John Tory (born May 28, 1954) is a Canadian businessman and leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.

Tory has been married to Barbara Hackett since 1978. The couple have four children (John, Christopher, Susan, and George).

Background

From 1972 to 1979, Tory was hired by family friend Ted Rogers as a journalist for Rogers Broadcasting's Toronto radio stations CFTR and CHFI .

Tory received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Trinity College, University of Toronto in 1975. He continued the family tradition of studying law at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he received his Bachelor of Laws in 1978. He was called to the bar in Ontario in 1980.

From 1980 to 1981, and later from 1986 to 1995, Tory held various positions at the blue chip Toronto law firm Tory Tory DesLauriers & Binnington , including partner, managing partner, and member of the Executive Committee.

From 1981 to 1985, Tory served in the Office of the Premier of Ontario, Bill Davis as Principal Secretary to the Premier and Associate Secretary of the Cabinet. In 1985, Davis retired as Premier. Tory joined the Office of the Canadian Special Envoy on Acid Rain, as Special Advisor to the Special Envoy. The Special Envoy had been appointed by the federal government of Brian Mulroney to review matters of air quality with a United States counterpart.

Tory later served as Tour Director and Campaign Chairman to then Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney, and managed the 1993 Canadian election campaign of Mulroney's successor, Kim Campbell. Tory was criticised for approving a 1993 election ad that mocked Jean Chrétien's facial deformity.

From 1995 to 1999, he returned to Rogers Media Inc. as president and CEO of what was now one of Canada's largest publishing and broadcasting companies. Rogers Media has interests in radio and television stations, specialty television channels, consumer magazines, trade magazines and, at the time, the Toronto Sun and the Sun newspaper chain. In 1999, he became president and CEO of Rogers Cable Inc., Canada's largest cable television company and a leading video rental chain and cable internet provider. He led it during a period of transition from a monopoly environment to an open marketplace, overseeing a significant increase in operating income.

Tory also served as chairman of the Canadian Football League from 1992 to 2001.

Toronto mayoral run

After six years as a key backer of retiring Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman, Tory ran in the November 2003 vote for Mayor of Toronto. He finished behind councillor David Miller and ahead of former mayor Barbara Hall, former councillor and Member of Parliament John Nunziata, and former councillor and budget chief Tom Jakobek.

While Tory and Miller both entered the race with limited name recognition and support, each quickly claimed a core base - Miller among New Democrats and progressives, labour and opponents of the slated Island airport bridge, and Tory among Torontonians seeking a moderate conservative with business experience. Nunziata and Jakobek were sidelined by controversies, and Hall's initially commanding lead fell under the weight of a lackluster, low-risk campaign.

Despite some controversy over specific ads and positions, Tory (like Miller and Hall) was generally credited with running a respectful campaign. After the election, he helped Miller and Hall raise funds to retire their campaign debts.

Provincial party leadership

In March 2004, Tory hinted that he would be seeking the leadership of the provincial Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, after Ernie Eves announced his intention to resign from that post. The provincial Conservative leadership election was announced for September 18, 2004. Tory made his candidacy official on May 6, 2004. John Laschinger was appointed to be Tory's campaign manager. Tory won the support of former provincial cabinet ministers Elizabeth Witmer, David Tsubouchi, Jim Wilson, Janet Ecker, Chris Hodgson, Cam Jackson and Bob Runciman as well as backbench MPPs Norm Miller, Ted Arnott and John O'Toole.

Tory's opponents for the leadership post were former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Oak Ridges MPP Frank Klees, both of whom are on the right-wing of the party. Tory positioned himself as a centrist candidate, and defeated Flaherty 54% to 46% on the second ballot to become party leader.

Tory holds socially liberal views on a number of issues, including same-sex marriage (which is a federal, and not a provincial issue). He is considered by some to be a Red Tory.

He told the media in November 2004 that he would seek election to the legislature in time for the spring 2005 legislative session. On December 7, 2004, the Ontario Liberal Party announced that it would run a candidate against Tory in a by-election. While there is a custom in Canada that parties allow a new leader of another major party who does not have a parliamentary seat to enter the legislature unopposed, this is not always followed. The Ontario Liberals did not extend this courtesy to Eves in his 2002 by-election in the riding.

On January 31, 2005, following much public speculation and some delays, Ernie Eves resigned his seat in the legislature and cleared the way for Tory to run in Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey. As a "parachute candidate", Tory faced some criticism about his commitment to the riding. Nevertheless, Tory won the March 17, 2005 by-election with 56% of the vote.

In a February 5th, 2005 SES Research poll, John Tory narrowly edged out Premier Dalton McGuinty in a survey that asked which party leader would make the best Premier of Ontario.

Another recent poll by Leger and Leger for the Toronto Sun show the PCs continuing to lose support despite their new leader. This poll put the Liberals at 44% support, the PCs at 33% -- a decline of 5% during Tory's leadership, and the NDP at 19%.

Tory has also said that he plans to run in Toronto in the 2007 provincial election even though the Progressive Conservatives currently hold no seats in that city.