Family Coalition Party of Ontario
Encyclopedia
The Family Coalition Party is a small political party in Ontario
, Canada
that promotes a socially conservative
ideology. It was formed in 1987 by members of the pro-life
organization Campaign Life Coalition
, and has fielded candidates in every provincial election since then. It is led by Phil Lees, a Hamilton school teacher and university instructor.
in the 1975 provincial election
. He served as FCP leader from 1987 to 1997. Pennell subsequently campaigned for the Canadian Alliance
in the 2000 federal election
.
Pennell was replaced by Giuseppe Gori, who led the party from 1997 to October 2009. A leadership convention was held in Hamilton on October 24, 2009, to elect a new leader. Phil Lees was the only candidate for the leadership registered.
The Family Coalition Party's strongest showing to date was in the 1990 provincial election
, when it received over 100,000 votes. In 1990 several candidates received over 10% of the popular vote (the best was 13%) but the party ran only 76 candidates. Its support declined in the 1995
and 1999
elections, followed by a modest recovery in 2003
when it ran in 51 out of 103 ridings. The party has announced its intention to field candidates in every riding for the 2007 election
, however, it nominated 83 candidates in the 107 ridings. In those 83 ridings, it obtained 1.045% of the votes, or 0.82% province-wide. None of its candidates have ever been elected to the Ontario legislature.
During the 1999 election, the party achieved a limited media attention by conducting a demonstration at Queen's Park featuring three "clone
d sheep" to represent Progressive Conservative
leader Mike Harris
, Liberal
leader Dalton McGuinty
and New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton
. The FCP's intent was both to indicate their opposition to cloning technology, and to suggest that the major parties were identical in ignoring family issues.
s, and what it describes as a "healthy competition among schools".
The party's policies on other matters are generally conservative, although not universally so. The FCP supports a reduction in the size of government, as well as "the long-term removal of all measures that insulate industries, businesses, financial institutions, professions and trade unions from domestic and foreign competition". It also favours reconsidering legislation on pay equity, employment equity and labour relations, and the eventual removal of universal federal programs. The FCP recognizes that the government has a role to play in issues relating to environmental management, and ensuring access to health services regardless of ability to pay.
The party also favours electoral reform, and supports "a more proportional system of representation" for general elections. Some leading figures in the party support a Mixed Member Proportional model, similar to the system used in countries such as Germany
and Italy
, to provide greater representation to smaller parties. This system was recommended by the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, and there was a provincial referendum
on it in the 2007 Ontario election
. The FCP also supports voter recall, referenda and electoral financing reform.
In recent years, the party has become more known for its opposition to same-sex marriage and increased benefits for same-sex couples. It opposes same-sex marriage
, and seeks the revocation of all legislation interpreting the word "spouse" to include same-sex couples. Most prominent links on the party's homepage in April 2006 addressed aspects of the marriage issue.
Many of the Family Coalition Party's principles and policies are also supported by the federal Christian Heritage Party of Canada
, and some FCP candidates have campaigned for the CHP at the federal level. Although these groups hold similar positions on abortion and same-sex marriage, they hold opposing views on other issues such as capital punishment
and (in some cases) corporal punishment
.
, Canada. He was the first leader of the Family Coalition Party
, and has campaigned for political office on many occasions.
He first ran for political office in the 1975 Ontario provincial election
, as a Liberal Party
candidate in Burlington South
. He lost to Progressive Conservative
incumbent George Albert Kerr by just under 6,000 votes.
Pennell was a leading figure in founding the Family Coalition Party in 1987. This group was initially a political extension of Campaign Life, an anti-abortion
organization based in Ontario. Pennell was chosen as the FCP's first interim leader, and subsequently as its first full-time leader. In addition to promoting a pro-life
position on abortion, the FCP also promoted socially conservative
views on other issues. In 1987, for instance, Pennell told a Toronto Star
reporter that homosexuality
was "against God's law". Pennell, who was 49 years old at the time of this election, argued that voters were being called to make a choice between "Christ and barbarism".
Pennell ran in Burlington South in the 1987 Ontario election
, and placed a distant fourth with 1,125 votes. He ran in the same riding in the 1990 election
, and received 1,707 votes amid a minor increase in support for his party. He also contested a 1992 by-election
in Brant—Haldimand
, and received 2,056 votes.
In the 1995 provincial election
, Pennell ran against sitting Ontario Premier
Bob Rae
in the Toronto
riding of York South
. The result was the worst of his career. Pennell received only 305 votes, for a very distant fourth place finish. He stepped down as leader of the Family Coalition Party in 1997, and was replaced by Giuseppe Gori.
In the 2000 federal election
, Pennell ran as a candidate of the Canadian Alliance
in Burlington
. Some political observers expressed surprise that the former leader of a minor provincial party would be allowed to stand for Canada's official opposition. Pennell received a career high of 11,500 votes, but still finished almost 11,000 votes behind the winner, Liberal
incumbent Paddy Torsney
. Ironically, Torsney had worked as a volunteer on Pennell's 1975 campaign.
He remained an advisor to the Family Coalition Party after 1997, and helped select the party's candidates for the 1999 provincial election
.
Pennell is also involved in a number of conservative Roman Catholic organizations. He now lives in Vineland, Ontario
, and works as the communications and public relations director of The Fatima Center, a devotional group based around the miracles said to have occurred near Fátima, Portugal
in the early twentieth century. In 2004, Pennell criticized a Hindu
group for conducting a devotional service on the shrine grounds.
in Ontario
, Canada
. From 1997 to 2009, he was the leader of the Family Coalition Party
, a socially conservative
political party in Ontario.
Gori has a Ph.D.
in Computer Science from the University of Pisa
in Italy
(1973). He worked as an Assistant Professor at Pisa for three years, and has also been a visiting professor at the University of Western Ontario
. In the 1980's Gori has held positions at IBM
, Canada Systems Group
and Geac Computer Corporation
.
Gori replaced Donald Pennell as leader of the FCP in 1997. Gori did not run in the October 2009 Leadership election to dedicate more time to his manufacturing business. In that election (October 2009) Phil Lees was elected leader of the Family Coalition Party.
Like other members of his party, he is pro-life (from conception to natural death) and supports what he describes as "traditional family values". Gori is also a supporter of a more proportional system of representation (Mixed Member Proportional).
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...
that promotes a socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
ideology. It was formed in 1987 by members of the pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
organization Campaign Life Coalition
Campaign Life Coalition
The Campaign Life Coalition is a Canadian conservative Christian pro-life group. It is based in Toronto, Ontario...
, and has fielded candidates in every provincial election since then. It is led by Phil Lees, a Hamilton school teacher and university instructor.
History
The first leader of the party was Donald Pennell, who was previously a candidate for the Ontario Liberal PartyOntario 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...
in the 1975 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. He served as FCP leader from 1987 to 1997. Pennell subsequently campaigned for the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
in the 2000 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
.
Pennell was replaced by Giuseppe Gori, who led the party from 1997 to October 2009. A leadership convention was held in Hamilton on October 24, 2009, to elect a new leader. Phil Lees was the only candidate for the leadership registered.
The Family Coalition Party's strongest showing to date was in the 1990 provincial election
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....
, when it received over 100,000 votes. In 1990 several candidates received over 10% of the popular vote (the best was 13%) but the party ran only 76 candidates. Its support declined in the 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...
and 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....
elections, followed by a modest recovery in 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....
when it ran in 51 out of 103 ridings. The party has announced its intention to field candidates in every riding for the 2007 election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
, however, it nominated 83 candidates in the 107 ridings. In those 83 ridings, it obtained 1.045% of the votes, or 0.82% province-wide. None of its candidates have ever been elected to the Ontario legislature.
During the 1999 election, the party achieved a limited media attention by conducting a demonstration at Queen's Park featuring three "clone
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
d sheep" to represent 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...
leader 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...
, 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...
leader Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
and New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
. The FCP's intent was both to indicate their opposition to cloning technology, and to suggest that the major parties were identical in ignoring family issues.
Ideology
The FCP's principles include respect for life, freedom and ownership of property. They emphasize "the family, rather than the individual" as the "basic building block of our society". It argues that parents have an "inalienable right and duty to educate, discipline and care for their children", and asserts that the promotion of stronger family units will result in reduced social problems involving crime and drug addiction. The party's emphasis on the family unit favours heterosexual married couples: it opposes spousal benefits for both same-sex couples and common-law heterosexual couples. The FCP supports increasing personal and spousal tax exemption, as well as providing assistance to single mothers who choose to carry a pregnancy to term. It also recognizes "the work of mothers in the nurturing of children", and supports increased tax benefits for stay-at-home parents. On education, the FCP favours the introduction of voucherVoucher
A voucher is a bond which is worth a certain monetary value and which may be spent only for specific reasons or on specific goods. Examples include housing, travel, and food vouchers...
s, and what it describes as a "healthy competition among schools".
The party's policies on other matters are generally conservative, although not universally so. The FCP supports a reduction in the size of government, as well as "the long-term removal of all measures that insulate industries, businesses, financial institutions, professions and trade unions from domestic and foreign competition". It also favours reconsidering legislation on pay equity, employment equity and labour relations, and the eventual removal of universal federal programs. The FCP recognizes that the government has a role to play in issues relating to environmental management, and ensuring access to health services regardless of ability to pay.
The party also favours electoral reform, and supports "a more proportional system of representation" for general elections. Some leading figures in the party support a Mixed Member Proportional model, similar to the system used in countries such as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, to provide greater representation to smaller parties. This system was recommended by the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, and there was a provincial referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on it in the 2007 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
. The FCP also supports voter recall, referenda and electoral financing reform.
In recent years, the party has become more known for its opposition to same-sex marriage and increased benefits for same-sex couples. It opposes same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
, and seeks the revocation of all legislation interpreting the word "spouse" to include same-sex couples. Most prominent links on the party's homepage in April 2006 addressed aspects of the marriage issue.
Many of the Family Coalition Party's principles and policies are also supported by the federal Christian Heritage Party of Canada
Christian Heritage Party of Canada
The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a federal political party that advocates that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles...
, and some FCP candidates have campaigned for the CHP at the federal level. Although these groups hold similar positions on abortion and same-sex marriage, they hold opposing views on other issues such as capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and (in some cases) corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
.
Election results
| Year of election | # of candidates | # of seats won | # of votes | % of popular vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 Ontario general election, 1987 The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority... |
36 | 0 | 48,110 | 1.3% |
| 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.... |
68 | 0 | 110,831 | 2.7% |
| 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... |
55 | 0 | 61,657 | 1.5% |
| 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.... |
37 | 0 | 24,216 | 0.6% |
| 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.... |
51 | 0 | 34,623 | 0.8% |
| 2007 Ontario general election, 2007 The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular... |
83 | 0 | 35,763 | 0.8% |
Donald Pennell (1987-1997)
Donald Pennell is a political and religious activist in OntarioOntario
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. He was the first leader of the Family Coalition Party
Family Coalition Party of Ontario
The Family Coalition Party is a small political party in Ontario, Canada that promotes a socially conservative ideology. It was formed in 1987 by members of the pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition, and has fielded candidates in every provincial election since then...
, and has campaigned for political office on many occasions.
He first ran for political office in the 1975 Ontario provincial election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, as a Liberal Party
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 in Burlington South
Burlington South
Burlington South was the name of a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was abolished prior to the 1999 election into Burlington and Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot...
. He lost to 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...
incumbent George Albert Kerr by just under 6,000 votes.
Pennell was a leading figure in founding the Family Coalition Party in 1987. This group was initially a political extension of Campaign Life, an anti-abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
organization based in Ontario. Pennell was chosen as the FCP's first interim leader, and subsequently as its first full-time leader. In addition to promoting a pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
position on abortion, the FCP also promoted socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
views on other issues. In 1987, for instance, Pennell told a Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
reporter that homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
was "against God's law". Pennell, who was 49 years old at the time of this election, argued that voters were being called to make a choice between "Christ and barbarism".
Pennell ran in Burlington South in the 1987 Ontario election
Ontario general election, 1987
The Ontario general election of 1987 was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.The governing Ontario Liberal Party, led by David Peterson, was returned to power with a large majority...
, and placed a distant fourth with 1,125 votes. He ran in the same riding in the 1990 election
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....
, and received 1,707 votes amid a minor increase in support for his party. He also contested a 1992 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Brant—Haldimand
Brant—Haldimand
Brant—Haldimand was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1953 to 1968, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1999.-Federal electoral district:...
, and received 2,056 votes.
In the 1995 provincial election
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...
, Pennell ran against sitting Ontario Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
riding of York South
York South
York South was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1926 to 1999....
. The result was the worst of his career. Pennell received only 305 votes, for a very distant fourth place finish. He stepped down as leader of the Family Coalition Party in 1997, and was replaced by Giuseppe Gori.
In the 2000 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
, Pennell ran as a candidate of the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
in Burlington
Burlington (electoral district)
Burlington is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Geography:It consists of the southern part of the city of Burlington, Ontario....
. Some political observers expressed surprise that the former leader of a minor provincial party would be allowed to stand for Canada's official opposition. Pennell received a career high of 11,500 votes, but still finished almost 11,000 votes behind the winner, 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...
incumbent Paddy Torsney
Paddy Torsney
Patricia Ann "Paddy" Torsney, PC is a Canadian politician. She is a former member of the Canadian House of Commons, previously representing the riding of Burlington for the Liberal Party...
. Ironically, Torsney had worked as a volunteer on Pennell's 1975 campaign.
He remained an advisor to the Family Coalition Party after 1997, and helped select the party's candidates for the 1999 provincial election
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....
.
Pennell is also involved in a number of conservative Roman Catholic organizations. He now lives in Vineland, Ontario
Vineland, Ontario
The village of Vineland is an unincorporated community within the Town of Lincoln in the Niagara Peninsula in the province of Ontario, Canada.-Agriculture:...
, and works as the communications and public relations director of The Fatima Center, a devotional group based around the miracles said to have occurred near Fátima, Portugal
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
in the early twentieth century. In 2004, Pennell criticized a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
group for conducting a devotional service on the shrine grounds.
Giuseppe Gori (1997-2009)
Giuseppe Gori is a business man and a politicianPolitician
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...
. From 1997 to 2009, he was the leader of the Family Coalition Party
Family Coalition Party of Ontario
The Family Coalition Party is a small political party in Ontario, Canada that promotes a socially conservative ideology. It was formed in 1987 by members of the pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition, and has fielded candidates in every provincial election since then...
, a socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
political party in Ontario.
Gori has a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Computer Science from the University of Pisa
University of Pisa
The University of Pisa , located in Pisa, Tuscany, is one of the oldest universities in Italy. It was formally founded on September 3, 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(1973). He worked as an Assistant Professor at Pisa for three years, and has also been a visiting professor at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
. In the 1980's Gori has held positions at IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Canada Systems Group
Canada Systems Group
Canada Systems Group was one of the first data processing service bureaus in Canada. Featuring IBM and Amdahl mainframes, disk and network processors, alongside StorageTek tape devices, CSG was the largest, followed by Datacrown, whose owner at the time was Crown Life Insurance, and IP Sharp...
and Geac Computer Corporation
Geac Computer Corporation
Geac Computer Corporation, Ltd was a producer of enterprise resource planning, performance management, and industry specific software based in Markham, ON. It was acquired by Infor Global Solutions in March 2006 for US$1 billion....
.
Gori replaced Donald Pennell as leader of the FCP in 1997. Gori did not run in the October 2009 Leadership election to dedicate more time to his manufacturing business. In that election (October 2009) Phil Lees was elected leader of the Family Coalition Party.
Like other members of his party, he is pro-life (from conception to natural death) and supports what he describes as "traditional family values". Gori is also a supporter of a more proportional system of representation (Mixed Member Proportional).
Electoral Record
(See Elections Ontario results at: http://www.elections.on.ca/en-CA/Tools/PastResults.htm)- Ontario general election, 1990Ontario general election, 1990The 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....
, Halton North, 2,489 votes, or 9.2% (winning candidate: Noel DuignanNoel DuignanNoel Duignan is former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995.-Background:...
, New Democratic Party) - Ontario general election, 1995Ontario general election, 1995The 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...
, York CentreYork CentreYork Centre is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1917 and since 1953....
, 1,891 votes (winning candidate: Al PalladiniAl PalladiniAl Palladini was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 until his death, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Mike Harris.Before entering political life, Palladini was the owner of the Pine Tree Ford...
, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe 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...
) - Ontario general election, 1999Ontario general election, 1999An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, HaltonHalton (electoral district)Halton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988 and again since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 100,055.-Geography:...
, 755 votes (winning candidate: Ted ChudleighTed ChudleighTed Chudleigh is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Halton for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario...
, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe 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...
) - Ontario general election, 2003Ontario general election, 2003The 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....
, HaltonHalton (electoral district)Halton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988 and again since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 100,055.-Geography:...
, 1,123 votes (winning candidate: Ted ChudleighTed ChudleighTed Chudleigh is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Halton for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario...
, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe 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...
) - Ontario general election, 2007Ontario general election, 2007The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
, Wellington - Halton Hills (electoral district), 559 votes (1.3% (winning candidate: Ted ArnottTed ArnottTheodore Calvin Arnott is a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the district of Wellington—Halton Hills....
, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioThe 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...
)
Phil Lees (2009-present)
Lees is an educator by profession. During the couse of his career he became cognizant of what he describes as a "radical change in values being encouraged by the teachers union." He became involved in grass roots activism following a disturbing incident with his own child. Her 5th grade class had been shown a film titled "Head Full of Questions." This film depicted adult sexual intercouse and provided an understanding of homosexuality. He founded a group called the Hamilton-Wentworth Family Action Council to address the issues at local schools. A few years later he ran for office in the 1999 election.Election candidates
- Family Coalition Party of Ontario candidates, 1990 Ontario provincial election
- Family Coalition Party of Ontario candidates, 1995 Ontario provincial election
- Family Coalition Party candidates, 2003 Ontario provincial electionFamily Coalition Party candidates, 2003 Ontario provincial electionThe Family Coalition Party of Ontario is a socially conservative party in Ontario, Canada. The party ran fifty-one candidates in the 2003 Ontario provincial election, none of whom were elected...
- Family Coalition Party of Ontario candidates, 2007 Ontario provincial election
See also
- List of Ontario general elections
- List of Ontario political parties