Alan Tonks - Definition and Overview

Alan Tonks (born April 2 1943) is a Canadian politician.

Tonks is the son of the late Chris Tonks who was a mayor and alderman in what was then the Borough of York in Metropolitan Toronto. After graduating from Upper Canada College Alan Tonks attended York University where he earned a Master's degree in political economy and the University of Toronto where he received a Masters in Education. He spent time working for a Canadian aid agency in Jamaica before becoming a teacher.

Tonks entered municipal politics in the 1970s serving as an alderman in York before being serving as mayor from 1980 to 1988. He was unsuccessful Ontario Liberal Party's candidate in the 1987 Ontario election against Bob Rae in the riding of York South. In 1988 he was elected Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto by the other members of Metro Toronto Council. He served as Metro Chairman until 1997 when the municipality was amalgamated by the provincial government of Mike Harris. In 1999 Tonks was appointed chair of the Greater Toronto Services Board and in 2000 he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Liberal MP for York South—Weston defeating Independent MP (and former Liberal) John Nunziata. He was re-elected in the 2004 Canadian election and is currently a backbencher after having served as a parliamentary secretary in 2003.