John Sola
Encyclopedia
John Domagoj Sola is a former politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1987 to 1995. Originally a Liberal
, he was forced to leave his party over controversy arising from his criticism of Bosnian Serbs
.
Sola has a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Laurentian University
in Sudbury. In 1976-77, he was the president of the Toronto Metro-Croatia
soccer club.
Sola was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial election
, defeating Progressive Conservative
incumbent Bud Gregory
by almost 6,000 votes. The Liberal Party won a landslide majority government
under the leadership of David Peterson
, and Sola served as a government backbencher for the next three years.
The Liberals were unexpectedly defeated by the New Democratic Party
in the 1990 provincial election
, although Sola retained his seat by more than 3,000 votes against an NDP challenger. In opposition, he was appointed as the Liberal critic for the Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet.
Sola's political career ran into controversy in late 1991, shortly after the beginning of Yugoslavia
's civil wars
. He gave an interview with the television program the fifth estate
about tensions between Canada's Serbian
and Croatian
communities. In the course of the interview, Sola said "I don't think I'd be able to live next door to a Serb".
In 1992, Sola was a supporter of Steve Mahoney
during the leadership convention of the Ontario Liberal Party
. After Mahoney was eliminated, Sola placed his support behind Lyn McLeod
, the eventual winner.
Controversy followed Sola in 1993 when he was taped giving an address to students at York University
. In his address he criticized Serbian-Canadians for not speaking out against atrocities being committed against Croats and Muslims
during the Bosnian War
, essentially declaring that by their silence they supported ethnic cleansing. Though Sola issued an apology in the Ontario Legislature, McLeod expelled Sola from the Ontario Liberal Party caucus on May 11, 1993.
Sola played only a minor role in the assembly after his expulsion from the Liberal Party, and did not seek re-election in 1995.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1987 to 1995. Originally a Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
, he was forced to leave his party over controversy arising from his criticism of Bosnian Serbs
Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina are people of Serb ethnicity inhabiting the Balkan regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, or, since the establishment of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state in the 1990s, the Serbs who have its citizenship. The Serbs are one of the three constitutive nations of this...
.
Sola has a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Laurentian University
Laurentian University
Laurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
in Sudbury. In 1976-77, he was the president of the Toronto Metro-Croatia
Toronto Blizzard (NASL)
The Toronto Blizzard were a professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that played in the North American Soccer League.-History:The Toronto Metros joined the NASL in 1971. Their home field was Varsity Stadium....
soccer club.
Sola was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial 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...
, defeating 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 Bud Gregory
Bud Gregory
Milton Edward Charles Gregory is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1987 and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller. Gregory was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.Gregory was born...
by almost 6,000 votes. The Liberal Party won a landslide majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
under the leadership of 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....
, and Sola served as a government backbencher for the next three years.
The Liberals were unexpectedly defeated by the New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
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....
, although Sola retained his seat by more than 3,000 votes against an NDP challenger. In opposition, he was appointed as the Liberal critic for the Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet.
Sola's political career ran into controversy in late 1991, shortly after the beginning of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
's civil wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
. He gave an interview with the television program the fifth estate
The fifth estate
the fifth estate is a Canadian television newsmagazine, which airs on the English language CBC Television network. The name is a play on the fact that the media are sometimes referred to as the Fourth Estate, and was chosen to highlight the program's determination to go beyond everyday news into...
about tensions between Canada's Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
communities. In the course of the interview, Sola said "I don't think I'd be able to live next door to a Serb".
In 1992, Sola was a supporter of Steve Mahoney
Steve Mahoney
Steven W. Mahoney, PC is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1995, and a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004. In the latter capacity, he served as a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien...
during the leadership convention of 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...
. After Mahoney was eliminated, Sola placed his support behind Lyn McLeod
Lyn McLeod
Lyn McLeod is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 2003. McLeod was a cabinet minister in the Liberal government of David Peterson from 1987 to 1990, and served as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 1992 to 1996.-Background - Pre...
, the eventual winner.
Controversy followed Sola in 1993 when he was taped giving an address to students at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
. In his address he criticized Serbian-Canadians for not speaking out against atrocities being committed against Croats and Muslims
Bosnian Genocide
The term Bosnian Genocide refers to either the genocide committed by Bosnian Serb forces in Srebrenica in 1995 or the ethnic cleansing campaign that took place throughout areas controlled by the Bosnian Serb Army during the 1992–1995 Bosnian War....
during the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, essentially declaring that by their silence they supported ethnic cleansing. Though Sola issued an apology in the Ontario Legislature, McLeod expelled Sola from the Ontario Liberal Party caucus on May 11, 1993.
Sola played only a minor role in the assembly after his expulsion from the Liberal Party, and did not seek re-election in 1995.