By: Julia Alexander
By Julia Alexander
Still a fresh face in the world of provincial politics, Dr. Eric Hoskins is one of six people vying for the leadership position of the Ontario Liberal Party.
Hoskins was born on Nov. 29, 1960. He attended Simcoe Constitute School for his high school education and enrolled at McMaster University after graduation. It was at McMaster where he received his M.D degree from McMaster’s school of Health Sciences. After receiving his doctorate from McMaster, Hoskins flew across the Atlantic and attended the prestigious Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, one of the most difficult scholarships to attain.
According to a profile on the Liberal party’s website which profiled each candidate in their riding, Hoskins studied public health and epidemiology, the study of skin. While in England, Hoskins also received his graduate degree from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The degree would help Hoskins for the next decade.
After finishing his education, Hoskins travelled through various worn torn countries, providing medical aid to those in need.
Between 1987 and 1990, Hoskins resided in Sudan, where he worked with both Ethiopian refugees who were seeking help in Sudan and displaced citizens of the Sudan area. As well as medical help, Hoskins provided humanitarian relief efforts to people over the three years.
In 1991, Hoskins confounded the International Study Group, a group of professionals from around the world who toured Iraq to document and study the effects of war on civilian people.
After touring Iraq and seeing the effects of war on Iraqi children, Hoskins lobbied the Canadian government to release over $2 million of frozen assets, which sat in Canadian banks, which would later be used to buy food and medical supplies for people all over Iraq.
Fast-forward six years and Hoskins has just been asked to become the senior adviser to then Canadian Minster of Foreign Affairs, Lloyd Axworthy. As senior advisor, Hoskins would become the go to person in areas related to human rights, security, humanitarian efforts, and children in war torn regions of Africa.
Hoskins is also the confounder of the nonprofit charity, War Child. Started with his wife, Dr. Samantha Nutt, the charity, “helps rebuild war-affected communities to provide the support necessary for children to experience a stable childhood,” the website of War Child states.
In 2008, Hoskins was recognized for his peacekeeping work around the world and was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada.
In 2009, Hoskins was elected as the MPP for the St. Paul’s region of Ontario. Most recently, he has held the title of Minister of Children and Youth’s Services, and served previously as the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration under the leadership of Premier Dalton McGuinty.
Hoskins will look to gain one more title on Sunday, the position of Premier of Ontario. The Liberal leadership race will come to an end on Sunday where the new Liberal leader and Premier of Ontario will be announced.