Hon. Giuseppe Volpe
Member of Parliament for Eglinton—Lawrence
Incumbent
Assumed office  1988 election
Preceded by	Roland de Corneille
Born	September 21, 1947 (1947-09-21) (age 60) Monteleone di Puglia, Italy
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Mirella Volpe
Residence	Toronto, Canada
Profession	Educator, school principal, teacher, vice-principal
Religion	Roman Catholicism

This article is about the Canadian politician. The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable (abbreviated to " The Hon For the provincial electoral district see Eglinton—Lawrence (provincial electoral district Eglinton—Lawrence is a federal electoral The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament Reverend Roland de Corneille (born May 19 1927) is a Canadian Anglican priest Human rights activist and former politician Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Monteleone di Puglia is a hill town and Comune of the Province of Foggia in the Puglia region of southern Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For information about the opera manager, see Joseph Volpe (opera manager). Joseph Volpe (born July 2, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York) was general manager of the Metropolitan Opera from 1990–2006

Giuseppe (Joseph) Volpe, PC, MP (born September 21, 1947) is a Canadian politician. The Queen's Privy Council for Canada (QPC (Conseil privé de la Reine pour le Canada (CPR sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or the Privy Council A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person He has been a member of the Canadian House of Commons since 1988, and held two senior positions in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Cabinet from 2003 to 2006. The House of Commons (Chambre des communes is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus Paul Edgar Philippe Martin. PC, MP (also known as Paul Martin Jr The Cabinet of Canada (Cabinet du Canada plays an important role in the Government of Canada, in accordance with the Westminster System. In 2006, he was a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention of 2006 was prompted by Paul Martin 's announcement that he would not lead the Liberal Party of Canada into another The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political He was subsequently named Party's transportation critic by new leader Stéphane Dion. Stéphane Maurice Dion PC not change it to "Liberal"! --> MP

Background

Volpe was born in Monteleone, Puglia, Italy, and moved to Canada with his family in 1955. Monteleone di Puglia is a hill town and Comune of the Province of Foggia in the Puglia region of southern Italy. Apulia ( Italian: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east the Ionian Sea Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest ^[1] He was raised in a working-class household and earned Bachelor of Arts (1970), Bachelor of Education (1971) and Master of Education (1980) degrees from the University of Toronto. A Bachelor of Education ( BEd) is an undergraduate Academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a Teacher in Schools. The Master of Education (MEd MAEd or EdM is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries This article is about the University of Toronto's St George Campus As a teacher, he taught in Stoney Creek from 1971 to 1974, headed the history department of a secondary school in Etobicoke from 1974 to 1979, and was head of multicultural studies in a college in Weston, Ontario between 1979 and 1982. See also Stoney Creek (electoral district Stoney Creek is a community (formerly a municipality which is now part of Hamilton after amalgamation Weston is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the northwest end of the city within the former boundaries of the old city of York 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. ^[2]

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 election, when he worked on Charles Caccia's campaign in Davenport. 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 Charles L Caccia PC ( April 28, 1930 &ndash May 3, 2008) was a Canadian politician For the provincial electoral district see Davenport (provincial electoral district. He ran for the North York Board of Education in the 1974 municipal election as a separate school representative, but was defeated. The 1974 Toronto municipal election was held on December 2, 1974 in Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ^[3] He then campaigned for the Ontario legislature in the 1981 provincial election, and narrowly lost to New Democratic Party incumbent Odoardo Di Santo in Downsview. See also Politics of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (also known as Ontario Legislative Assembly or OntLA) is the Legislature The Ontario general election of 1981 was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario The Ontario New Democratic Party, formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a Social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada Odoardo Di Santo (born June 25, 1934) is a politician and administrator in Ontario, Canada. Downsview was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. The following year, he supported David Peterson for the Ontario Liberal Party leadership. David Robert Peterson, PC (born December 28, 1943 in Toronto, Ontario) was the twentieth Premier of the Province The Ontario Liberal Party is a Centrist provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. ^[4]

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 and Maria Rizzo charged that the ACS was a partisan organization and that the grant was political patronage; Volpe and others rejected this charge. Howard Moscoe (born 1940 Moscoe was a high school art teacher with the North York Board of Education before entering political life and was president of the North York 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 Maria Minna, the president of COSTI-IIAS Immigrant Services, opposed the grant on the grounds that the new organization would simply duplicate the work of COSTI. Maria Minna, PC, MP (born March 14, 1948, Pofi, Italy) is a Canadian Politician who represents the Toronto ^[5] Employment and Immigration Minister John Roberts retracted the grant following criticism, but later reversed himself and allowed it to proceed. The Minister of Employment and Immigration was an office in the Cabinet of Canada, in operation from 1977 to 1996 John Moody Roberts PC, BA, BPhil, DPhil (Born November 28, 1933 in Hamilton Ontario - Died March 30 ^[6] 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's 1984 victory over Paul Hellyer in York South—Weston. John Nunziata (born January 4, 1955) is a Canadian politician Paul Theodore Hellyer, PC (born 6 August 1923) is a Canadian Politician and commentator who has had a long and varied career York South—Weston is a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons ^[7] 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 on the second ballot after Roberts withdrew from the contest. A Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention was called for June 16, 1984, to replace retiring Liberal leader and sitting Prime Minister Pierre Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien, (generally known as Jean Chrétien) (born January 11, 1934) is a Canadian politician who was the twentieth Prime ^[8] The winning candidate was John Turner, who lead the Liberal Party to defeat in the 1984 federal election. John Napier Wyndham Turner PC CC QC (born June 7, 1929) is a retired Canadian Lawyer and Politician 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

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. ^[9] 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. ^[10] Volpe spoke out against the Meech Lake Accord the following year, while most of the Liberal leadership supported it. The Meech Lake Accord was a set of failed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the provincial ^[11]

Member of Parliament

Nomination challenge

Volpe successfully challenged sitting Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Rev. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Roland de Corneille to win the party's nomination for Eglinton—Lawrence in the 1988 election. Reverend Roland de Corneille (born May 19 1927) is a Canadian Anglican priest Human rights activist and former politician For the provincial electoral district see Eglinton—Lawrence (provincial electoral district Eglinton—Lawrence is a federal electoral The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament 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. ^[12]

After losing the nomination, de Corneille endorsed Progressive Conservative candidate Tony Abbott, who was himself a former Liberal cabinet minister. The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ( PC) ( Parti progressiste-conservateur du Canada) ( 1867 – 2003) was a Canadian Anthony Chisholm "Tony" Abbott, PC (born November 26 1930) is a former Canadian politician ^[13] Volpe defended his right to seek the nomination, arguing that Toronto's Italian residents were seeking to play a more active role in government. ^[14] He also sought a reconciliation with de Corneille's supporters, many of whom were from the riding's Jewish community. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ ^[15] Despite the divisions engendered by his nomination, Volpe won a convincing victory on election day. ^[16]

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 revenue critic for part of this time. Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government particularly in a Westminster -based Parliamentary system The Minister of National Revenue (Ministre du Revenu national is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Canada Revenue ^[17] During the constitutional debates of the early 1990s, he suggested that the Parliament of Canada (as opposed to the executive branch of government) should assume responsibility for reformulating the terms of Canadian Confederation. The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the 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". ^[18]

Volpe supported Paul Martin in the 1990 federal Liberal leadership convention, which was won by Jean Chrétien. Paul Edgar Philippe Martin. PC, MP (also known as Paul Martin Jr The 1990 Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention was held on 23 June 1990 in Calgary, Alberta. Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien, (generally known as Jean Chrétien) (born January 11, 1934) is a Canadian politician who was the twentieth Prime ^[19] 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 group affiliated with MP Tom Wappel. Liberals for Life was a Pro-life advocacy group that worked within the Liberal Party of Canada during the 1980s and early 1990s Thomas William "Tom" Wappel, MP (born February 9, 1950) is a Canadian politician ^[20]

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, from 1993 to 2003. The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus

Government backbencher

The Liberals won a majority government in the 1993 election, and Volpe sat as a government backbencher in the parliament that followed. For other meanings see Backbench A backbencher is a Member of Parliament (MP or a legislator who does not hold governmental ^[21] He was elected chair of the Ontario Liberal caucus following the election, but unexpectedly lost the position to a challenge from Sue Barnes in 1995. Susan "Sue" Barnes, PC, MP, BA, LLB (born September 8, 1952) is a Canadian politician ^[22] On 23 February 1996, he was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Minister of National Health and Welfare. A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with their duties The Minister of Health (Ministre de la Santé is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health 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. 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 His closest opponent was Progressive Conservative candidate David Rotenberg, a former minister in the provincial government of Frank Miller. David Rotenberg (born July 24, 1930) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. Frank Stuart Miller, OOnt ( May 14, 1927 &ndash July 21, 2000) was a Canadian politician who served as Volpe later endorsed Mel Lastman's bid to become Mayor of Toronto in 1997 municipal election. Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman (born March 9, 1933) affectionately known as "Mayor Mel" is a former businessman and politician This is a list of Mayors of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. From 1834-1857 and again from 1867-1873 Toronto mayors were not elected directly by The 1997 Toronto municipal election was the first election held for offices in the amalgamated " Megacity " of Toronto, Canada. ^[23]

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 system. Organ donation is the removal of the tissues of the Human body from a person who has recently Died, or from a living donor for the purpose of transplanting ^[24]

Volpe was also given responsibility for overseeing Canada's investigation of a controversial vitamin-hormone cancer treatment run by Dr. Luigi di Bella in Italy. Luigi di Bella ( July 17, 1912 — July 1, 2003) was an Italian medical doctor and physiology professor 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. ^[25]

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 were particularly critical of a section of the bill which allowed cabinet ministers to override the judicial system in rejecting applications from immigrants. Andrew Telegdi, PC, MP (born May 28, 1946 in Budapest, Hungary) is a Liberal Member of Parliament ^[26] He voted against the bill on its final reading in May 2000. ^[27]

Volpe was not promoted to cabinet in the August 1999 cabinet shuffle. ^[28] 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. ^[29] He also collaborated with Toronto-area MPs Derek Lee and John McKay to create a job placement and training program for at-risk youth in Toronto, called Workplace Connections. Derek Lee may refer to Derek Lee (baseball, a former Major League Baseball player John Norman McKay, PC MP (born March 21, 1948) is a lawyer and a Liberal Canadian politician ^[30] He described as "unfortunate" Canada's decision to support an United Nations resolution critical of Israel in October 2000, and later argued that Canada should have abstained. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security ^[31] During the 2000 campaign, Volpe advocated tax breaks for parents who send their children to private religious schools. The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of ^[32] 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. ^[33] 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 helicopters, and encouraged the government to purchase the EH-101 Cormorant helicopters recommended by the previous Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney. Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ (predominantly known as Brian Mulroney) (born March 20, 1939) was the eighteenth ^[34] In November 2002, he called for the government to provide compensation for all victims of Hepatitis C who were infected through the national blood supply system, and criticized the Chrétien government's more restrictive settlement. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is caused by the Hepatitis C virus ( HCV) affecting the Liver. ^[35] He also expressed skepticism about the Chrétien government's plans to decriminalize cannabis, saying "I believe it's a gateway drug. Cannabis ( Cán-na-bis) is a Genus of Flowering plants that includes three putative species Cannabis sativa subsp [. . . ] It's going to be a pretty convincing argument to get me to vote for it. "^[36] He was an opponent of the government's plans to legalize same-sex marriage during this period, and voted to retain the traditional definition of marriage in 2003. On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the approval of the Civil Marriage Act. ^[37]

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. ^[38] During the same year, he became a founding member of the group Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel. Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel is an organization of pro- Israel parliamentarians in the Liberal Party of Canada. ^[39]

Cabinet Minister

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 Canada on December 12, 2003. The 2003 Liberal Party of Canada Leadership convention ended on November 14, 2003, electing Paul Martin as the party's new leader The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. He appointed Volpe to cabinet as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, with responsibility for labour, homelessness, training, community economic development and federal student loans. The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (Ministre des Ressources humaines et du Développement des compétences is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian He was also named as political minister for Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area, and was appointed to Martin's priorities and planning committee, known as the inner cabinet. The Greater Toronto Area (locally abbreviated as the GTA) is the most populous Metropolitan area in Canada. ^[40] Soon after his appointment, Volpe announced that he would revamp the federal job skills and training programs to better meet the needs of employers. ^[41] He argued that Canada needed significant skill upgrading reforms in order to retain its long-term employment prospects. ^[42]

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. ^[43] 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. Unemployment benefits are payments made by Governments to unemployed people ^[44] Volpe promised a number of spending initiatives during the 2004 federal election, including $1 billion over five years for research, development and innovation in the automotive industry. The Canadian federal election 2004 (more formally the 38th General Election) was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of ^[45]

The Liberals were reduced to a minority government in this election, although Volpe was re-elected by a comfortable margin in Eglinton—Lawrence. A minority government or a minority cabinet is a Cabinet of a Parliamentary system formed when the governing Political party or He was retained as Human Resources and Skills Development minister after the election.

In late 2004, Canadian Auditor General Sheila Fraser 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. Sheila Fraser (born September 16, 1950) is the current Auditor General of Canada. Unemployment benefits are payments made by Governments to unemployed people Volpe acknowledged there were problems with the EI system, but noted that rates were falling and would likely continue to fall in the future. ^[46]

During the same period, federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Judy Sgro was criticized for granting a temporary residency permit to Romanian exotic dancer who had worked on her election campaign. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration ( French: Ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l'Immigration) is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Judy Sgro, PC, MP (born December 16, 1944, Moncton New Brunswick) is a Canadian Politician, a member of Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania 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". ^[47]

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). Harjit Singh (born circa 1956 is an Indian man from Brampton Ontario who has been involved in the Judy Sgro immigration scandal 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. The Globe and Mail is a Canadian English language nationally distributed Newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities ^[48] 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. ^[49]

Two days after his appointment, Volpe pledged to tighten Canada's refugee system and to accelerate the processing time for individual claimants. ^[50] 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. ^[51] 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. ^[52] 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. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German ^[53]

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. ^[54]

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. ^[55] Some within the Liberal Party criticized his proposal, arguing that it would be more appropriate to fix current backlogs in the immigration system. ^[56] Volpe also proposed legislation to make foreign-born adopted children automatic citizens of Canada. ^[57] After a serious earthquake struck Pakistan in October 2005, Volpe announced that the Canadian government would take steps to expedite the reunification of families affected by the tragedy. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and ^[58]

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. ^[59]

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. ^[60]

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. ^[61] 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. ^[62]

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. ^[63] In May of the same year, he announced that the federal government would provide $1 billion in funding for GO Transit. GO Transit is the interregional public transit system serving the Conurbation in Ontario, Canada referred to by Metrolinx as the ^[64]

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 against the wishes of Toronto City Council. This is a list of Mayors of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. From 1834-1857 and again from 1867-1873 Toronto mayors were not elected directly by David Raymond Miller (born December 26, 1958) is a Canadian politician Toronto/City Centre Airport, (TCCA, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a small Airport located on the Toronto Islands. The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Miller had been elected in the 2003 municipal election on a promise to cancel the bridge, and had previously expressed concern that the federal Toronto Port Authority might authorize its construction even after the city withdrew support. The Toronto municipal election of 2003 was held on November 10, 2003, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to elect the Mayor of Toronto Toronto Port Authority (TPA is a Port Authority responsible for all activities in the Port of Toronto, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, ^[65] 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. ^[66]

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. ^[67] In September of the same year, he announced that a 1. 4 acre 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. ^[68]

Volpe remained active with issues of interest to the Italian community in Toronto, and was a prominent supporter of RAI International's bid to receive a television licence in Canada. Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana, known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian public service broadcaster, and is considered ^[69]

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. ^[70]

In May 2005, two Conservative MPs were photographed posing with a poster from the Western Standard with the title "The Liberano$", comparing the Liberal Party to the mafia television show The Sopranos. The Conservative Party of Canada ( Parti conservateur du Canada) colloquially known as the " Tories " is a conservative The Western Standard ( is a Calgary Alberta -based Libertarian - conservative publication that billed itself as Canada 's only conservative The Sopranos is an American Television drama series created by David Chase. The poster was sparked by accusations made against the Liberal Party during the federal sponsorship scandal of 2004-05. The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a Scandal that came as a result of a Canadian 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". ^[71]

In September 2005, it was reported that Volpe had claimed $10,891. 15 in meal and transportation expenses over an eleven-month period. ^[72] 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. ^[73] In March 2006, the conservative Canadian Taxpayers Federation awarded Volpe with its 8th annual "Teddy" award as the previous year's worst offender in federal government overspending. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation or CTF, is a Canadian Non-governmental organization that critiques and monitors spending by the federal provincial ^[74]

Opposition member, 2006-

The three opposition parties united to bring down the Liberal government in late 2005, and a new election was called for January 2006. The 2006 Canadian federal election (more formally the 39th General Election) was held on January 23 2006 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the During the campaign, Volpe and Paul Martin announced that, if re-elected, their government would waive the $975 landing fee charged to immigrants. ^[75] 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 to the President of the Treasury Board. The Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of the 39th Canadian parliament is listed below Presidents of the Treasury Board ^[76]

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. Softwood is a generic term used in Woodworking and the Lumber industries for Wood from Conifers (needle-bearing trees from the order Pinales ^[77] 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 as a nation within Canada. A Québécois or Quebecois (pronounced) or in the feminine Québécoise (pronounced) (plural Québécoises) is a native or resident of the A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered ^[78]

Leadership candidate

Joe Volpe speaking to the press at the 2006 Liberal leadership convention.

Paul Martin resigned the Liberal leadership after the election, and a new leadership contest was scheduled for late 2006. The Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention of 2006 was prompted by Paul Martin 's announcement that he would not lead the Liberal Party of Canada into another Volpe announced his candidacy on April 21, 2006. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. During his campaign launch, he said, "We don't need to re-invent the Party. We just need to give it back to the people who are its rightful owners. We need to take it back from the backroom players who hide behind new faces. "^[79] He highlighted education and training issues, and said that Canada should be more accommodating to new immigrants. Volpe also argued that Canada should return to a peacekeeping ethos in foreign affairs, rather than primarily engaging in combat missions. ^[80] After the party's first all-candidates debate, he accused frontrunner Michael Ignatieff of echoing the foreign policy vision of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Michael Grant Ignatieff, MP (/ɪgˈnatʃəf/ (born May 12, 1947 in Toronto) is a Public intellectual, Historian, WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Honorific prefixes --> Stephen Joseph Harper PC ^[81]

At the start of his campaign, Volpe was supported by Liberal MPs Jim Karygiannis, Wajid Khan, Yasmin Ratansi, Joe Comuzzi, Sukh Dhaliwal, Massimo Pacetti, and Lui Temelkovski, and former MPs Nick Discepola and Bob Speller. James "Jim" Karygiannis, PC, MP (born May 2, 1955, in a refugee settlement in Athens, Greece) is a Wajid Ali Khan (born April 24, 1946 in Lahore, Pakistan) is a Canadian businessman and Politician. Yasmin Ratansi (born January 4, 1951) is the Canadian MP ( Member of parliament) who represents the riding of Don Valley Joseph Robert "Joe" Comuzzi, PC, MP (born April 5 1933) is a Canadian Politician. Sukh Dhaliwal, MP (born November 1, 1960 in Punjab India) is a businessman and politician in British Columbia, Canada. Massimo Pacetti (born August 22, 1962 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian politician Lubomir "Lui" Temelkovski (born October 4, 1954) is a Canadian federal politician Nunzio (Nick Discepola (born November 27, 1949) is an Italian -born Canadian politician Robert "Bob" Speller, PC (born February 29, 1956) is a former Canadian politician ^[82] Dhaliwal, Karygiannis and Ratansi later withdrew their support. ^[83]

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 Martin accused Volpe of deliberately orchestrating fraudulent donations and asked the Elections Commissioner to investigate whether "individuals may be trying to circumvent campaign fundraising limits". Patrick "Pat" Martin (born December 13, 1955 in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian politician 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. ^[84][1] The donations were parodied by a website called "YouthForVolpe. ca". ^[85]

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. ^[86][87][88] Sukh Dhaliwal withdrew his support from Volpe after the controversy broke, saying "I think this thing should not happen in any campaign". ^[89] 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. ^[90] In July 2006, Volpe argued that the Federal Accountability Act should be amended to prevent persons under eighteen from contributing to political campaigns. ^[91]

On December 5, 2006, Elections Canada stated that Volpe had not violated election financing law in accepting the contributions. ^[92]

Other controversies

Jim Karygiannis, who had been Volpe's campaign chair, left the campaign on 21 July 2006 after disagreements over Volpe's staunch pro-Israel stance in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. James "Jim" Karygiannis, PC, MP (born May 2, 1955, in a refugee settlement in Athens, Greece) is a For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Background See also Israel-Lebanon conflict The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO had engaged in cross-border attacks from Southern Lebanon 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. ^[93]

On October 15, 2006, the Toronto Star reported that the Career Foundation, a federally-funded charity serving the unemployed, had paid seven of its clients to work on Volpe's leadership campaign. The Toronto Star is Canada 's highest-circulation newspaper though its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario. The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates 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. The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (Ministre des Ressources humaines et du Développement des compétences is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian 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. ^[94] 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 Star's report as "a total fiction", and the latest in a series of attempts to derail his campaign. ^[95]

Fine and appeal

On September 23, 2006, the Liberal Party investigated Volpe's campaign on suspicion of questionable recruitment tactics in Quebec. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Volpe had signed up 4,000 new members in the province, more than any other candidate. Several new party members in Montreal 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. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec In two of the cases, the signed-up members were deceased. ^[96] 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. ^[97] Some of Volpe's supporters suggested that Michael Ignatieff's team was running a smear campaign against him. Michael Grant Ignatieff, MP (/ɪgˈnatʃəf/ (born May 12, 1947 in Toronto) is a Public intellectual, Historian, ^[98] 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, banned from the party for being implicated in the Sponsorship scandal, who urged Volpe to stay in the race and fight the allegations. Alfonso Gagliano PC, FCGA ( Siculiana, January 25, 1942) is a Canadian accountant and a former Liberal Party The sponsorship scandal, "AdScam", "Sponsorship" or Sponsorgate, is a Scandal that came as a result of a Canadian ^{[99][100][101]} Some prominent Liberals, including Scott Reid, were strongly critical of Volpe's response. Scott Reid was the deputy chief of staff (operations in the Prime Minister's Office of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, as well as one of ^[102]

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". ^[103]

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. ^[104] He told reporters, "I can't say I'm ecstatic because the damage has already been done". ^[105] Volpe's reputation in the Liberal Party, damaged by earlier controversies, recovered to some extent after the appeal. ^[106]

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 Rae during the convention's "speech night", only moments after the final speech from Michael Ignatieff. Robert Keith "Bob" Rae PC OC QC OOnt MP (born August 2, 1948) is a Canadian Michael Grant Ignatieff, MP (/ɪgˈnatʃəf/ (born May 12, 1947 in Toronto) is a Public intellectual, Historian, ^[107] 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, who defeated Michael Ignatieff on the fourth ballot to win the party leadership. Stéphane Maurice Dion PC not change it to "Liberal"! --> MP Michael Grant Ignatieff, MP (/ɪgˈnatʃəf/ (born May 12, 1947 in Toronto) is a Public intellectual, Historian, ^[108] Volpe and four other MPs who contested the Liberal leadership were named to the frontbench of the Official Opposition in parliament. [2]^[109]

Offices held

Electoral record

All federal electoral information is taken from Elections Canada. Elections Canada is an independent non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. 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 is a non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The 1974 municipal result is taken from the Toronto Star, 3 December 1974, A11. The final official result was not significantly different.

Footnotes

External links

• Official site
• Parliament Webpage