Roman Baber
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Roman Baber
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Roman Baber mic pic (cropped).jpg
| caption = Baber in 2016
| parliament1 = Ontario Provincial
| term_start1 = June 7, 2018
| term_end1 = May 3, 2022
| predecessor1 = Monte Kwinter
| successor1 = Michael Kerzner
| riding1 = York Centre
| party = Conservative (federal)
| otherparty = Progressive Conservative (provincial; until 2021)
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Soviet Union{{Cite web |date=2022-07-03 |title=About - Join Roman - Sign Up Now |url=https://www.joinroman.ca/about |access-date=2023-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703013847/https://www.joinroman.ca/about |archive-date=July 3, 2022 }}
| residence = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|lawyer}}
| spouse =
| children =
| website = {{URL|www.joinroman.ca}}
}}
Roman Baber (born 1980) is a Canadian politician who was the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for York Centre from 2018 to 2022. Baber was elected as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario until he was removed by Premier Doug Ford, the party leader, in January 2021. He sat as an Independent until the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly on May 3, 2022.
He was a candidate in the 2022 leadership election of the Conservative Party of Canada. In August 2023, Baber was announced as the federal Conservative candidate for York Centre in the next federal election.{{cite web | url=https://www.westernstandard.news/news/baber-wins-york-centre-conservative-nomination/article_6711ea1a-394a-11ee-81fd-33558fd49fe1.html | title=Baber wins York Centre Conservative nomination | date=August 12, 2023 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/roman-baber-seeking-federal-conservative-nomination-in-york-centre/article_ac8621d0-8f7e-523c-a884-6ead89e6c271.html | title=Roman Baber seeking federal Conservative nomination in York Centre | website=Toronto Star | date=April 30, 2023 }}
Early life
Baber was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. He and his family moved to Israel when he was eight, before immigrating to Canada in 1995, when he was 15.{{cite news |url=https://www.cjnews.com/news/canada/its-been-a-busy-summer-mpp-roman-baber-on-his-new-job-at-queens-park |title='It's Been a Busy Summer' – MPP Roman Baber on his New Job at Queen's Park |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Canadian Jewish News |date=August 30, 2018}}{{Cite web |date=2021-08-16 |title=Roman Baber, MPP - Toronto |url=https://local.toronto.com/toronto-on/roman-baber-mpp-416-630-0080 |access-date=2023-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816204052/https://local.toronto.com/toronto-on/roman-baber-mpp-416-630-0080 |archive-date=August 16, 2021 }}{{cite news |title=PCs' Roman Baber wins York Centre, says voters want 'Ontario back on track' |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/06/07/pcs-roman-baber-grabs-big-lead-early-and-wins-in-york-centre.html |access-date=January 15, 2021 |work=Toronto Star |date=June 8, 2018}}
Baber's family settled in Toronto in the Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue area, an area he represented. He is a lawyer by profession and attended William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute and York University, before earning his law degree at the University of Western Ontario.
Political career
Baber was elected as the MPP for York Centre in the 2018 provincial election.{{cite news |last=Sunshine |first=Fannie |date=June 7, 2018 |title=PCs' Roman Baber wins York Centre, says voters want 'Ontario back on track' |work=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/06/07/pcs-roman-baber-grabs-big-lead-early-and-wins-in-york-centre.html}}
= Autism file and Baber Report =
In April 2019, Baber was asked by Premier Doug Ford to review the government's autism program. Baber's review, later termed the Baber Report, was provided anonymously to The Globe and Mail after it was shared with the government's Autism Advisory Panel.{{Cite news|title=Autism advocates calling for Ontario to adopt full program reset laid out in PC MPP's review|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-autism-advocates-calling-for-ontario-to-adopt-full-program-reset-laid/|access-date=January 27, 2021}} On July 29, 2019, the Ontario government apologized to the families of autistic children for the initial plan and acknowledged that the changes to the autism program announced earlier that year were poorly conceived.{{Cite web|title=Ford government announces reversal of contentious autism program - CityNews Toronto|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/07/29/ford-government-autism-announcment-update/|access-date=January 27, 2021|website=toronto.citynews.ca|date=July 29, 2019 }}{{Cite news|title=Ontario government apologizes for autism program changes; needs-based model won't launch until next April|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-government-apologizes-for-autism-program-changes-needs-based/|access-date=January 27, 2021}}{{Cite web|title=Ontario Newsroom {{!}} Salle de presse de l'Ontario|url=https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/53135/ontario-is-working-towards-a-needs-based-and-sustainable-autism-program|access-date=January 27, 2021|website=news.ontario.ca|language=en}}
= Removal from PC Party =
He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party caucus until January 15, 2021 when Premier Doug Ford removed him from caucus over his opposition to the province's lockdown and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, with Baber stating in an open letter to Premier Ford, "the lockdown is deadlier than COVID".{{cite news |last1=Benzie |first1=Robert |date=January 15, 2021 |title=Premier Doug Ford turfs MPP Roman Baber from Tory caucus for opposing COVID-19 lockdown |work=Toronto Star |publisher=Torstar |url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/01/15/tory-mpp-roman-baber-breaks-ranks-with-premier-doug-ford-urges-end-to-covid-19-lockdown.html |access-date=January 15, 2021}}{{cite news |date=January 15, 2021 |title=Ford ousts MPP from caucus over open letter pushing for end to COVID-19 lockdown |website=cbc.ca |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-january-15-2021-1.5874606}}{{Cite web |url=https://beta.cp24.com/news/2021/1/15/1_5268227.html|title=Ford turfs York Centre MPP who wrote open letter saying 'lockdown is deadlier than COVID' }}
Baber was Chair of Parliament's Justice Policy Committee until his removal by a Government motion on February 16, 2021.{{Cite web |title=Hansard Transcript 2021-Feb-16 |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Ontario |url=https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/house-documents/parliament-42/session-1/2021-02-16/hansard |access-date=February 23, 2021|website=www.ola.org |date=February 16, 2021 |language=en}}
He did not run for re-election in the 2022 Ontario general election.
= Federal Conservative leadership candidate =
On March 9, 2022, Baber declared his intent to run in the 2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election.{{cite news |title=Independent Ontario MPP Roman Baber to enter Conservative party leadership race |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/independent-ontario-mpp-roman-baber-to-enter-conservative-party-leadership-race |access-date=March 9, 2022}} Baber ran on a platform of restoring Canada's democracy. Inspired by his ejection from Premier Doug Ford's PC caucus, Baber pledged to allow MPs to vote their conscience and express their personal views without fear of repercussions. He pledged to oppose Quebec's Bill 21 and Bill 96, repeal the Trudeau government's carbon tax, end Canada's equalization program, phase out supply management, and more. On September 10, it was announced that Pierre Poilievre won the leadership on the first ballot with 68.15% of the votes cast. Baber placed fourth, garnering 5.03% of the points and 5.4% of the votes cast.{{Cite web |last=Tasker |first=John Paul |date=September 10, 2022 |title=Conservative members pick MP Pierre Poilievre to be their new leader |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservative-leadership-election-results-1.6578329 |access-date=September 10, 2022 |website=CBC News}}
Electoral record
== Federal ==
{{2025 Canadian federal election/York Centre}}
== Conservative Party of Canada leadership ==
{{main|2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election}}
{{Bar box|title=First round (points allocated)|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars=
{{Bar percent|Poilievre|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|68.15}}
{{Bar percent|Charest|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|16.07}}
{{Bar percent|Lewis|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|9.69}}
{{Bar percent|Baber|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|5.03}}
{{Bar percent|Aitchison|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|1.06}}}}{{Bar box|title=First round (votes cast)|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars=
{{Bar percent|Poilievre|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|70.7}}
{{Bar percent|Charest|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|11.6}}
{{Bar percent|Lewis|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|11.1}}
{{Bar percent|Baber|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|5.4}}
{{Bar percent|Aitchison|{{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative}}|1.2}}}}
== Ontario ==
{{CANelec/top|ON|2018|percent=yes|change=yes|prelim=no}}
{{CANelec|ON|PC|Roman Baber|18,434|50.15|+19.29}}
{{CANelec|ON|NDP|Andrea Vásquez Jiménez|8,617|23.44|+7.07}}
{{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Ramon Estaris|7,865|21.39|-26.72}}
{{CANelec|ON|Green|Roma Lyon|843|2.29|-0.96}}
{{CANelec|ON|NOTA|Cherie Ann Day|467|1.27|}}
{{CANelec|ON|Libertarian|Benjamin Kamminga|398|1.08|}}
{{CANelec|ON|Moderate|Alexander Leonov|137|0.37|}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|36,761|98.51}}
{{CANelec/total|Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots|556|1.49|}}
{{CANelec/total|Turnout|37,317|52.92|}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible voters|70,520}}
{{CANelec/notgain|ON|PC|Liberal|+23.01}}
{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Ontario{{cite web|url=https://www.elections.on.ca/content/dam/NGW/sitecontent/2018/results/officialresults-yellowbook/votescastbycandidate/pdf/Valid%20Votes%20Cast%20for%20Each%20Candidate%20-%202018%20Provincial%20General%20Election.pdf|title=Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate |page=11|publisher=Elections Ontario|access-date=20 January 2019}}}}
{{end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baber, Roman}}
Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs
Category:Independent MPPs in Ontario
Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Category:Politicians from Toronto
Category:Israeli people of Russian-Jewish descent
Category:Soviet emigrants to Israel
Category:Soviet emigrants to Canada
Category:Canadian people of Russian-Jewish descent
Category:Israeli emigrants to Canada
Category:Jewish Canadian politicians
Category:Politicians affected by a party expulsion process
Category:Conservative Party of Canada candidates in the 2025 Canadian federal election
Category:Conservative Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons