Cheri DiNovo
Encyclopedia
Cheri DiNovo, MPP, is a Canadian social democratic politician. She is an United Church of Canada
minister and previously headed the Emmanuel-Howard Park congregation in Toronto
, Ontario
. As the New Democratic Party of Ontario (NDP) candidate in Parkdale–High Park, she was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
in a by-election
on 14 September 2006. She was re-elected in the 10 October 2007 general election
.
-oriented minister who favours inclusion of marginalized groups, including women, LGBT
people and the poor and homeless
into the mainstream of Christian life, DiNovo began her church ministry career in 1992, leaving behind a career in the corporate world, after her husband died in a motorcycle
accident. She has two children, Francesca and Damien Zielinski, and is now married to Gil Gaspar.
Before she was elected as an MPP, DiNovo hosted a weekly radio show, The Radical Reverend, on Toronto's CIUT-FM
. Her book Qu(e)erying Evangelism: Growing a Community from the Outside In won the Lambda Literary Award
in the Spirituality category for 2006.
stepped down as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Parkdale–High Park, the NDP was not expected to win the seat. With that gloomy outlook in mind, two candidates came forward to contest the NDP nomination: DiNovo and former journalist, and at the time of the nomination, the executive director of the Canadian Arab Federation
, Mohamed Boudjenane. The spirited campaign that followed lasted about a month, with both sides signing up large numbers of new members. Boudjenane was endorsed by United Steelworkers of America president Leo W. Gerard and the former president of the Ontario NDP, Andre Foucault. DiNovo had the support of NDP stalwart Michael Lewis and many members of the riding's executive. The nomination meeting took place in the middle of a heat wave on the evening of 17 July 2006, in the Parkdale Collegiate Institute auditorium. The sweltering auditorium was filled with over 300 people, most of them delegates. DiNovo defeated Boudjenane with a comfortable margin.
DiNovo defeated Liberal Sylvia Watson
in the 14 September 2006 by-election to replace Gerard Kennedy in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
. She officially took her seat in the Assembly on 25 September.
During the campaign, DiNovo acknowledged having been both a "street kid" and a user of recreational drugs
in her youth. She was criticized for this by Watson's campaign.
The Liberals
alleged that DiNovo endorsed the church ordination of pedophiles and axe murderers in Qu(e)erying Evangelism, when in fact she did not, and took DiNovo's past comments about Canadian murderer Karla Homolka
out of context, saying the comments compared Homolka to a Christ-like figure, where instead they were used in reference to the dangers of scapegoat
ing. The Liberals also did not mention DiNovo's expression of sympathy for Homolka's victims' families and the undue suffering she believed the media circus surrounding Karla was causing them. Many accused the Liberals of conducting a smear campaign
.
column by Carol Goar
said DiNovo had brought a new clarity and assertiveness to the NDP caucus' voice in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Since entering the Assembly, DiNovo has approached a variety of poverty-related issues
, including raising minimum wage
and welfare rates in the province, creating more affordable housing and ending the government's tax clawback of the federal child benefit supplement.
Earlier in the year DiNovo had shared her experiences of drugs and poverty as a 15 year old, in a TV interview first shown on VisionTV on 9 March 2006. She said "I know what its like to live on the streets ... street kids are not bogey men, they are just poor".
and began serving her term in the Ontario Legislature's 39th Parliament sessions. The Parkdale–High Park campaign featured the same three major candidates as the 2006 by-election, with Watson and David Hutcheon
representing the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives
respectively. She increased the margin of victory from the 2006 by-election.
When Howard Hampton
announced he was stepping down as leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party in June 2008, DiNovo was one of four MPPs, along with Michael Prue
, Peter Tabuns
and Andrea Horwath
, whose names were suggested by party insiders as potential candidates in the 2009 Ontario NDP leadership convention. However, she was quoted in the Toronto Star a few days later as saying that she was unlikely to be a candidate, and she subsequently endorsed Tabuns for the leadership.
In September 2008, DiNovo received some criticism in the press after she allegedly fired her entire office staff by e-mail at 3 a.m. on Labour Day, and then rehired them later the same afternoon. DiNovo claimed that the story, which first appeared in the Inside Queen's Park newsletter and quoted unnamed sources, was a "huge exaggeration" that misrepresented her role in a normal labour negotiation process between her staff and the party office.
She became the Third Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole House, also known as the "Deputy Speaker", on 26 March 2009. On 16 September 2009, she was promoted to Second Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole House.
During the 39th Parliament, DiNovo introduced many bills covering such concerns as Gender Identity
, repealing dog-breed specific legislation, inclusionary housing
, and safe bicycle passing guidelines. She also co-sponsored an all-party bill, that became law, calling for the commemoration of the Ukrainian genocide known as the Holodomor
on the 15th of November each year in Ontario.
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
minister and previously headed the Emmanuel-Howard Park congregation in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, 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....
. As the New Democratic Party of Ontario (NDP) candidate in Parkdale–High Park, she was elected to 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...
in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on 14 September 2006. She was re-elected in the 10 October 2007 general election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
.
Background
A progressive, social justiceSocial justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
-oriented minister who favours inclusion of marginalized groups, including women, LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
people and the poor and homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
into the mainstream of Christian life, DiNovo began her church ministry career in 1992, leaving behind a career in the corporate world, after her husband died in a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
accident. She has two children, Francesca and Damien Zielinski, and is now married to Gil Gaspar.
Before she was elected as an MPP, DiNovo hosted a weekly radio show, The Radical Reverend, on Toronto's CIUT-FM
CIUT-FM
CIUT-FM is a campus and community radio station owned and operated by the University of Toronto community. The station broadcasts live and continuously from Toronto on the 89.5 FM frequency. Programming can also be heard nationally via channel 826 on Shaw Direct, and over the internet via the CIUT...
. Her book Qu(e)erying Evangelism: Growing a Community from the Outside In won the Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the US-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works which celebrate or explore LGBT themes. Categories include Humor, Romance and Biography. To qualify, a book must have been published in the United States in the year current to the award...
in the Spirituality category for 2006.
NDP nomination and 2006 Parkdale–High Park by-election
When Gerard KennedyGerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
stepped down as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Parkdale–High Park, the NDP was not expected to win the seat. With that gloomy outlook in mind, two candidates came forward to contest the NDP nomination: DiNovo and former journalist, and at the time of the nomination, the executive director of the Canadian Arab Federation
Canadian Arab Federation
The Canadian Arab Federation was formed in 1967 to represent the interests of Arab Canadians with respect to the formulation of public policy in Canada. It presently consists of over 40 member organizations....
, Mohamed Boudjenane. The spirited campaign that followed lasted about a month, with both sides signing up large numbers of new members. Boudjenane was endorsed by United Steelworkers of America president Leo W. Gerard and the former president of the Ontario NDP, Andre Foucault. DiNovo had the support of NDP stalwart Michael Lewis and many members of the riding's executive. The nomination meeting took place in the middle of a heat wave on the evening of 17 July 2006, in the Parkdale Collegiate Institute auditorium. The sweltering auditorium was filled with over 300 people, most of them delegates. DiNovo defeated Boudjenane with a comfortable margin.
DiNovo defeated Liberal Sylvia Watson
Sylvia Watson
Sylvia Watson is a former Canadian politician. She was a Toronto City Councillor for ward 14, part of the riding of Parkdale-High Park from 2003 to 2006 and the candidate for the Liberal Party of Ontario in the 2006 by-election and in the 2007 general election.-Background:Watson and her family...
in the 14 September 2006 by-election to replace Gerard Kennedy in 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...
. She officially took her seat in the Assembly on 25 September.
During the campaign, DiNovo acknowledged having been both a "street kid" and a user of recreational drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
in her youth. She was criticized for this by Watson's campaign.
The Liberals
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...
alleged that DiNovo endorsed the church ordination of pedophiles and axe murderers in Qu(e)erying Evangelism, when in fact she did not, and took DiNovo's past comments about Canadian murderer Karla Homolka
Karla Homolka
Karla Leanne Homolka, also known as Karla Leanne Teale , is a Canadian serial killer. She attracted worldwide media attention when she was convicted of manslaughter following a plea bargain in the 1991 and 1992 rape-murders of two Ontario teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, as well as...
out of context, saying the comments compared Homolka to a Christ-like figure, where instead they were used in reference to the dangers of scapegoat
Scapegoat
Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
ing. The Liberals also did not mention DiNovo's expression of sympathy for Homolka's victims' families and the undue suffering she believed the media circus surrounding Karla was causing them. Many accused the Liberals of conducting a smear campaign
Smear campaign
A smear campaign, smear tactic or simply smear is a metaphor for activity that can harm an individual or group's reputation by conflation with a stigmatized group...
.
Poverty and the $10 minimum wage campaign
On 23 October 2006, a Toronto StarToronto 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...
column by Carol Goar
Carol Goar
Carol Goar is a Canadian journalist and currently an editorial columnist for the Toronto Star. She previously served as the newspaper's editorial page editor, Washington bureau chief and national affairs columnist. Prior to joining the Star, Goar also worked for Maclean's, the Ottawa Citizen and...
said DiNovo had brought a new clarity and assertiveness to the NDP caucus' voice in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Since entering the Assembly, DiNovo has approached a variety of poverty-related issues
Poverty in Canada
Poverty in Canada remains prevalent with some segments of society. The measurement of poverty has been a challenge as there is no official government measure. There is an ongoing debate in Canada about whether a relative measure of poverty, or absolute measure of poverty, is more valid...
, including raising minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
and welfare rates in the province, creating more affordable housing and ending the government's tax clawback of the federal child benefit supplement.
Earlier in the year DiNovo had shared her experiences of drugs and poverty as a 15 year old, in a TV interview first shown on VisionTV on 9 March 2006. She said "I know what its like to live on the streets ... street kids are not bogey men, they are just poor".
39th Parliament election and sessions
DiNovo retained her seat in the 2007 Ontario general electionOntario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
and began serving her term in the Ontario Legislature's 39th Parliament sessions. The Parkdale–High Park campaign featured the same three major candidates as the 2006 by-election, with Watson and David Hutcheon
David Hutcheon
David Hutcheon is a former municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.Hutcheon has an honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Rutgers University and a Master's degree in public administration from the University of Western Ontario. He is a Henry Rutgers Scholar and is a recipient of the...
representing the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives
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...
respectively. She increased the margin of victory from the 2006 by-election.
When Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
announced he was stepping down as leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party in June 2008, DiNovo was one of four MPPs, along with Michael Prue
Michael Prue
Michael D. Prue is a Canadian politician, who represents the riding of Beaches—East York in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He is the New Democratic Party critic for Finance, Public Infrastructure Renewal, Community and Social Services and the Management Board of Cabinet, and for issues...
, Peter Tabuns
Peter Tabuns
Peter Charles Tabuns is a Canadian politician. He is serving as a member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly where he represents the riding of Toronto-Danforth as a member of the New Democratic Party. He launched a bid to lead the party after the previous leader, Howard Hampton, resigned. A...
and Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath , is a Canadian activist and politician. She is the Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party in Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Hamilton Centre, and was chosen as the party's leader at its 2009 leadership convention.She is...
, whose names were suggested by party insiders as potential candidates in the 2009 Ontario NDP leadership convention. However, she was quoted in the Toronto Star a few days later as saying that she was unlikely to be a candidate, and she subsequently endorsed Tabuns for the leadership.
In September 2008, DiNovo received some criticism in the press after she allegedly fired her entire office staff by e-mail at 3 a.m. on Labour Day, and then rehired them later the same afternoon. DiNovo claimed that the story, which first appeared in the Inside Queen's Park newsletter and quoted unnamed sources, was a "huge exaggeration" that misrepresented her role in a normal labour negotiation process between her staff and the party office.
She became the Third Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole House, also known as the "Deputy Speaker", on 26 March 2009. On 16 September 2009, she was promoted to Second Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole House.
During the 39th Parliament, DiNovo introduced many bills covering such concerns as Gender Identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
, repealing dog-breed specific legislation, inclusionary housing
Inclusionary zoning
Inclusionary zoning, also known as inclusionary housing, is an American term which refers to municipal and county planning ordinances that require a given share of new construction to be affordable by people with low to moderate incomes...
, and safe bicycle passing guidelines. She also co-sponsored an all-party bill, that became law, calling for the commemoration of the Ukrainian genocide known as the Holodomor
Holodomor
The Holodomor was a man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR between 1932 and 1933. During the famine, which is also known as the "terror-famine in Ukraine" and "famine-genocide in Ukraine", millions of Ukrainians died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of...
on the 15th of November each year in Ontario.