Sorbara Leads the Liberal Charge

Italian-Canadian candidates shed tears of joy and sadness at recent provincial elections

The Italian-Canadian platoon at Queen's Park was strengthened in the October 2 election. Their number, in fact, passed from 14 MPs in the previous legislature to 16 MPs in the new one.
Of course, the current composition heavily favours the Liberals. They had eight Italian-origin MPs, now they've gained six more.
The Tories were decimated, and the five Italian-Canadians they brought to Queen's Park in the previous election have shrunk to the lone Joe Tascona, elected in Barrie. Actually, following the 1999 election there were six Italian-Canadian Tory MPs, as their number also included the late Al Palladini. The former minister of Economic Development died suddenly in March 2001 and his riding, King-Vaughan-Aurora, was retaken by the Liberals who fielded Greg Sorbara, a true Grit heavyweight.
The return of Sorbara among Ontario's Liberals ushered in not only the renewed Liberal presence among Italian-Canadians, but also the Liberal victory in the Provincial election. Sorbara is considered the architect of this victory and is one of Dalton McGuinty's closest collaborators. Sorbara is rumoured to be Ontario's next Finance minister.
Sorbara's arrival proved instrumental also for the victories of Italian-Canadian candidates, especially in the 905 area. That was considered a Tory bastion since the time of Mike Harris. Sorbara worked a lot in the area, and results confirmed that. Liberal candidates defeated both Tina Molinari in Thornhill and Joe Spina in Brampton Centre. In addition to Spina and Molinari, Frank Mazzilli was defeated in London, obtaining less votes than both the Liberal winner and the NDP runner-up, and Gary Guzzo in Ottawa, despite his good popularity in his riding.
The composition of the Italian-Canadian group of Liberal MPs is very interesting. In addition to all the incumbents, six more joined the caucus. Alongside Sorbara, Deputy Leader Sandra Pupatello won a large majority in her Windsor West riding; Pupatello will certainly get an important role in McGuinty's cabinet.
York South-Weston confirmed Joe Cordiano. Local television stations announced his re-election a mere 15 minutes after the opening of the ballot boxes.
Mike Colle won a convincing victory in Eglinton-Lawrence, while Mario Sergio in York West and Tony Ruprecht in Davenport cruised to easy confirmations. Very good results were also obtained by Domenic Agostino in Hamilton East, Rick Bartolucci in Sudbury, and Caroline Di Cocco in Sarnia-Lambton.
The number of Italian-Canadian representatives elected outside the GTA keeps increasing. Bartolucci, Pupatello, Di Cocco, and Agostino are joined by Lou Rinaldi from Northumberland, Bill Mauro from Thunder Bay-Atikokan, and David Orazietti from Sault Ste. Marie. However, even in the GTA numbers are on the rise, with the victories won by two former city councillors from Toronto and Vaughan: Lorenzo Berardinetti in Scarborough, and Mario Racco in Thornhill.
The only two non-Liberal Italian-Canadian MPPs are Rosario Marchese, who managed to keep his Trinity-Spadina riding to the NDP, and Joe Tascona, the Tory who got easily re-elected for the third time in Barrie-Simcoe-Bradford.

Publication Date: 2003-10-12
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3238