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) for Parkdale—High Park since June 7, 2018. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), she is the party's mental health and addictions critic and the early learning and child care. Born in Nepal, Karpoche is the first person of Tibetan descent ever elected to public office in North America.

Bhutila Karpoche
MPP
Karpoche in 2022
Official Opposition Critic for
Early Learning and Childcare
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 37–38)[1]
Kathmandu, Nepal
Political partyOntario New Democratic
Residence(s)Toronto
Alma materUniversity of British Columbia
University of Toronto
Occupation
  • Politician
  • epidemiologist

Early life and education

Karpoche was born in Nepal and moved to the Toronto neighbourhood of Parkdale when she was 18 with her family.[1][3]

She holds a master's 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.[4]

Political career

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.[5] 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.[6]

Member of Provincial Parliament

On September 14, 2017, the Parkdale—High Park NDP riding association nominated Karpoche as the party's candidate in the 2018 general election.[7] She won the election on June 7, 2018, and her party won the second most seats, becoming the Official Opposition.

Following her election, 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.[8] She was voted Best MPP by Now Magazine readers in 2019, 2020 and 2021.[9][10][11]

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[12]

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 November 11, 2020.
  3. Paling, Emma (December 27, 2018). "Bhutila Karpoche, Ontario's 1st Tibetan MPP, Wants Ontario To Be A Place Where Immigrants Thrive". Huffington Post Canada. Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  4. "About Bhutila". Bhutila Karpoche. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  5. "NDP politician Cheri DiNovo may be leaving politics, but her work on LGBT issues isn't over". Daily Xtra. September 20, 2017.
  6. "First Tibetan, Bhutila Karpoche Wins Election in Canada". Tibetan Journal. June 8, 2018.
  7. "Canada Tibet Committee | Library | WTN". www.tibet.ca. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  8. "Readers' Choice". www.thestar.com. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  9. "Readers' Choice". NOW Magazine. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  10. "Readers' Choice 2021: Toronto's best activists, politicians and public spaces". NOW Magazine. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  11. "Photos". embed-720475.secondstreetapp.com. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  12. "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 9. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
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