Philip was married to Audrey with whom he has two children. Previously, he was married to Suzanne.[3] Philip died at Mackenzie Health Hospital in Richmond Hill, Ontario on January 31, 2022.[4]
Philip supported Bob Rae for the provincial NDP leadership in 1982. During his time in opposition, he held various critic portfolios including transportation, housing, rent review and government services. He was also chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.[3] During this session he presented a discussion paper entitled "Guidelines for Public Accounts Committees in Canada" which discussed the evolving role of this type of legislative committee.[9]
Philip was on the right wing of the NDP. He recommended greater privileges for multinational pharmaceutical companies while in government, and rejected a global warming strategy while in the Transportation portfolio. Notwithstanding this, he was generally supportive of progressive legislation and was regularly endorsed by left-leaning groups in Toronto.
The NDP were defeated in the 1995 provincial election and Philip lost the riding of Etobicoke-Rexdale to Progressive Conservative John Hastings by fewer than 900 votes.[13] This was considered a major upset, and Philip was regarded as a favoured candidate for re-election when he ran in the redistributed seat of Etobicoke North in the 1999 provincial election.
The character of the riding had changed since the 1980s, however, and many in the riding's large community of recent immigrants had no history of supporting the NDP. Philip finished third, and Hastings was re-elected by what most considered to be a vote-split among the Liberals and NDP.[14]
