Meet Ted

Your MPP for Kingston and the Islands

Ted Hsu (pronounced "SHOE") lives in Kingston, Ontario with his wife and two daughters. His extended family of parents, aunts and an uncle also call Kingston home. Ted's parents immigrated to Kingston in 1964, and he grew up in the Calvin Park area of Kingston, attending St. Thomas More and LCVI. 


Work and Family
After high school, Ted worked summer jobs and earned scholarships to pay for his education. He followed his passion for science and became a physicist.  After nine years working in science, he took his math, computing and problem solving skills to the world of finance where he was eventually promoted to manage a team and business line. 

Following science and business, Ted was a stay-at-home dad for three years and chose to return to Kingston with his family. It was during these important years with his first daughter that Ted's interest in the environment and politics grew. He took on the challenge of becoming the executive director of SWITCH, a local sustainable energy association which promotes local job creation and green economic growth, and he compiled the first Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Kingston covering the years 2000-2006. 



Political Life and Community Service

Ted's diverse background of experiences helped him to understand the biggest challenges of the people of Kingston and the Islands and he became an effective legislator for those who reside here.

In 2011, Ted was elected Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, one of very few scientists in parliament.

In 2014-15, Ted revived and led a national campaign to restore the long-form census because of the vital information it delivers to our society. That restoration became the first act of the newly elected Liberal government in 2015. Public Health is a critical beneficiary of this information.

Two additional highlights of his term included his role as chair of the Ontario Liberal caucus from 2012-2015, as well as being awarded a Maclean’s Parliamentarian of the Year (2013) as MP who “Best Represents Constituents” for his work for the people of Kingston and the Islands.

In 2015, Ted successfully finished his term and announced he would not seek re-election. That decision in 2015 was a hard one, but right for his family at that time. He and his wife concluded that "children are only young once, but politics will always need good people."

Although Ted stepped down, he did not step away from politics and serving his community. He continued on, simply closer to home. He has worked locally with startup companies, coached robotics teams, mentored budding politicians, volunteered on a city referendum campaign and managed two election campaigns. He returned to volunteering on the board of SWITCH and the Chinese Canadian Association of Kingston and District.

In 2019, in response to one of our community's most dire issues, Ted was asked by Kingston's Mayor Bryan Paterson to co-chair the Mayor's Task Force on Housing. He stepped up to the invitation, worked with an amazing group of community members, and then co-wrote the final report with recommendations to City Council. Over a year of work, the task force identified solutions to providing more housing and making housing more affordable for all in the Kingston area.

With his older daughter graduated from high school and his younger daughter a tween, Ted ran again for elected office.

He is honoured to have won the 2022 Ontario Provincial Election for MPP in Kingston and the Islands and looks forward to contributing his background, expertise, and energy to building the best Ontario possible. There are very serious issues facing our province that need thoughtful solutions that are carefully rolled out and evaluated. Our province is in need of innovative growth to provide jobs and fuel productivity as a way to navigate inflationary times.

During the 2022 Ontario election, Ted was honoured to be one of 13 candidates for MPP, across all parties, who were endorsed by GreenPAC.ca for environmental leadership.


On the Personal Side

Along with both official languages, Ted also speaks Mandarin Chinese, which he learned at home from his parents. His hobbies have included coaching elementary and high school robotics teams and playing competitive chess. He enjoys seasonal activities like veggie gardening, apple and strawberry picking, taking hikes in local conservation areas and walks along the Kingston waterfront with his family and their dog Snickers.

TED HSU

MPP Kingston and the Islands

Former MP
Proud Husband and Parent      
Physicist | Finance Executive | Environmentalist
Science Policy Advocate