Nate Erskine-Smith

Nate Erskine-Smith
Erskine-Smith in 2023
Member of Parliament
for Beaches—East York
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded byMatthew Kellway
Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
In office
December 20, 2024 – May 13, 2025
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Mark Carney
Preceded bySean Fraser
Succeeded byGregor Robertson
Personal details
Born (1984-06-15) June 15, 1984
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
PartyLiberal
SpouseAmy Symington
Children2
Alma mater
ProfessionLawyer
WebsiteConstituency Website: beynate.ca
Podcast/Blog: uncommons.ca
Leadership Exploration Website: nateerskinesmith.ca

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (born June 15, 1984) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has been the member of Parliament (MP) for Beaches—East York since 2015. A member of the Liberal Party, Erskine-Smith served as Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities from December 2024 to May 2025. Before entering politics, Erskine-Smith was a commercial litigation lawyer.

Early life and education

Erskine-Smith was born on June 15, 1984,[1] in Toronto, Ontario, attending Bowmore Elementary School and Malvern Collegiate. His parents, Sara Erskine and Lawrence Smith, were public school teachers.[2] He has a brother.[3]

Erskine-Smith attended Queen's University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics in 2007, before completing law school in 2010. While a student at Queen's, Erskine-Smith attempted to start a business selling panini sandwiches.[4] His experience dealing with bureaucracy led him to unsuccessfully run for city council for the Sydenham District in Kingston, Ontario, in the 2006 municipal elections by coming in third despite being endorsed by the Whig-Standard and Queen’s Journal.[4][5][6] Erskine-Smith later described his attempt to Althia Raj as "naive" and that he knocked on no doors by spending his time researching local issues.[2]

Erskine-Smith then went on to study political philosophy and constitutional law at the University of Oxford, where he earned a Master of Laws (BCL) degree in 2013.[7] He focused on the evolution of section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, with references to assisted dying, prostitution and marijuana.[2] In addition, during his time at both universities, he played on their baseball teams as a pitcher.[8][9]

Erskine-Smith practiced commercial litigation as an associate at Kramer Simaan Dhillon, after working as a law student at Aird & Berlis LLP. He told Raj that he found some advantages in commercial litigation that helped him but felt like he could make a bigger impact advocating for issues that affect more Canadians.[2]

Erskine-Smith also volunteered for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.[10] He took on pro bono cases for a range of clients and causes, including a civil liberties case to protect religious freedom in Ontario's school system.[11] In a notable civil liberties case in 2014, Erskine-Smith successfully argued against compulsory religious studies at publicly funded high schools in Ontario.[11]

Political career

Member of Parliament

42nd and 43rd parliament

In November 2013, Erskine-Smith announced his candidacy for the Liberal nomination in Beaches-East York, citing Justin Trudeau's call for more youth involvement in politics, Trudeau's advocacy for empowering MPs, and positive politics as reasons to run.[2] Erskine-Smith based his nomination campaign on lessons learned from his 2006 municipal campaign and signed up nine hundred riding members. In December 2014, he defeated four candidates to become the Liberal nominee.[2]

Erskine-Smith was elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 federal election. He beat incumbent MP Matthew Kellway, who was elected in 2011.[12][13] During the campaign, Erskine-Smith received endorsements from the provincial Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Arthur Potts and City Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon.[10]

Erskine-Smith was vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics during the 42nd Parliament.[1]

In the first episode of the television series Political Blind Date in 2017, Erskine-Smith and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis discussed their differing perspectives on the legalization of cannabis in Canada.[14] They also appeared on the last episode in 2022, where they discussed their differing perspectives on addressing Canada's opioid crisis.[15]

Erskine-Smith was re-elected in the 2019 election and 2021 election, in which his vote was more than doubled his nearest competitor.[1][16]

Uncommons Podcast

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic Erskine-Smith launched the Uncommons Podcast as a substitute for local town hall meetings.[17] The episodes feature prominent guests, including members of all major parties, and often seek to showcase his thinking on a given issue.[18]

In June 2022, Erskine-Smith, hosted former Conservative leader, Erin O'Toole, who commented on the 2022 Conservative leadership race by expressing his concerns that "the populism of anger or frustration or dislocation" can undermine institutions and national unity.[19] In June 2024, fellow Conservative MP Arnold Viersen sent a letter to Erskine-Smith stating that he felt "ambushed" by Erskine-Smith after it was revealed that on the podcast that he would ban same-sex marriage, abortion and that some members in the Conservative caucus felt the same way.[20] Viersen later walked back on his podcast comments and Erskine-Smith, who felt that those views were anathema to most Canadians, told reporters that he was surprised about the letter by stating that Viersen was well known for his anti-abortion advocacy.[21]

In October 2024, Erskine-Smith hosted both Prime Minister Trudeau, who expressed regret over his handling of electoral reform,[22] and Mark Carney, who teased his future political plans and agreed with Erskine-Smith's comments on increasing housing supply for first time home buyers to have a home, on separate episodes of the podcast.[22][23][24]

44th parliament

2023 Ontario Liberal leadership campaign

Erskine-Smith ran for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election.[18][25] He positioned himself as a generational change candidate and distanced himself from previous leaders of the party like criticizing senior Liberals who wanted Ontario Greens leader Mike Schreiner to lead their party instead.[26][27] Erskine-Smith focused his campaign on renewing the grassroots renewal, rebuilding the party organization, and a political focus on "fairness".[28] He stated that he saw idealism, optimism and a rebuilt party operations in federal Liberals of 2015 and felt that approach should be applied to its provincial counterparts.[6] Erskine-Smith also ran on what he described "progressive and pragmatic ideas" around on issues such as health care, senior care, climate change and wealth inequality.[29][28]

Erskine-Smith was critical on fellow leadership candidate Bonnie Crombie's desire to move the party to the centre-right because he felt that centre-right governments lacked ambition.[30] A month before the vote, he joined fellow Liberal MP and leadership candidate Yasir Naqvi in a mutual support pact to rank each other as the second choice in an attempt to defeat Crombie, the perceived front runner.[31] Both of them felt that they shared the same priorities during the campaign, that this was the best way to win the upcoming election was building a party around Liberal values and felt that Crombie's leadership would have similar criticisms as Premier Doug Ford's Conservatives.[31]

Crombie, however, was elected closer than anticipated on the third ballot with 53.4 per cent, ahead of Erskine-Smith who came in second with 46.6 per cent.[32]

Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Erskine-Smith was appointed as the minister of housing, infrastructure and communities on December 20, 2024, following a Cabinet shuffle due to Sean Fraser resignation.[33] During a press conference after his appointment to the role, Erskine-Smith stated "I understand there’s going to be a short runway," and said his goal would be "to make the biggest difference that I can."[34][24] Due to his appointment, he reversed his initial decision not to run in the 2025 federal election.[35][36] Erskine-Smith, later explained that he talked to his family, got their approval before accepting the position and compared Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives ideology to the Reform Party as reasons for his reversal.[36]

In January, Erskine-Smith reaffirmed the government support for Canada Public Transit Fund, which would allowed for municipalities to modernize their public transit systems by supporting high-density housing and eliminating mandatory minimum parking requirements within eight hundred meters of transit lines.[37] He was publicly critical of the Ontario government for reducing spending on social housing.[38] In March, Erskine-Smith sent a letter to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow warning that any form of blocking six-plexes would result in twenty-five per cent less federal funding that was pledged annually to Toronto from the Housing Accelerator Fund, a program that incentivizes cities to build more housing.[39]

Erskine-Smith remained in that role under the 30th Canadian Ministry of Mark Carney and was reelected on April 28, 2025, with the largest vote for an MP in Toronto[3], but was reshuffled out on May 13, 2025, and replaced by Gregor Robertson.[40]

45th parliament

On January 9, 2026, Erskine-Smith teased on his substack that he is exploring the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party in the upcoming leadership election.[41][42] On February 3, 2026, he revealed on his substack his intention to seek the provincial Liberal nomination in the upcoming provincial by-election in Scarborough Southwest.[43][44] Erskine-Smith cited that his decision was based on the fact that the riding shared the same concerns over housing, public transit, education and health care as Beaches—East York.[45]

Political views

Erskine-Smith has been mostly characterized as a maverick,[30][46] though others have described him as a progressive or a left-leaning liberal,[47][48] who has been noted for breaking away from certain issues within his own party.[49][50][51] Erskine-Smith, though, has touted his ability to get things done across all parties,[26][27] describes himself as being committed to the grassroots[52] and modelled his politics after former Liberal Prime Ministers Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Lester Pearson.[53]

Democratic Reform

Political Independence

During the SNC-Lavalin affair, Erskine-Smith alongside fellow Liberal MPs Wayne Long and Joyce Murray publicly revealed that Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott should remain as part of the Liberal caucus.[54] He wrote an op-ed in the Toronto Star where he contrasted Shelia Copps and advocated that dissident Liberals should stay in caucus.[51] He pointed out that, despite being a Liberal MP who supported his government, his party should abide by their 2015 campaign promise of empowering MPs and their communities by having more free votes in the House of Commons.[51] Erskine-Smith believed that this could strengthen the Liberal Party and Canadian democracy.[51]

In November 2025, Erskine-Smith was asked by Raj about what advice he would give to Poilievre and his leadership in which he responded by touting the importance of having convictions, the ability to pursue them and being challenged by others into accepting better polices outcomes.[55]

Grassroot politics

In an interview with David Moscrop, Erskine-Smith was asked about how to provide a deeper commitment to grassroots involvement than previous Liberal parties and he cited relationship building and being an advocate for serving the community.[25] During the 2023 Ontario leadership race, Erskine-Smith took out op-eds in the Toronto Star, National Post and Canada's National Observer, where he stated how he would renew the Ontario Liberals.[29][56][57] In his National Post op-ed, Erskine-Smith stated that he would lead the party by allowing a diversity of perspectives, united by shared values and collaborating on community challenges.[57] In his Toronto Star op-ed, Erskine-Smith stated that he would rebuild the party by shifting away from centralized approach by a committing to fair and open nominations, freer votes and collaborating with other parties.[29] In his National Observer op-ed, Erskine-Smith stated that he planned to increase youth engagement into politics by being less partisan and encouraged them to be involved in decision making.[56]

Electoral reform

Erskine-Smith was a member of Fair Vote, an electoral reform group, where he met with his predecessor to advocate for changes to the electoral system.[58] Erskine-Smith campaigned on the idea during his nomination race in 2014 before it was added to the Liberal platform.[58] In a 2016 CBC interview, he opposed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's idea of a preferential ballot and countered with single-transferable voting as an option.[59] After his party walked back on changing the electoral system, Erskine-Smith took out an op-ed in the Huffington Post apologizing to those who believed that the electoral system would change. He stated that his party should have held a referendum as a compromise, and that he would not stop advocating for electoral reform.[58][60] In May 2017, Erskine-Smith, alongside fellow Liberal MP Sean Casey, voted against their own party when accepting a Commons committee report that outlined how electoral reform could be implemented.[61]

During the 2023 Ontario Liberal leadership campaign, Erskine-Smith said that if he were going to address electoral reform, he would advocate for a citizens’ assembly in the vein of New Zealand.[53]

Housing

In 2023, Erskine-Smith told Moscrop that the Ford government started by saying the right things about housing but mismanaged an consequential issue.[25] He explained that housing factors in generational fairness, productivity.[25] Erskine-Smith suggested removing barriers that hinder development, investing more into the development of public housing, and treating it less of an investment vehicle.[25] During the 2023 leadership race, he took out an op-ed in the Trillium, explaining how he making housing more affordable, Erskine-Smith was critical of the Ford government for caving into nimbies by keeping exclusionary zoning laws, reducing density targets while embracing sprawl.[62] He also advocated for phased-in rent controls, a ownership registry, and taxes for investors that avoid increasing their supply as a way to treat housing less of an investment.[62]

After Erskine-Smith was appointed as housing minister in 2024, he reiterated three things that he would do to tackle the Canadian housing crisis by removing restrictive policies that hinder development, getting the government back into the development of public housing, and treating housing less of an investment vehicle.[36]

Education

In 2023, Erskine-Smith told Moscrop that defending public education is important to him.[25] He viewed the public-education system as overburdened and underfunded.[25] Erskine-Smith felt that a previous budget by the Ford's government was going to lead to cuts because spending was below inflation.[25] In 2025, Erskine-Smith revealed that he joined his parents when they picketed against cuts to the education budget made during Ontario Premier Mike Harris's tenure was what got him into politics.[3]

Environment

Animal Welfare

In 2015, Erskine-Smith seconded Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, that became law in June 2019. The bill prohibits the captivity of cetaceans and requires permits to import and export them to and from Canada. Erskine-Smith spoke to the house about the importance of the bill in June 2018.[63][64]

On February 26, 2016, Erskine-Smith introduced Bill C-246, the Modernizing Animal Protections Act,[65] to ban the import of shark fins and make Canada's animal cruelty laws tougher.[52] Due to concerns from animal use lobbyists, the bill was defeated 198 to 84 at second reading.[65] The defeat of Erskine-Smith's Bill C-246 led to the creation of the Liberal Animal Welfare Caucus in 2017.[66] On September 5, 2017, Erskine-Smith wrote an article in NOW Magazine addressing his veganism and the importance of a social change towards the treatment of animals.[67] Two years later, a government bill addressing similar concerns was tabled by Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.[68] She acknowledged Erskine-Smith's efforts as a precursor to the government's legislation.[68]

Climate action

In October 2018, Erskine-Smith called an emergency debate on climate change in Parliament in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's special report on global warming. He requested action to be taken by the government and Canadians to ensure that Canada can reduce its emissions and reach the targeted goals.[69] On June 5, 2019, Erskine-Smith introduced bill C-454, the Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Act, to require the Government of Canada to reduce GHG emissions to net zero by 2050.[70][71]

In 2023, Erskine-Smith told Moscrop that he viewed a having good climate plan was important in creating jobs and saw nuclear energy as a part of Ontario energy sources in order to tackle climate change.[25] He also emphasized that efficiency as well as economics should be considered factors when electrifying the electric grid.[25]

Healthcare

In February 2021, alongside fellow colleague Wayne Long, Erskine-Smith was one of only two Liberal MPs to vote in favour of a New Democratic Party (NDP) motion to take a first step towards developing a national pharmacare system. The bill, proposed by Peter Julian, would have established the conditions for federal financial contributions to provincial drug insurance plans.[72] The following year, the Liberal Party would commit to work towards a "universal national pharmacare program" as part of their confidence and supply agreement with the NDP following the 2021 federal election.[73]

In 2023, Erskine-Smith told Moscorp that he felt that Ford government was incompetently managing Ontario's health-care system through under-investment and inefficiencies.[25] He argued that, while the Ontario government spent of their budget on health care, they were spending less than the national average on nurses and believed that two million people in province lacked access to a family doctor or a family health team.[25] Erskine-Smith also viewed the discussion on the privatization of healthcare as a distraction from the issue.[25]

Anti-corruption

During the SNC-Lavalin affair, Erskine-Smith along side Long broke against their party and supported an opposition motion advocating their government to launch a public inquiry into the allegations.[74] Erskine-Smith later told reporters that he wanted more information on Jody Wilson-Raybould allegation about the “inappropriate” pressure she faced by pointing to contradictions that needed to be addressed between her testimony to the Commons justice committee and other subsequent witnesses.[75] He differed against his Liberal colleagues, who wanted Wilson-Raybould or Jane Philpott to use their legal privilege when testifying instead he advocated expanded waiver powers to for the them testify against SNC-Lavalin.[75]

After a 2025 Toronto Star investigation revealed that illicit drugs were being advertised on Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, Erskine-Smith intended to pass a motion for Meta to explain their lack of action in addressing this issues by attending the standing committee on industry and technology.[76] He also found this as a double standard as Meta was able block news content for Canadian users.[76]

Civil Liberties

In June 2018, Erskine-Smith introduced bill C-413, an Act to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, to give new powers for the federal privacy commissioner.[77] In August 2019, Erskine-Smith wrote an op-ed for the Toronto Star expressing his desire for the right to be forgotten. He explained that in an increasingly connected, online world citizens should have the right to hide content published about them from search engines if the individual’s privacy is being seriously violated.[78]

In response to the occupation of downtown Ottawa by the Freedom Convoy, the government enacted the Emergencies Act. With Ottawa streets being largely cleared of protesters by the time of the vote, Erskine-Smith's Speech to Parliament condemned the protests, but questioned the necessity of the declaration of emergency, and its approval after the clearance. He ultimately voted to confirm the use of the declaration.[79][80][81]

Drug policy reform

In February 2016, Erskine-Smith represented Canada at a joint United Nations/Inter-Parliamentary Union conference reviewing how different countries were dealing with illegal drugs. He partnered with Mexican Senator Laura Rojas to argue that countries should seek alternatives to incarceration in cases where individuals have drugs solely for personal use.[82] In March 2019, Erskine-Smith wrote an op-ed for NOW Magazine where he discussed his support a bill introduced by New Democratic Party (NDP) MP Murray Rankin, stating that only expungements would address the injustice of cannabis criminalization.[83] Erskine-Smith seconded the bill in the House of Commons.[84]

In early January 2017, Erskine-Smith published an op-ed in Vice calling for the decriminalization of all drug possession as a logical next step to the government's drug policy.[85] In late January 2017, Erskine-Smith delivered a speech in the House of Commons in support of Bill C-37, to expand access to safe injection clinics across Canada.[86] Erskine-Smith introduced bill C-460, seeking to remove criminal sanctions for low-level possession and to reduce the stigma associated with seeking treatment.[87]

In 2018, Erskine-Smith appeared on CBC's Power & Politics to speak about his disappointment in the Liberal government endorsing a ‘War on Drugs’ document from the United States during CUSMA negotiations.[88] Erskine-Smith introduced a Liberal caucus policy resolution to address the opioid crisis through a public health approach, and it was adopted as the second overall priority by the grassroots Liberal membership at the Liberal Policy Convention in Halifax in April 2018.[89] He explained to the Guardian that framing drug use as criminal issues has brought the conversation about drugs away from a health issue, helped fueled the black market and divert resources from law enforcement.[90] In 2020, Erskine-Smith introduced bill C-235 which would delete the drug possession offence from the Criminal Code.[91] He also introduced bill C-236, which would provide diversion options to law enforcement, crown attorneys, and judges for drug possession cases.[91]

Personal life

Erskine-Smith was raised vegetarian, and is now vegan.[52] He has Crohn's disease.[92]

Erskine-Smith married Amelia (Amy) Symington, a Toronto vegan chef and nutritionist, on her family farm in Camlachie, Ontario.[52] The two met in an undergraduate film studies course at Queen's University.[5] They have two sons born in 2016, and in 2019.[93]

Recognition

For his efforts to modernize Canada's federal animal protection laws with Bill C-246, Erskine-Smith received the Humane Legislator Award from Animal Justice.[94] The bill also won support from EndCruelty, a coalition of Canadians who support stronger animal protection laws.[95] In 2017, Erskine-Smith received the Fur-Bearers’ Clements award for his dedication to improving the lives of animals with Bill C-246.[96]

Electoral record

2025 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Nate Erskine-Smith 39,804 67.75 +11.17
Conservative Jocelyne Poirier 13,830 23.54 +9.19
New Democratic Shannon Devine 4,027 6.85 −15.67
Green Jack Pennings 748 1.27 −1.45
Independent Diane Joseph 161 0.27
Communist Elizabeth Rowley 146 0.25 −0.01
Marxist–Leninist Steve Rutchinski 39 0.07 −0.03
Total valid votes/expense limit 58,755 99.47 +0.13
Total rejected ballots 311 0.53 -0.13
Turnout 59,066 72.51 +7.46
Eligible voters 81,460
Liberal hold Swing +0.99
Source: Elections Canada[97][98]
Note: number of eligible voters does not include voting day registrations.
2021 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Nathaniel Erskine-Smith 28,919 56.58 -0.65 $84,476.95
New Democratic Alejandra Ruiz Vargas 11,513 22.52 +1.23 $34,400.36
Conservative Lisa Robinson* 7,336 14.35 +0.19 $20,930.77
People's Radu Rautescu 1,613 3.16 +1.70 $0.00
Green Reuben Anthony DeBoer 1,388 2.71 -3.15 $1,906.03
Independent Karen Lee Wilde 166 0.32 $0.00
Communist Jennifer Moxon 131 0.26 $0.00
Marxist–Leninist Philip Fernandez 50 0.10 $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 51,116 99.34 $110,305.28
Total rejected ballots 340 0.66 +0.07
Turnout 51,456 65.05 -5.15
Eligible voters 79,102
Liberal hold Swing -0.94
Source: Elections Canada[99] *After the ballots had been printed, but before the election day itself, Robinson was dropped by the party as the CPC candidate. She would not have been admitted to the Conservative caucus had she won.[100]
2019 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Nathaniel Erskine-Smith 32,168 57.2 +7.75 $74,562.95
New Democratic Mae J. Nam 11,964 21.3 -9.52 $91,821.20
Conservative Nadirah Nazeer 7,957 14.2 -2.23 none listed
Green Sean Manners 3,295 5.9 +3.32 none listed
People's Deborah McKenzie 822 1.5 - $1,821.54
Total valid votes/expense limit 56,206 100.0  
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters 80,981
Liberal hold Swing +8.64
Source: Elections Canada[101][102]
2015 Canadian federal election: Beaches—East York
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Nathaniel Erskine-Smith 27,458 49.45 +18.69 $104,089.50
New Democratic Matthew Kellway 17,113 30.82 -10.82 $129,211.99
Conservative Bill Burrows 9,124 16.43 -6.31 $35,453.04
Green Randall Sach 1,433 2.58 -2.02 $3,691.94
Independent James Sears 254 0.46 $35,400.00
Marxist–Leninist Roger Carter 105 0.19 -0.08
Independent Peter Surjanac 43 0.08 $449.62
Total valid votes/expense limit 55,530 100.00   $208,561.84
Total rejected ballots 216 0.39
Turnout 55,746 73.18
Eligible voters 76,173
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +14.76
Source: Elections Canada[103][104]
Candidates for the November 13, 2006 Kingston, Ontario Sydenham District City Councillor Election
Candidate Popular vote
Votes % ±%
Bill Glover 1,180 46.24% -
Floyd Patterson 912 35.74% -
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith 297 11.64% -
Alex Huntley 163 6.39% -
Total votes 2,552

References

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