Joe Volpe
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the Canadian politician. For information about the opera manager, see Joseph Volpe (opera manager).
Giuseppe Joseph "Joe" Volpe, PC
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, (born September 21, 1947) was a Canadian
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was a Liberal member of 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...
from 1988 until the 2011 federal election, being surpassed by the conservative member Joe Oliver Joe Oliver, and held two senior positions in Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's Cabinet from 2003 to 2006. In 2006, he was a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party
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...
. He was subsequently named Party's transportation critic.
Background
Volpe was born in MonteleoneMonteleone di Puglia
Monteleone di Puglia is a hill town and comune of the province of Foggia in the Puglia region of southern Italy.-History:In 1942, southern Italy was on the verge of social, economic, and political collapse. Many men were sent to fight in World War II for the Italian army, and the wives of those...
, Puglia, 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...
, and moved to Canada with his family in 1955. He was raised in a working-class household and earned 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...
(1970), Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
(1971) and Master of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
(1980) degrees 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...
. As a teacher, he taught in Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
from 1971 to 1974, headed the history department of a secondary school in Etobicoke
Etobicoke, Ontario
Etobicoke is a dissolved municipality located within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the western section of the current city, it had an official population of 338,117 as measured by the 2001 Census and 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of...
from 1974 to 1979, and was head of multicultural studies in a college in Weston, Ontario between 1979 and 1982. He worked as a mortgage development officer in 1982-83, and was vice-principal of the J.M. McGuigan Secondary School (which he helped found) between 1983 and 1988.
He is married to Mirella and they have four children: Luciano, Flavio, Letizia and Massimo.
Early political career
Volpe first became involved with the Liberal Party in the 1968 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
, when he worked on Charles Caccia
Charles Caccia
Charles L. Caccia, PC was a Canadian politician.Caccia was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons. He represented the Toronto riding of Davenport between 1968 and 2004.Caccia was born in 1930 in Milan, Italy...
's campaign in Davenport
Davenport (electoral district)
Davenport is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935. Its population in 2001 was 111,705.-Geography:...
. He ran for the North York Board of Education in the 1974 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 1974
The 1974 Toronto municipal election was held on December 2, 1974 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mayors, controllers, city councillors and school board trustees were elected in the municipalities of Toronto, York, East York, North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough.David Crombie was...
as a separate school representative, but was defeated. He later ran for the Ontario legislature
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...
in the 1981 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1981
The Ontario general election of 1981 was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
and narrowly lost to New Democratic Party incumbent Odoardo Di Santo
Odoardo Di Santo
Odoardo Di Santo is a politician and administrator in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1985, as a member of the New Democratic Party ....
in Downsview
Downsview (electoral district)
Downsview was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 1963 provincial election, and was retained until redistribution in 1999...
. The following year, he supported David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
for the Ontario 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...
leadership.
Volpe subsequently chaired the sponsoring group of an immigrant counseling agency called Alliance Community Services, which received a controversial $500,000 grant from the federal government in January 1984. Local municipal politicians Howard Moscoe
Howard Moscoe
Howard Moscoe was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 15 in the western part of Eglinton-Lawrence. Among the most prominent and longest-serving councillors in the city, he is also known for an outspokenness which has landed him in controversy at times. Moscoe is a member of...
and Maria Rizzo
Maria Rizzo
Maria Rizzo is a politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was a member of the Toronto Public School Board from 1982 to 1985, and was a North York city councillor from 1991 to 1997. She is currently a member of the Toronto Catholic School Board...
charged that the ACS was a partisan organization and that the grant was political patronage; Volpe and others rejected this charge. Maria Minna
Maria Minna
Maria Minna, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who represented the Toronto riding of Beaches—East York in the House of Commons as a member of the Liberal Party from 1993 to 2011.-Background:...
, the president of COSTI-IIAS Immigrant Services, opposed the grant on the grounds that the new organization would duplicate the work of her organization. Employment and Immigration Minister
Minister of Employment and Immigration (Canada)
The Minister of Employment and Immigration was an office in the Cabinet of Canada, in operation from 1977 to 1996. On July 12, 1996, the office of the Minister of Employment and Immigration was abolished and replaced with the office of Minister of Human Resources Development...
John Roberts retracted the grant following criticism, but later reversed himself and allowed it to proceed. The ACS dissolved in early 1985.
Volpe increased his profile in the mid-1980s by recruiting many new Liberal Party members from Toronto's Italian community. He helped influence several party nomination contests, including John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
's 1984 victory over Paul Hellyer
Paul Hellyer
Paul Theodore Hellyer, PC is a Canadian engineer, politician, writer and commentator who has had a long and varied career. He is the longest serving current member of the Privy Council, just ahead of Prince Philip.-Early life:...
in York South—Weston
York South—Weston
York South—Weston is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Electoral district:It is in the west-end of Toronto. The riding has a largely working class and immigrant population...
. Some questioned Volpe's methods and suggested that he was manipulating the system by signing up "instant party members", a charge that he denied. He endorsed John Roberts in the 1984 federal Liberal leadership convention, and threw his support to Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
on the second ballot after Roberts withdrew from the contest. The winning candidate was John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
, who led the Liberal Party to defeat in the 1984 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
.
Volpe unsuccessfully campaigned for the presidency of the Ontario Liberal Party in 1985 and 1986, against media speculation that leading figures in the party opposed his candidacy. Despite Volpe's earlier support for Chrétien, he organized a pro-Turner slate for the Liberal Party's 1986 leadership review. Turner, who was faced with public and backroom challenges since 1984, received the necessary support to consolidate his leadership. Volpe spoke out against the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
the following year, while most of the Liberal leadership supported it.
Nomination challenge
Volpe successfully challenged sitting Liberal Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) Rev. Roland de Corneille to win the party's nomination for Eglinton—Lawrence
Eglinton—Lawrence
Eglinton—Lawrence is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999....
in the 1988 election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
. The contest was extremely divisive, with de Corneille alleging that Volpe was "trying to organize a group for his personal advantage" in recruiting new members from the riding's Italian community.
After losing the nomination, de Corneille endorsed Progressive Conservative
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....
candidate Tony Abbott
Anthony Abbott
Anthony Chisholm "Tony" Abbott, PC is a former Canadian politician.Born in Montreal, the son of Douglas Charles Abbott, Abbott was a lawyer by profession before being elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Mississauga, Ontario in the 1974 federal...
, who was himself a former Liberal cabinet minister. Volpe defended his right to seek the nomination, arguing that Toronto's Italian residents were seeking to play a more active role in government. He also sought a reconciliation with de Corneille's supporters, many of whom were from the riding's Jewish community. Despite the divisions engendered by his nomination, Volpe won a convincing victory on election day.
Opposition member, 1988-1993
The Progressive Conservatives were re-elected with a majority government in the 1988 election and Volpe sat as a member of the official opposition for the next five years, serving as his party's revenueMinister of National Revenue (Canada)
The Minister of National Revenue is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency and the administration of taxation law and collection....
critic for part of this time. During the constitutional debates of the early 1990s, he suggested that the Parliament of Canada
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
(as opposed to the executive branch of government) should assume responsibility for reformulating the terms of Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. He argued that parliament represented a strong cross-section of Canada's population, saying that parliamentary initiative on constitutional reform could save millions of dollars on "needless commissions".
Volpe supported Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
in the 1990 federal Liberal leadership convention, which was won by Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
. He subsequently opposed some of Chrétien's reforms to the Liberal Party constitution, including a change that allowed the leader to appoint candidates in selected ridings. Several Chrétien supporters defended this as necessary to prevent "instant party members" from taking over the party nomination process; many believe the change was directed against both Volpe and the Liberals For Life
Liberals for Life
Liberals for Life was a pro-life advocacy group that worked within the Liberal Party of Canada during the 1980s and early 1990s. Some of its members were also affiliated with the Campaign Life Coalition, and, as such, the group was often accused of entryism....
group affiliated with MP Tom Wappel
Tom Wappel
Thomas William "Tom" Wappel is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, representing the Toronto riding of Scarborough West and its successor riding of Scarborough Southwest. He did not seek re-election in the 2008 general election.Wappel is a...
.
Volpe remained one of Martin's most prominent Toronto-area supporters after 1990. Many political observers believe this association kept him out of cabinet during Chrétien's tenure as prime minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, from 1993 to 2003.
Government backbencher
The Liberals won a majority government in the 1993 election, and Volpe sat as a government backbencher in the parliament that followed. He was elected chair of the Ontario Liberal caucus following the election, but unexpectedly lost the position to a challenge from Sue BarnesSue Barnes
Susan "Sue" Barnes, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. Barnes is currently a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and was in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of London West from 1993 to 2008....
in 1995. On 23 February 1996, he was appointed parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister of National Health and Welfare
Minister of Health (Canada)
The Minister of Health is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health department and the enforcing the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Health Act, the law governing Medicare...
. The ministry was renamed on 12 July 1996, and Volpe's position was restyled as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Health, a position he held until 15 July 1998.
Volpe was easily re-elected to parliament in the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
. His closest opponent was Progressive Conservative candidate David Rotenberg
David Rotenberg
David Rotenberg is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 1985 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party, and was briefly a cabinet minister in the government of Frank Miller.Rotenberg was born in Toronto, and educated at the...
, a former minister in the provincial government of Frank Miller. Volpe later endorsed Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
's bid to become Mayor of Toronto in 1997 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 1997
The 1997 Toronto municipal election was the first election held for offices in the amalgamated "megacity" of Toronto, Canada. The elections were administered by the old City of Toronto and its five suburbs within Metropolitan Toronto...
.
Volpe served as chair of the all-party Commons Health Committee after the 1997 election. He brought forward a report in late 1998 encouraging the sale of herbal medicines in Canada, and advocating their regulation in a category separate from foods and drugs. The following year, his committee produced a series of recommendations for improving Canada's organ donation
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
system.
Volpe was also given responsibility for overseeing Canada's investigation of a controversial vitamin-hormone cancer treatment run by Dr. Luigi di Bella
Luigi di Bella
Luigi di Bella was an Italian medical doctor and physiology professor. In the late 1990s, he created a purported treatment for cancer that precipitated an international controversy. Di Bella was born in Linguaglossa, Sicily. He studied medicine at Bari University, and worked as an army doctor in...
in Italy. Some of Di Bella's supporters believed that his treatments actually cured cancer, and requested that their government investigate the possibility of assisting his research. Volpe led a delegation of Canadian doctors to Italy, arguing that they would either expose Di Bella as a fraud or establish the terms for assistance: they concluded there was no evidence to support the validity of his work. Volpe initially recommended that further research be conducted, arguing the doctor's treatment could lead to an improved quality of life for cancer patients even if it did not actually cure the disease.
In 1999, Volpe argued that the government's proposed Citizenship Act was too restrictive and arbitrary, saying that it could result in reduced immigration to Canada. He and fellow MP Andrew Telegdi
Andrew Telegdi
Andrew Telegdi, PC is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2008, representing Waterloo and the successor riding of Kitchener—Waterloo....
were particularly critical of a section of the bill which allowed cabinet ministers to override the judicial system in rejecting applications from immigrants. He voted against the bill on its final reading in May 2000.
Volpe was not promoted to cabinet in the August 1999 cabinet shuffle. He served as chair of the Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources in 2000, and developed a report for improving Canada's national highway system. He also collaborated with Toronto-area MPs Derek Lee and John McKay
John McKay (politician)
John Norman McKay, PC, MP is a lawyer and a Canadian politician. He is the Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Scarborough—Guildwood. McKay was formerly the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance while the Liberal party governed, but now serves as an opposition MP...
to create a job placement and training program for at-risk youth in Toronto, called Workplace Connections. He described as "unfortunate" Canada's decision to support an United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
resolution critical of Israel in October 2000, and later argued that Canada should have abstained. During the 2000 campaign
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....
, Volpe advocated tax breaks for parents who send their children to private religious schools. He was re-elected without difficulty.
Volpe sought re-appointment as chair of the Natural Resources committee in 2001, but did not receive the position. He became increasingly critical of the Chrétien government during the next two years, and made no secret of his support for Paul Martin to replace Chrétien as party leader. Volpe criticized the Chrétien government for moving too slowly to replace Canada's aging Sea King
Sea King helicopter
Sea King helicopter may refer to:* SH-3 Sea King* CH-124 Sea King* Westland Sea King...
helicopters, and encouraged the government to purchase the EH-101 Cormorant helicopters recommended by the previous Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. In November 2002, he called for the government to provide compensation for all victims of Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
who were infected through the national blood supply system, and criticized the Chrétien government's more restrictive settlement. He also expressed skepticism about the Chrétien government's plans to decriminalize cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
, saying "I believe it's a gateway drug. [...] It's going to be a pretty convincing argument to get me to vote for it." He was an opponent of the government's plans to legalize 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...
during this period, and voted to retain the traditional definition of marriage in 2003.
Volpe worked openly for Paul Martin's bid to replace Chrétien as Liberal Party leader after June 2002, when Martin left Chrétien's cabinet under disputed circumstances. In June 2002, Volpe became one of the first sixteen Liberal MPs to publicly call for Chrétien to resign as prime minister. During the same year, he became a founding member of the group Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel
Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel
Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel is an organization of pro-Israel parliamentarians in the Liberal Party of Canada. The group was founded in 2002, and includes MPs such as Irwin Cotler, Joe Volpe and Carolyn Bennett. Former parliamentarians Stephen Owen and Jim Peterson were also members. As...
.
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Paul Martin won an overwhelming victory in the 2003 federal Liberal leadership convention, and became Prime Minister of CanadaPrime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
on December 12, 2003. He appointed Volpe to cabinet as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (Canada)
The Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the federal department that oversees programs such as Employment Insurance and Canada Student Loans...
, with responsibility for labour, homelessness, training, community economic development and federal student loans. He was also named as political minister for Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, and was appointed to Martin's priorities and planning committee, known as the inner cabinet. Soon after his appointment, Volpe announced that he would revamp the federal job skills and training programs to better meet the needs of employers. He argued that Canada needed significant skill upgrading reforms in order to retain its long-term employment prospects.
Volpe announced a new "Compassionate Care" benefit in January 2004, providing paid leave for Canadians who were forced to leave work to care for seriously ill family members. In May of the same year, he introduced reforms to Canada's Employment Insurance laws making it easier for seasonal workers to apply for benefits. Volpe promised a number of spending initiatives during the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, including $1 billion over five years for research, development and innovation in the automotive industry.
The Liberals were reduced to a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
in this election, although Volpe was re-elected by a comfortable margin in Eglinton—Lawrence. He was retained as Human Resources and Skills Development minister after the election.
In late 2004, Canadian Auditor General Sheila Fraser
Sheila Fraser
Sheila Fraser served as Auditor General of Canada from 2001 to 2011.Ms. Fraser was born in Dundee, Quebec, Canada. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University in 1972. She then became a chartered accountant in 1974 and FCA in 1994...
accused the federal government of violating the spirit of its laws by running a large surplus of Employment Insurance funds, arguing that the government was using money earmarked for the unemployed to fund separate programs. Volpe acknowledged there were problems with the EI system, but noted that rates were falling and would likely continue to fall in the future.
During the same period, federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government department responsible for immigration, refugee and citizenship issues, Citizenship and Immigration Canada...
Judy Sgro
Judy Sgro
Judy Sgro, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, she currently represents the electoral district of York West in the Canadian House of Commons.-Councillor:...
was criticized for granting a temporary residency permit to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n exotic dancer who had worked on her election campaign. Sgro denied she had done anything wrong, and argued that she granted the permit on compassionate grounds. In the aftermath of the controversy, the Martin government eliminated a federal program that allowed foreign-born exotic dancers to enter the country. Volpe was given credit for this decision and was quoted as saying, "I didn't feel in the slightest bit comfortable with the program and I didn't think there was any justification for it".
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Judy Sgro announced her resignation from cabinet on 14 January 2005, following accusations that she had offered to intervene in the immigration hearing of Harjit Singh in return for free food during the 2004 campaign (these accusations were later retracted and Sgro was cleared of any wrongdoing). Volpe was named as her successor. The Globe and Mail newspaper subsequently published an article which indicated that Sgro believed Volpe wanted her cabinet position, and further asserted that the two were rivals within the party. Volpe denied that he had anything to do with Sgro's resignation and cast doubt on the veracity of the report, saying that Sgro had told him directly that she did not make the statement attributed to her.Two days after his appointment, Volpe pledged to tighten Canada's refugee system and to accelerate the processing time for individual claimants. He also promised to give illegal immigrant workers the means and opportunity to attain legal status in Canada, although rejecting the option of a blanket amnesty, and pledged to promote regional immigration outside of Canada's major cities. In mid-February 2005, he announced that spouses and common-law partners living in Canada without legal status would be eligible to apply under the family class sponsorship program. In the same period, Volpe asked his department to work on building cases to revoke the citizenship of five suspected Nazi war criminals living in Canada.
In April 2005, Volpe announced that the Martin government would fast-track the admission of 110,000 wage earning immigrants into Canada. He also announced that Canada would try to cut the waiting time for citizenship applications from 18 to 12 months, and that the Martin government would triple the number of parents and grandparents eligible to enter Canada.
In late 2005, Volpe announced that his government would seek a 35% increase in immigration over five years. He noted that there was a pressing need for more skilled immigrants throughout all parts of the country, and suggested that trade skills be emphasized over university education in determining the success of individual applications. Some within the Liberal Party criticized his proposal, arguing that it would be more appropriate to fix current backlogs in the immigration system. Volpe also proposed legislation to make foreign-born adopted children automatic citizens of Canada. After a serious earthquake struck Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in October 2005, Volpe announced that the Canadian government would take steps to expedite the reunification of families affected by the tragedy.
In November 2005, Volpe released a strategic plan for a national immigration policy following consultation with provincial and territorial leaders. The plan included improved recognition of immigrants with professional skills, such as doctors.
Also in November, the House of Commons Immigration Committee voted 6-5 along party lines to block $168 million in new money for immigration programs. Volpe criticized the opposition committee members for voting down the funding, arguing that their decision would jeopardize several previously-announced reforms. Some opposition members argued that Volpe had not adequately justified his department's spending.
One of Volpe's last major acts as Immigration Minister was to announce a $920 million immigration settlement deal with the Government of Ontario on 21 November 2005. Under the terms of the deal, the money was to be earmarked to help immigrants settle, integrate, and become proficient in the English language. In the same week, Volpe also announced the creation of an "in-Canada" economic class of immigrants, making it easier for people on temporary work permits to apply for citizenship. Volpe's department argued that the change would match immigrants with skill shortages, which addressing backlogs in the immigration system.
Minister responsible for Ontario and for the Greater Toronto Area
In March 2004, Volpe announced the addition of nearly $8 million for existing crime prevention programs in Ontario. In May of the same year, he announced that the federal government would provide $1 billion in funding for GO TransitGO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
.
Also in May 2004, Volpe wrote an official letter to Toronto Mayor David Miller, promising that the federal government would not order the construction of a bridge to the Toronto City Centre Airport
Toronto City Centre Airport
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , commonly known as the Toronto Island Airport is an airport located on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after Air Marshal Billy Bishop, a Canadian First World War flying ace...
against the wishes of Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
. Miller had been elected in the 2003 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 2003
The Toronto municipal election of 2003 was held on November 10, 2003, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to elect the Mayor of Toronto, 44 city councillors, and school board trustees.David Miller was elected mayor ....
on a promise to cancel the bridge, and had previously expressed concern that the federal Toronto Port Authority
Toronto Port Authority
The Toronto Port Authority is a Canadian port authority responsible for management of the harbour of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, including the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport...
might authorize its construction even after the city withdrew support. Volpe later expressed concerns about the continued viability of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp., and emerged as a prominent critic of Miller's plans for waterfront management.
In May 2005, Volpe announced that the federal government would pay $35 million to the Toronto Port Authority to in compensation for the cancellation of the Toronto Island Airport Bridge. In September of the same year, he announced that a 1.4 acres (5,665.6 m²) piece of waterfront property at Yonge St. and Queen's Quay would remain in public hands. Many regard this property as essential for any future strategy involving comprehensive waterfront renewal.
Volpe remained active with issues of interest to the Italian community in Toronto, and was a prominent supporter of RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
International's bid to receive a television licence in Canada.
Criticisms and controversies
Volpe reconsidered his position on same-sex marriage in 2004, and voted with the rest of cabinet to grant legal status to same-sex marriages in 2005. Critics accused him of opportunism for changing his position. Volpe responded by arguing that he had played a contributory role in creating balanced legislation that protects the rights of both minority groups and religious institutions.In May 2005, two Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
MPs were photographed posing with a poster from the Western Standard
Western Standard
The Western Standard is a Calgary, Alberta-based libertarian-conservative publication that billed itself as Canada's only conservative national news magazine...
with the title "The Liberano$", comparing the Liberal Party to the mafia television show The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
. The poster was sparked by accusations made against the Liberal Party during the federal sponsorship scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
of 2004-05. Volpe argued that the poster was offensive to Canadians of Italian heritage, and commented "These are the same Conservatives who think that every immigrant is a potential terrorist and criminal and everything else", and "Notwithstanding that they don't have their cowl and their cape, the Klan looks like they're still very much alive." The Conservative Party demanded an apology from Volpe, who acknowledged that his words "might have been a little intemperate" because of what he interpreted as a "racial slur".
In September 2005, it was reported that Volpe had claimed $10,891.15 in meal and transportation expenses over an eleven-month period. Opposition MPs argued that this figure was excessive, and noted that Volpe's meal expenses were more than three times higher than his predecessor as Immigration Minister, Judy Sgro, during the same period a year earlier. Volpe argued that his schedule was extremely busy, and that he had to meet with "many stakeholders" in the course of his ministerial duties. There was at least one instance of Volpe charging for two separate meals on the same night. His staff argued that he had made arrangements to meet with two groups of people on the same night, and could not cancel either meeting. In March 2006, the conservative Canadian Taxpayers Federation
Canadian Taxpayers Federation
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is a Canadian federally incorporated, non-profit organization and taxpayers union that claims to have over 70,000 supporters across Canada. The organization advocates lower taxes, and a reduction of what it considers to be waste in government...
awarded Volpe with its 8th annual "Teddy" award as the previous year's worst offender in federal government overspending.
Opposition member, 2006-2011
The three opposition parties united to bring down the Liberal government in late 2005, and a new electionCanadian 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:...
was called for January 2006. During the campaign, Volpe and Paul Martin announced that, if re-elected, their government would waive the $975 landing fee charged to immigrants. The Liberals were defeated, however, and the Conservative Party came to office with a minority government. Volpe was again re-elected without difficulty in his own riding. Following the election, he was named as official opposition critic
Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (Canada)
The Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 39th Canadian parliament is listed below. Members are drawn from the Liberal Party of Canada, and most are members of their parliamentary caucus...
to the President of the Treasury Board
President of the Treasury Board (Canada)
The position of President of the Treasury Board was created as a ministerial position in the Canadian Cabinet in 1966 when the Treasury Board became a full-fledged department. From 1867 to 1966 the Treasury Board had been part of the Department of Finance....
.
In early September 2006, Volpe announced that he would break with his party's official position and support a softwood lumber deal negotiated by the Conservative government with the United States of America. In November of the same year, Volpe was one of fifteen Liberal MPs who voted against a resolution from Prime Minister Stephen Harper that recognized the Québécois
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
as a nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
within Canada.
Leadership candidate
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
of echoing the foreign policy vision of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
.
At the start of his campaign, Volpe was supported by Liberal MPs Jim Karygiannis
Jim Karygiannis
James "Jim" Karygiannis, PC, MP is a Canadian Liberal politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988, and was the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal...
, Wajid Khan
Wajid Khan
Wajid Ali Khan is a Canadian businessman and politician. Until 2008, he was a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville as a Conservative Member of Parliament.-Early life:Khan served as an officer and a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force from 1966 to...
, Yasmin Ratansi
Yasmin Ratansi
Yasmin Ratansi is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Don Valley East in the Canadian House of Commons. She is a member of the Liberal Party. Ratansi is an Ismaili Muslim, and was the first Muslim woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons.-Before politics:Born in Dar es...
, Joe Comuzzi
Joe Comuzzi
Joseph Robert "Joe" Comuzzi, PC is a former Canadian politician.Comuzzi was born in Fort William, Ontario. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Windsor in 1954. In 1966, Comuzzi received the University of Windsor Alumni Award of Merit, the Alumni Association's most...
, Sukh Dhaliwal
Sukh Dhaliwal
Sukh Dhaliwal, MP is a businessman and politician in British Columbia, Canada, who was the Liberal Member of Parliament for Newton—North Delta from 2006 to 2011....
, Massimo Pacetti
Massimo Pacetti
Massimo Pacetti is a Canadian politician from Quebec, Canada. Pacetti has served in the Canadian House of Commons since winning a 2002 by-election in the riding of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel...
, and Lui Temelkovski
Lui Temelkovski
Lubomir "Lui" Temelkovski is a Canadian federal politician. He was the Member of Parliament for the riding of Oak Ridges—Markham in Ontario, representing the Liberal Party of Canada. He was first elected in the 2004 federal election and was re-elected in the 2006 election...
, and former MPs Nick Discepola
Nick Discepola
Nunzio Discepola is an Italian-born Canadian politician.Discepola was a Member of Parliament representing the Liberal Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, from the riding of Vaudreuil-Soulanges between 1997 and 2004, and Vaudreuil from 1993 to 1997. Discepola is a former businessman...
and Bob Speller
Bob Speller
Robert "Bob" Speller, PC is a Canadian politician.A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Speller was elected to the Canadian House of Commons four times from 1988 to 2000...
. Dhaliwal, Karygiannis and Ratansi later withdrew their support.
Apotex donations
Volpe's campaign was hindered by controversy. In May 2006, the Canadian media reported that he had received $108,000 in donations from current and former executives of the drug company Apotex Inc., and each of their spouses and children. All of the donations were for $5,400, the maximum allowed for individual donations under the law, while five cheques were in the names of children under eighteen years of age. Companies are banned from donating money to a federal leadership campaign and individuals are prohibited from donating money on behalf of someone else, although donations from minors are not illegal. Critics charged that the Apotex contributions may have been an attempt to sidestep Canada's laws on corporate donations. NDP MP Pat MartinPat Martin
Patrick "Pat" Martin is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Canadian House of Commons since 1997, representing the riding of Winnipeg Centre for the New Democratic Party.-Career:...
accused Volpe of deliberately orchestrating fraudulent donations and asked the Elections Commissioner to investigate whether "individuals may be trying to circumvent campaign fundraising limits". After Volpe threatened a libel suit, Martin said that his initial accusation was an overstatement but maintained that his call for an investigation was justified. While other parties criticized the donations, Liberal national director Steven MacKinnon stated that the party would not launch an investigation, arguing that it was the responsibility of Elections Canada to regulate donations. The donations were parodied by a website called "YouthForVolpe.ca".
Volpe responded by promising to return any donations that contravened the letter or spirit of the law. He returned the five cheques from minors after extensive media criticism, and denied that any laws had been broken. The controversy nonetheless damaged his candidacy. Sukh Dhaliwal withdrew his support from Volpe after the controversy broke, saying "I think this thing should not happen in any campaign". Other Liberals requested that Volpe withdraw from the contest due to negative publicity, but he said that this was not an option he was considering. In July 2006, Volpe argued that the Federal Accountability Act should be amended to prevent persons under eighteen from contributing to political campaigns.
On December 5, 2006, Elections Canada stated that Volpe had not violated election financing law in accepting the contributions.
Other controversies
Jim KarygiannisJim Karygiannis
James "Jim" Karygiannis, PC, MP is a Canadian Liberal politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988, and was the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal...
, who had been Volpe's campaign chair, left the campaign on 21 July 2006 after disagreements over Volpe's staunch pro-Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
stance in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
. Soon after his abrupt departure, Karygiannis called the police to prevent a Volpe official from removing computers at the campaign's Scarborough headquarters, which had been leased in Karygiannis's name. No charges were filed. There was speculation that Karygiannis's recruits were more loyal to him than to Volpe, and that his departure would create serious difficulties for Volpe's candidacy.
On October 15, 2006, the 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...
reported that the Career Foundation, a federally-funded charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
serving the unemployed, had paid seven of its clients to work on Volpe's leadership campaign. The Foundation is headquartered in Volpe's Eglinton—Lawrence riding and fell under his purview during his tenure as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (Canada)
The Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, the federal department that oversees programs such as Employment Insurance and Canada Student Loans...
. The Star article indicated that three Foundation managers objected to paying workers in a partisan political campaign, on the grounds that it was an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds and incompatible with the foundation's charitable status. The Foundation's executive director, Colin Morrison, was quoted as saying that the assignment of clients served a "higher purpose" of "help[ing] unemployed people. Volpe described the Stars report as "a total fiction", and the latest in a series of attempts to derail his campaign.
Fine and appeal
On September 23, 2006, the Liberal Party investigated Volpe's campaign on suspicion of questionable recruitment tactics in QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Volpe had signed up 4,000 new members in the province, more than any other candidate. Several new party members in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
were reported as having been improperly registered, and at least nine members were signed up by the Volpe camp without their knowledge or without paying the $10 fee. In two of the cases, the signed-up members were deceased. There was speculation that Volpe would withdraw from the contest after these allegations but he declined to do so, saying that his campaign was not aware of any wrongdoing. Some of Volpe's supporters suggested that Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
's team was running a smear campaign against him. Volpe also argued that his ethnicity may have been a factor in the accusations, suggesting that they came from those who believed he was "not Canadian enough". A similar sentiment was echoed by former Public Works minister Alfonso Gagliano
Alfonso Gagliano
Alfonso Gagliano, PC, FCGA is a Canadian accountant and a former Liberal Party politician.Born in Siculiana, Italy, his political career began in 1977 when he ran for a seat on the Montreal school board. In the 1984 federal election, he ran for Parliament for Saint-Léonard—Anjou narrowly...
, banned from the party for being implicated in the Sponsorship scandal
Sponsorship scandal
The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a scandal that came as a result of a Canadian federal government "sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006...
, who urged Volpe to stay in the race and fight the allegations. Some prominent Liberals, including Scott Reid
Scott Reid (political advisor)
Scott Reid was the deputy chief of staff in the Prime Minister's Office of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, as well as one of Martin's senior and longest-serving advisors. As a key spokesman for Martin, he made frequent appearances in Canadian media speaking on behalf of the PMO and the...
, were strongly critical of Volpe's response.
The Liberal Party imposed a $20,000 fine on Volpe's campaign in late September, having determined that it provided membership forms to cultural groups without ensuring that new members paid their own fees. The panel found no that evidence Volpe or his senior officials knew about the problems. Volpe appealed the decision, arguing the fine was imposed "without due process" and was "designed to inflict as much damage as possible on my campaign immediately prior to the delegate selection meetings".
On October 31, a Liberal Party appeals committee exonerated Volpe of improper membership sales, and withdrew the fine imposed the previous month. He was found guilty of a minor breach of the leadership candidates' code of conduct, and given a nominal fine of $1,000. Volpe accepted the ruling as vindication, and repeated his charge that the previous ruling had a prejudicial effect on delegate selection. He told reporters, "I can't say I'm ecstatic because the damage has already been done". Volpe's reputation in the Liberal Party, damaged by earlier controversies, recovered to some extent after the appeal.
Results
Volpe fared poorly in the delegate selection meetings, and knew going into the convention that he could not win the leadership. He threw his support behind former Ontario Premier Bob RaeBob 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....
during the convention's "speech night", only moments after the final speech from Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
. This decision did not affect the first ballot of voting, which took place as the speeches were being delivered. Volpe received 156 votes from the convention delegates, finishing in seventh place.
Rae released his delegates after being eliminated on the third ballot. Volpe moved to the camp of Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
, who defeated Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
on the fourth ballot to win the party leadership. Volpe and four other MPs who contested the Liberal leadership were named to the frontbench of the Official Opposition in parliament.http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/GeneralInformation/SeatingPlan.pdf
Offices held
Electoral record
Source: Elections Canada|-
|align="left" colspan=2|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...
hold
|align="right"|Swing
|align="right"| -9.0
|align="right"|
|align="right"|
All federal electoral information is taken from Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
. Italicized expenditures from elections after 1997 refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the final reviewed totals are not available. Expenditures from 1997 refer to submitted totals.
All provincial election information is taken from Elections Ontario
Elections Ontario
Elections Ontario is a non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. They work under the Chief Electoral Officer, an officer of the Legislative Assembly. responsible for the conduct of provincial elections.-External links:*...
.
The 1974 municipal result is taken from the Toronto Star, 3 December 1974, A11. The final official result was not significantly different.