Peter Adams
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Peter Adams (born April 17, 1936 in the United Kingdom) is a Canadian politician, and a Liberal Member of Canada's House of Commons. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1993, representing the riding of Peterborough in eastern Ontario. Previously, Adams represented the provincial riding of Peterborough in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990, sitting as a member of the Ontario Liberal Party.
Adams was educated at the University of Sheffield and McGill University, earning a Ph.D. He has served as director of the subartic research laboratory in Schefferville, Quebec, and was a professor of Geography and coordinator of Northern Studies at Trent University in Peterborough before entering political life. Adams has authored many books and articles, co-edited the regional history Peterborough and the Kawarthas, and has taken part in fundraising campaigns for the United Way, the Canadian Cancer Society and the Red Cross. In 1981, he was named as Peterborough's Citizen of the Year.
He first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1977 provincial election, but finished third against Progressive Conservative John Turner (not to be confused with the former Liberal Prime Minister) and incumbent New Democrat Gill Sandeman. He ran again in the 1981 provincial election, and this time finished second against Turner.
Adams ran a third time in the 1987 provincial election, and won by a comfortable majority amid a landslide victory for the Liberal Party across the province. He was not appointed to the cabinet of David Peterson, but served as parliamentary assistant to Minister of the Environment Jim Bradley from 1989 to 1990. Throughout his career, Adams has retained an interest in environmental issues.
The Liberals were unexpectedly defeated by the New Democratic Party in the 1990 provincial election, and Adams lost his seat to NDP candidate Jenny Carter by 185 votes. Some have blamed Adams's loss on a stronger-than-average showing by fringe party candidates, siphoning votes from the Liberals.
Adams was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the federal election of 1993, defeating Progressive Conservative incumbent Bill Domm by almost 16,000 votes. He has been re-elected in the elections of 1997, 2000 and 2004, each time by a comfortable margin.
Adams is on the left-wing of the Liberal Party. He was for many years a prominent supporter of Jean Chrétien, opposing Paul Martin's bid to succeed Chrétien as party leader. Nevertheless, Adams was appointed by Martin as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development on July 20, 2004.
| Preceded by: Bill Domm | Member of Parliament for Peterborough 1993- | Succeeded by: Incumbent |