Former Toronto mayor John Tory is backing Doly Begum, the former NDP MPP who recently defected to join the federal Liberals, in Monday’s Scarborough Southwest byelection.
Tory, an independent who was once closely affiliated with the Progressive Conservatives, joined Begum on the campaign trail in Scarborough on Saturday morning.
“She is a capable, collegial person who will do a good job representing the people of Scarborough Southwest in the Parliament of Canada,” said Tory in an email to the Star, adding that he got to know the then-MPP when he was mayor.
On Monday, three federal byelections will be held, including two in Liberal strongholds in Toronto — Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale — and a closely-contested Quebec race between the Liberals and Bloc Québécois in Terrebonne.
The byelections come with Prime Minister Mark Carney just one seat away from clinching a Liberal majority in the House of Commons after five MPs have crossed the floor to join his party, including former Conservative MP and longtime social conservative Marilyn Gladu earlier this week.
The Scarborough byelection was spurred by the departure of Liberal MP Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief who resigned his federal seat to become high commissioner to the UK.
Begum is facing seven other candidates, including Diana Filipova of the Conservatives, the NDP’s Fatima Shaban and the Green Party’s Pooja Malhotra.
She had been serving as a deputy to Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles when she was poached by the federal Liberals in early February, a surprise move that triggered a political earthquake for the provincial NDP and upended both the provincial and federal landscape in Toronto.
After switching parties, Begum thanked the riding she had represented as an MPP, saying she was now turning her attention to helping build a “more prosperous Canada.”
Begum was born in Bangladesh and grew up in Scarborough. She was first elected to represent the provincial riding at Queen’s Park in 2018 and handily won the following two races. Before entering politics, Begum was involved in helping to lead local organizations such as the Scarborough Health Coalition and Warden Woods Community Centre.
A campaign member for Begum confirmed that Tory joined her Saturday to speak with voters about the new Liberal’s platform.
“Mr. Tory joined Doly this morning to speak with Scarborough voters about her plans to lower costs, bolster community safety, and build a stronger, more independent economy,” Begum’s campaign said. “We are grateful to have his support.”
While Tory noted he hasn’t belonged to a political party since he became mayor in 2014, he said his “strong personal commitment to public service will see me continue to support good people in public life from time to time.”
A few months earlier, Tory said, he spoke at a fundraiser for Liberal MP Vince Gasparro, who was elected to represent Eglinton-Lawrence last spring. Gasparro had previously served as principal secretary to Tory when he was mayor.
“I spoke for him as a non partisan,” Tory said. “Which (I) continue to be.”
Correction — April 11, 2026
This story has been updated to note that Vince Gasparro was principal secretary to former mayor John Tory.
