Carl DeFaria
Encyclopedia
Carl DeFaria is a politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. He was a Progressive Conservative
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1995 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Ernie Eves
.
DeFaria has a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Toronto
and a law degree from Osgoode Hall
. He worked in criminal and constitutional law before entering political life. DeFaria was also an instructor of the Bar Admission Course for the Law Society of Upper Canada
.
He first ran for the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1990
, as the Tory candidate in the working-class riding of Cambridge
. He finished a distant third, behind prominent New Democrat Mike Farnan
and a Liberal
candidate.
DeFaria then ran for the federal Progressive Conservative Party
in the federal election of 1993
in Mississauga East
, placing a distant third, this time behind Liberal
Albina Guarnieri
and a Reform Party
candidate.
He was elected in Mississauga East by more than 6,000 votes over his Liberal opponent in the provincial election of 1995
, amid a Tory sweep of the Mississauga
region. A moderate, DeFaria remained a backbencher during the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris
.
DeFaria was re-elected in the provincial election of 1999
, defeating his Liberal opponent by more than 4,000 votes. He supported Ernie Eves
to succeed Harris as party leader in 2002, and was named Minister of Citizenship
with responsibility for Seniors on April 15, 2002.
In late 2002, he was criticized by some for issuing a pamphlet of Christmas songs entitled "Sing Along With Carl". One of the works was a Stephen Foster
song from 1851, which referred to blacks as "darkies". DeFaria quickly apologized, claiming that he had not scrutinized the pamphlet carefully enough before its release.
In the provincial election of 2003
, he lost to Liberal candidate Peter Fonseca
(a well-known Olympic athlete) by about 3,000 votes, amid a general regional decline in Tory support.
He ran for the Mississauga South federal Conservative nomination in 2004, losing to Phil Green.
In the 2006 federal election
, DeFaria ran for the Conservative Party of Canada
, finishing second to longtime Liberal incumbent Albina Guarnieri
.
His wife, Riina DeFaria, has also campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
on two occasions.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1995 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Ernie Eves
Ernie Eves
Ernest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
.
DeFaria has a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and a law degree from Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto constructed between 1829 and 1832 in the late Georgian Palladian and Neoclassical styles. It houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society of Upper Canada...
. He worked in criminal and constitutional law before entering political life. DeFaria was also an instructor of the Bar Admission Course for the Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of Upper Canada
The Law Society of Upper Canada is responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1797, it is known in French as "Le Barreau du Haut-Canada"...
.
He first ran for the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1990
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, as the Tory candidate in the working-class riding of Cambridge
Cambridge (electoral district)
Cambridge is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. Its population in 2001 was 119,140.-Geography:...
. He finished a distant third, behind prominent New Democrat Mike Farnan
Mike Farnan
Michael Liam Farnan is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1995, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae....
and a Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
candidate.
DeFaria then ran for the federal Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
in the federal election of 1993
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
in Mississauga East
Mississauga East
Mississauga East was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2003, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 2007. It was located in the city of Mississauga.This riding was created in 1987 from...
, placing a distant third, this time behind Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Albina Guarnieri
Albina Guarnieri
Albina Guarnieri, PC, MP is a former politician. She was a member of Paul Martin's Liberal government and was Canada's 24th Minister of Veterans Affairs...
and a Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
candidate.
He was elected in Mississauga East by more than 6,000 votes over his Liberal opponent in the provincial election of 1995
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, amid a Tory sweep of the Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
region. A moderate, DeFaria remained a backbencher during the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
.
DeFaria was re-elected in the provincial election of 1999
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, defeating his Liberal opponent by more than 4,000 votes. He supported Ernie Eves
Ernie Eves
Ernest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
to succeed Harris as party leader in 2002, and was named Minister of Citizenship
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (Ontario)
The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration is responsible for citizenship and immigration issues in the Canadian province of Ontario. Overall immigration and citizenship policy is still held by the federal government....
with responsibility for Seniors on April 15, 2002.
In late 2002, he was criticized by some for issuing a pamphlet of Christmas songs entitled "Sing Along With Carl". One of the works was a Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
song from 1851, which referred to blacks as "darkies". DeFaria quickly apologized, claiming that he had not scrutinized the pamphlet carefully enough before its release.
In the provincial election of 2003
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, he lost to Liberal candidate Peter Fonseca
Peter Fonseca
Peter Fonseca is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville for the Ontario Liberal Party from 2003-2011.-Background:...
(a well-known Olympic athlete) by about 3,000 votes, amid a general regional decline in Tory support.
He ran for the Mississauga South federal Conservative nomination in 2004, losing to Phil Green.
In the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, DeFaria ran for the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
, finishing second to longtime Liberal incumbent Albina Guarnieri
Albina Guarnieri
Albina Guarnieri, PC, MP is a former politician. She was a member of Paul Martin's Liberal government and was Canada's 24th Minister of Veterans Affairs...
.
His wife, Riina DeFaria, has also campaigned for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
on two occasions.