp-hopes-to-swap-queens-park-for-ottawa-in-the-next-federal-election/article_0f457058-7cfc-11ef-b677-dfc82e1e6644.html |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}} In April 2025, Taylor lost to incumbent Liberal Member of Parliament Lisa Hepfner, who was elected to a second term as MP for Hamilton Mountain.{{Cite news |last=McCullough |first=Kate |date=2025-04-29 |title=Liberal incumbent Lisa Hepfner wins Hamilton Mountain |url=https://www.thespec.com/politics/federal-elections/who-won-hamilton-mountain/article_c9885f27-2b43-56a8-b9b9-3366f062f323.html |access-date=2025-05-14 |work=The Hamilton Spectator |language=en |issn=1189-9417}}{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2025 |title="April 28, 2025 General Election - Election Results" |url=https://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?lang=e |url-status=live |access-date=May 14, 2025 |website=Elections Canada}}
Electoral record
{{2025 Canadian federal election/Hamilton Mountain}}
{{2022 Ontario general election/Hamilton Mountain}}
{{2018 Ontario general election/Hamilton Mountain}}
{{2014 Ontario general election/Hamilton Mountain}}
{{2011 Ontario general election/Hamilton Mountain}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.moniquetaylormpp.ca}}
- {{Ontario MPP biography|id=monique-taylor}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Monique}}
Category:Politicians from Hamilton, Ontario
Category:Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs
Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians
Category:Women MPPs in Ontario
Category:New Democratic Party candidates in the 2025 Canadian federal election