The Honourable Bob Rae, P.C., C.C., O.Ont., Q.C., former Premier of Ontario, and former interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, was born in 1948, in Ottawa. A Rhodes Scholar, he completed his studies at Oxford University in 1973 and graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1977.
Mr. Rae’s passion for social justice dates back to his early days in student politics and community service. Between 1978 and 2013, he was elected 11 times to federal and provincial parliaments, and served as the Premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995.
Mr. Rae stepped down as a Member of Parliament in 2013 to return to legal practice and, in particular, to work with Indigenous communities and continue his work in education, governance, and human rights. He currently serves as senior counsel at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP.
In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Rae is a Fellow of the Forum of Federations, and teaches at the University of Toronto in the School of Public Policy and Governance, the Faculty of Law, Massey College, and Victoria College. He is also a mediator and arbitrator with ADR Chambers.
Mr. Rae has served as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Myanmar since 2017. In this role, he engaged in diplomatic efforts to address the crisis in the country’s Rakhine State.
Bob Rae is a Privy Councillor, a Companion of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario, and has numerous awards and honorary degrees from institutions in Canada and around the world.
Along with music, reading, and writing, he loves tennis, golf, and fishing. He is married to Arlene Perly Rae. They have three daughters and live in Toronto.