Bhutila Karpoche

Bhutila Karpoche MPP (/buːˈtɪlə ˌkɑːrpəˈtʃeɪ/ boo-TILL-ə KAR-pə-CHAY;[2] Tibetan: བུ་ཁྲིད་ལ་དཀར་པོ་ཆེས།, born 1983 or 1984) is a Canadian politician, who has served as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) since the 2018 provincial election, representing the Toronto area riding of Parkdale—High Park in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), she is the official opposition mental health and addictions critic. Karpoche is the first person of Tibetan descent ever elected to public office in North America.[1]

Bhutila Karpoche

MPP
Official Opposition Critic for
Mental Health and Addictions
Assumed office
August 23, 2018
LeaderAndrea Horwath
Deputy Opposition Whip
In office
August 23, 2018 – August 30, 2019
LeaderAndrea Horwath
Succeeded byDoly Begum
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Parkdale—High Park
Assumed office
June 7, 2018
Preceded byCheri DiNovo
Personal details
Born1983/1984 (age 36–37)[1]
Nepal
Political partyNew Democratic
ResidenceToronto
Alma materUniversity of British Columbia, University of Toronto

Background

Karpoche was born in Nepal and moved to the Toronto neighbourhood of Parkdale as a child with her family.

Prior to her election, Karpoche worked for Cheri DiNovo, her predecessor as MPP for Parkdale—High Park, first in DiNovo's constituency office and more recently as her executive assistant at Queen's Park.[3] She also served on the board of directors of the Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario, and on the steering committee of the International Tibet Network.[4]

She holds a masters of public health in epidemiology from the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and is currently a PhD candidate in public health policy at Ryerson University.[5]

Career

On September 14, 2017, the Parkdale—High Park NDP riding association nominated Karpoche as the party's candidate in the upcoming general election.[6] She won the election on June 7, 2018 with 59.41% support from voters.

Upon being sworn in as an MPP, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath appointed Karpoche as deputy opposition whip and mental health and addictions critic. In a shadow cabinet shuffle on August 30, 2019, the deputy opposition whip was passed to Doly Begum.

In 2019, she was voted Toronto's Best Local Politician by Toronto Star readers.[7] She was voted Best MPP by Now Magazine readers in 2019 and 2020.[8][9]

Electoral record
2018 Ontario general election: Parkdale—High Park
Party Candidate Votes%±%
New DemocraticBhutila Karpoche32,40759.41+13.21
Progressive ConservativeAdam Pham9,82118.00+6.26
LiberalNadia Guerrera9,27117.00-20.42
GreenHalyna Zalucky2,5444.66+1.33
LibertarianMatthias Nunno3710.68+0.25
CommunistJay Watts1350.25
Turnout 54,54965.02+8.12
Eligible voters 83,879
New Democratic hold Swing +3.42
Source: Elections Ontario[10]

References
  1. Kennedy, Brendan (June 7, 2018). "NDP's Bhutila Karpoche wins Parkdale-High Park, becoming first Tibetan ever elected to public office in North America". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  2. "Live Conversation on Mutual Aid". Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  3. "NDP politician Cheri DiNovo may be leaving politics, but her work on LGBT issues isn’t over". Daily Xtra, September 20, 2017.
  4. "First Tibetan, Bhutila Karpoche Wins Election in Canada". Tibetan Journal, June 8, 2018.
  5. "About Bhutila". Bhutila Karpoche. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  6. "Canada Tibet Committee | Library | WTN". www.tibet.ca. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  7. "Readers' Choice". www.thestar.com. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  8. "Readers' Choice". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  9. "Photos". embed-720475.secondstreetapp.com. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  10. "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 9. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
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