Greg Sorbara
Encyclopedia
Gregory Sam "Greg" Sorbara, MPP (born September 4, 1946 in Toronto
, Ontario
) a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
for Vaughan
. Sorbara served as the Minister of Finance in the Ontario Liberal Party
government of Premier
Dalton McGuinty
from 2003 to 2007.
He resigned on October 11, 2005, following a police investigation involving his family's real estate
development firm and was reinstated on May 23, 2006 after a judge ruled that there was no cause for including Sorbara's name on a search warrant. Sorbara chaired the party's successful 2007 election campaign
but announced on October 26, 2007 that he was leaving the cabinet to spend more time with his family but would continue as a backbench MPP.
without graduating in the 1960s to work with street youth in Vancouver
, and spent a number of years working as an organic farmer in the British Columbia
interior. He subsequently returned to Toronto, completed his education at York University
, Glendon College
and Osgoode Hall Law School
, and practised law before running for public office.
Sorbara was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election
, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative
William Hodgson in York North
, a suburban riding north of Toronto. The Liberals under David Peterson
were able to form a minority government after this election, and Sorbara was appointed Minister of Colleges and Universities
and Minister of Skills Development
on June 26, 1985.
Sorbara was re-elected in the redistributed riding of York Centre in the 1987 provincial election
. On September 29, 1987, he became Minister of Labour with responsibility for Women's Issues. Following a cabinet shuffle in August 1989, he became Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations.
In 1990, Sorbara was a vocal opponent of Peterson's plans to call a snap election at just over two-and-a-half years into his mandate. He argued that the government should return to the electorate after a standard four-year cycle was completed, and run on the full record of its accomplishment. His objections were dismissed, and the Liberals were upset by the New Democratic Party
in the election which followed
. Sorbara had little difficulty defeating NDP candidate Laurie Orrett in his riding.
In 1992, Sorbara ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party as an "anti-establishment" candidate, claiming that the party had lost touch with its support base in the Peterson years. Although he is usually regarded as being on the right of the Liberal Party, Sorbara's campaign incorporated both left-wing and right-wing elements, opposing the NDP's labour laws but also promising to target poverty and homelessness in Ontario. He also spoke of in favour of government intervention in economic matters, arguing that growth could be best accomplished in partnership with the private sector. He finished third on the first ballot, and remained in this position until dropping from the race after the fourth ballot. Sorbara refused to support either Murray Elston
or Lyn McLeod
(the eventual winner) on the fifth and final ballot, and did not seek re-election in 1995.
From 1995 to 2003, Sorbara was a partner in The Sorbara Group, a prominent real estate and land development firm, and served as a director on the corporate board of Royal Group Technologies
Inc. He was also director of the York United Way
, as well as a Member of the Board of Alumni that governs York University
.
's successful bid for the provincial party leadership at the 1996 leadership convention. He did not run in the 1999 provincial election
, but was elected Party President in over Alvin Curling
in November 1999. He later won a 2001 by-election in the redistributed Greater Toronto Area riding of Vaughan—King—Aurora
, defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Joyce Frustaglio by almost 10,000 votes.
Sorbara's return to the legislature was seen as a significant victory for the Liberals. Previously, the Progressive Conservative Party had dominated the suburban and commuter ridings around Toronto (the so-called "905 belt", referring to the region's telephone code). Sorbara's victory indicated that the Liberals were once again positioned to win seats in the region, and to threaten the Conservative hold on government accordingly. Sorbara himself was chosen to serve as Chair of the Liberal Party's 2003 campaign.
Sorbara delivered a strong statement in May 2010, supporting the minority Muslim sect, Ahmadiyyat, who were recently attacked in Lahore for practicing their faith.
, and Sorbara (who was re-elected without difficulty) was appointed Minister of Finance in the Ontario Cabinet
on October 23, 2003.
Sorbara became involved in a potentially serious conflict-of-interest controversy not long after his appointment. In late 2003, the Ontario Securities Commission
informed the Finance Minister's office that Royal Group Technologies
would be announcing they were under investigation by the OSC. As a former director of Royal Group, this placed Sorbara in a conflict of interest as he also oversaw the OSC. Sorbara could not consult the Premier concerning the conflict of interest as he was restricted by the province's Securities Act from informing anyone else of the impending announcement by the company. Royal Group did not announce the investigation for almost two months.
There were calls for the minister to resign after the controversy became public knowledge, but Sorbara was cleared of any wrongdoing by the provincial integrity commissioner in August 2004.
Sorbara is a moderate fiscal conservative, though he supports the general principle of government intervention and is not a social conservative.
On May 18, 2004, Provincial Finance Minister Greg Sorbara released the McGuinty government's first budget. The centrepiece was a controversial new Health Premium of $300 to $900, staggered according to income. This violated a key Liberal campaign pledge not to raise taxes, and gave the government an early reputation for breaking promises. The Liberals defended the premium by pointing to the previous government's hidden deficit, and McGuinty claimed he needed to break his campaign pledge on taxation to fulfill his promises on other fronts. This broken promise has created a lasting public relations difficulty for the Liberal Party.
The Ontario Health Premium also became a major issue in the early days of the 2004 federal election, called a week after the Ontario budget. Most believe that the controversy hampered Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin's bid for re-election.
Also controversial was the elimination of coverage for health services not covered by the Canada Health Act including eye examinations and physical therapy. Other elements of the McGuinty government's first budget were a four-year plan to tackle the deficit left behind by the Conservatives, free immunization for children, investments in education and investments to lower waiting times for cancer care, cardiac care, joint replacement and MRI and CT scans.
On May 11, 2005, Sorbara delivered his second budget. The flagship of the budget was the "Reaching Higher" plan. Investing $6.2 billion over the next four years, the plan increases accessibility for low-income students with loans and grants while funding more enrolements, expands medical school spaces, and invests in new faculty, graduate scholarships and research.
The budget also broke a vow to balance the budget in 2007-08. Sorbara instead aimed at balance in 2008-09.
Sorbara also moved to expand infrastructure spending by encouraging Ontario's large pension plans to invest in the construction of new roads, schools and hospitals. Specific projects in the budget included a 10-year expansion of the TTC and Go Transit, 15,000 new affordable housing units and improved border crossings. NDP leader Howard Hampton described this move as "privatization by stealth."
After a cabinet shuffle on June 29, 2005, Finance Minister Sorbara was also named as the Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet.
Sorbara was easily re-elected to the Legislature in the 2007 election
, but surprised many when on October 26, 2007, he announced that he no longer wanted to sit in Cabinet, citing he wanted to devote more time for his constituents and his family.
Sorbara has issued a brief statement on this controversy. http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2005/11/c9867.html He denies any knowledge of the specific allegations against him, but notes that it is his responsibility as a minister to step aside "pending a resolution of this issue".
Following Sorbara's announcement, Dwight Duncan
was appointed as Minister of Finance and Chair of the Management Board. Sorbara returned to cabinet in May 2006 after a judge ruled there was no evidence to justify the inclusion of Sorbara's name on a search warrant.
's bid to lead the federal Liberal Party
in early 2003. Manley subsequently dropped from the race. Sorbara was one of the key backers of former Ontario NDP Premier Bob Rae
's bid to lead the Liberal Party of Canada
.
is a successful singer-songwriter, currently touring the United Kingdom
as frontwoman to the electropop outfit Dragonette
.
|-
|Greg Sorbara
|align="right"|26,176
|align="right"|53.02%
|align="right"|-8.7
|-
|Tony Genco
|align="right"|15,409
|align="right"|31.21%
|align="right"|12.41
|-
|Paul Donofrio
|align="right"|5,584
|align="right"|11.31%
|align="right"|-2.9
|-
|Paolo Fabrizio
|align="right"|934
|align="right"|1.89%
|align="right"|
|-
|Brendan Frye
|align="right"|695
|align="right"|1.41%
|align="right"|-4.99
|}
|-
|Greg Sorbara
|align="right"|28,961
|align="right"|61.9%
|align="right"|5.76
|-
|Gayani Weerasinghe
|align="right"|8,773
|align="right"|18.8%
|align="right"|-14.26
|-
|Rick Morelli
|align="right"|5,417
|align="right"|11.6%
|align="right"|4.46
|-
|Russell Korus
|align="right"|2,978
|align="right"|6.4%
|align="right"|2.73
|-
|Savino Quatela
|align="right"|624
|align="right"|1.3%
|align="right"|
|}
|-
|Greg Sorbara
|align="right"|36928
|align="right"|56.14
|align="right"|15.97
|-
|Carmine Iacono
|align="right"|21744
|align="right"|33.06
|align="right"|-21.64
|-
|Mike Seaward
|align="right"|4697
|align="right"|7.14
|align="right"|4.22
|-
|Adrian Visentin
|align="right"|2412
|align="right"|3.67
|align="right"|2.73
|}
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....
) 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...
for Vaughan
Vaughan (provincial electoral district)
Vaughan is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2007.The riding covers the fast-growing region of Vaughan north of Toronto....
. Sorbara served as the Minister of Finance in 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...
government of Premier
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
from 2003 to 2007.
He resigned on October 11, 2005, following a police investigation involving his family's real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
development firm and was reinstated on May 23, 2006 after a judge ruled that there was no cause for including Sorbara's name on a search warrant. Sorbara chaired the party's successful 2007 election campaign
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...
but announced on October 26, 2007 that he was leaving the cabinet to spend more time with his family but would continue as a backbench MPP.
Early career
Sorbara was involved in philanthropic and environmental causes in his early years. He left the University of TorontoUniversity 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...
without graduating in the 1960s to work with street youth in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and spent a number of years working as an organic farmer in the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
interior. He subsequently returned to Toronto, completed his education 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....
, Glendon College
Glendon College
Glendon College is one of the two campuses of York University, Canada's third-largest university, in Toronto, Ontario. A bilingual liberal arts college with 84 full-time faculty members and a student population of about 2400, Glendon is located in midtown Toronto's Lawrence Park neighbourhood...
and Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School is a Canadian law school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with York University. Named after the first Chief Justice of Ontario, William Osgoode, the law school was established by The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1889 and was the only accredited law...
, and practised law before running for public office.
Sorbara was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1985
The Ontario general election of 1985 was held on May 2, 1985, to elect members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada...
, defeating incumbent 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...
William Hodgson in York North
York North
York North was an electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from Confederation in 1867 until 2004. It is also an electoral district that was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 2007...
, a suburban riding north of Toronto. The Liberals under 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....
were able to form a minority government after this election, and Sorbara was appointed Minister of Colleges and Universities
Minister of Colleges and Universities (Ontario)
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities is one of many departments within the government of Ontario. The ministry is responsible for administration of laws relating to postsecondary education and skills training. This ministry is one of two education ministries, the other being the...
and Minister of Skills Development
Ministry of Skills Development (Ontario)
The Ministry of Skills Development was a department of the Executive Council of Ontario from 1985 to 1993....
on June 26, 1985.
Sorbara was re-elected in the redistributed riding of York Centre 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...
. On September 29, 1987, he became Minister of Labour with responsibility for Women's Issues. Following a cabinet shuffle in August 1989, he became Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations.
In 1990, Sorbara was a vocal opponent of Peterson's plans to call a snap election at just over two-and-a-half years into his mandate. He argued that the government should return to the electorate after a standard four-year cycle was completed, and run on the full record of its accomplishment. His objections were dismissed, and the Liberals were upset 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 election which followed
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....
. Sorbara had little difficulty defeating NDP candidate Laurie Orrett in his riding.
In 1992, Sorbara ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party as an "anti-establishment" candidate, claiming that the party had lost touch with its support base in the Peterson years. Although he is usually regarded as being on the right of the Liberal Party, Sorbara's campaign incorporated both left-wing and right-wing elements, opposing the NDP's labour laws but also promising to target poverty and homelessness in Ontario. He also spoke of in favour of government intervention in economic matters, arguing that growth could be best accomplished in partnership with the private sector. He finished third on the first ballot, and remained in this position until dropping from the race after the fourth ballot. Sorbara refused to support either Murray Elston
Murray Elston
Murray John Elston is an executive and former Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1994, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson...
or 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) on the fifth and final ballot, and did not seek re-election in 1995.
From 1995 to 2003, Sorbara was a partner in The Sorbara Group, a prominent real estate and land development firm, and served as a director on the corporate board of Royal Group Technologies
Royal Group Technologies
Royal Group Technologies is a large Canadian building supplies maker and plastics company. Based in Woodbridge, Ontario it also has operations in much of Latin America and in Poland and China. In the 2000s it was plagued by scandals and financial loses....
Inc. He was also director of the York United Way
United Way of Canada
United Way of Canada is the national organization for the 117 autonomous, volunteer-based United Ways across Canada. United Way campaigns raise money for local groups that address community issues and problems, and the national organization provides leadership, services and coordination to the...
, as well as a Member of the Board of Alumni that governs 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....
.
Political comeback
Sorbara supported Dalton McGuintyDalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
's successful bid for the provincial party leadership at the 1996 leadership convention. He did not run in the 1999 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, but was elected Party President in over Alvin Curling
Alvin Curling
Alvin Curling is a prominent Black Canadian. He was Canada's envoy to the Dominican Republic from 2005-2006. A former politician in Ontario, Canada, he was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario until he resigned on August 19, 2005 to accept his diplomatic appointment...
in November 1999. He later won a 2001 by-election in the redistributed Greater Toronto Area riding of Vaughan—King—Aurora
Vaughan—King—Aurora
Vaughan—King—Aurora was a federal electoral riding in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004, and was a provincial electoral riding represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2007....
, defeating Progressive Conservative candidate Joyce Frustaglio by almost 10,000 votes.
Sorbara's return to the legislature was seen as a significant victory for the Liberals. Previously, the Progressive Conservative Party had dominated the suburban and commuter ridings around Toronto (the so-called "905 belt", referring to the region's telephone code). Sorbara's victory indicated that the Liberals were once again positioned to win seats in the region, and to threaten the Conservative hold on government accordingly. Sorbara himself was chosen to serve as Chair of the Liberal Party's 2003 campaign.
Sorbara delivered a strong statement in May 2010, supporting the minority Muslim sect, Ahmadiyyat, who were recently attacked in Lahore for practicing their faith.
Minister of Finance
The Liberals won the 2003 electionOntario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and Sorbara (who was re-elected without difficulty) was appointed Minister of Finance in the Ontario Cabinet
Executive Council of Ontario
The Executive Council of Ontario plays an important role in theGovernment of Ontario, in accordance with the Westminster system....
on October 23, 2003.
Sorbara became involved in a potentially serious conflict-of-interest controversy not long after his appointment. In late 2003, the Ontario Securities Commission
Ontario Securities Commission
The Ontario Securities Commission is a regulatory agency which administers and enforces securities legislation in the Canadian province of Ontario...
informed the Finance Minister's office that Royal Group Technologies
Royal Group Technologies
Royal Group Technologies is a large Canadian building supplies maker and plastics company. Based in Woodbridge, Ontario it also has operations in much of Latin America and in Poland and China. In the 2000s it was plagued by scandals and financial loses....
would be announcing they were under investigation by the OSC. As a former director of Royal Group, this placed Sorbara in a conflict of interest as he also oversaw the OSC. Sorbara could not consult the Premier concerning the conflict of interest as he was restricted by the province's Securities Act from informing anyone else of the impending announcement by the company. Royal Group did not announce the investigation for almost two months.
There were calls for the minister to resign after the controversy became public knowledge, but Sorbara was cleared of any wrongdoing by the provincial integrity commissioner in August 2004.
Sorbara is a moderate fiscal conservative, though he supports the general principle of government intervention and is not a social conservative.
On May 18, 2004, Provincial Finance Minister Greg Sorbara released the McGuinty government's first budget. The centrepiece was a controversial new Health Premium of $300 to $900, staggered according to income. This violated a key Liberal campaign pledge not to raise taxes, and gave the government an early reputation for breaking promises. The Liberals defended the premium by pointing to the previous government's hidden deficit, and McGuinty claimed he needed to break his campaign pledge on taxation to fulfill his promises on other fronts. This broken promise has created a lasting public relations difficulty for the Liberal Party.
The Ontario Health Premium also became a major issue in the early days of the 2004 federal election, called a week after the Ontario budget. Most believe that the controversy hampered Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin's bid for re-election.
Also controversial was the elimination of coverage for health services not covered by the Canada Health Act including eye examinations and physical therapy. Other elements of the McGuinty government's first budget were a four-year plan to tackle the deficit left behind by the Conservatives, free immunization for children, investments in education and investments to lower waiting times for cancer care, cardiac care, joint replacement and MRI and CT scans.
On May 11, 2005, Sorbara delivered his second budget. The flagship of the budget was the "Reaching Higher" plan. Investing $6.2 billion over the next four years, the plan increases accessibility for low-income students with loans and grants while funding more enrolements, expands medical school spaces, and invests in new faculty, graduate scholarships and research.
The budget also broke a vow to balance the budget in 2007-08. Sorbara instead aimed at balance in 2008-09.
Sorbara also moved to expand infrastructure spending by encouraging Ontario's large pension plans to invest in the construction of new roads, schools and hospitals. Specific projects in the budget included a 10-year expansion of the TTC and Go Transit, 15,000 new affordable housing units and improved border crossings. NDP leader Howard Hampton described this move as "privatization by stealth."
After a cabinet shuffle on June 29, 2005, Finance Minister Sorbara was also named as the Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet.
Sorbara was easily re-elected to the Legislature in the 2007 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...
, but surprised many when on October 26, 2007, he announced that he no longer wanted to sit in Cabinet, citing he wanted to devote more time for his constituents and his family.
Police probe and controversy
On October 11, 2005, the RCMP raided the Sorbara Group offices as part of the ongoing Royal Group Technologies investigation. The police warrant stated that there were reasonable grounds to believe Sorbara and other directors of Royal Group defrauded the company and shareholders when they bought land in Brampton, that was owned by a subsidiary of the Sorbara Group. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/10/12/sorbara051012.html Sorbara initially resisted opposition calls for him to step down, but later resigned as Minister of Finance the same day.Sorbara has issued a brief statement on this controversy. http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2005/11/c9867.html He denies any knowledge of the specific allegations against him, but notes that it is his responsibility as a minister to step aside "pending a resolution of this issue".
Following Sorbara's announcement, Dwight Duncan
Dwight Duncan
Dwight Duncan, MPP is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1995, and is the Minister of Finance in the government of Dalton McGuinty...
was appointed as Minister of Finance and Chair of the Management Board. Sorbara returned to cabinet in May 2006 after a judge ruled there was no evidence to justify the inclusion of Sorbara's name on a search warrant.
Federal Liberal leadership campaign
Sorbara was initially a supporter of John ManleyJohn Manley (politician)
John Paul Manley, PC, OC is a Canadian lawyer, businessman and politician. He served as Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa South from 1988 to 2004, and a Cabinet Minister from 1993 to 2003. He is presently President and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.-Background:Manley was...
's bid to lead the federal 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...
in early 2003. Manley subsequently dropped from the race. Sorbara was one of the key backers of former Ontario NDP Premier Bob Rae
Bob 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....
's bid to lead the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
.
Personal
His daughter Martina SorbaraMartina Sorbara
Martina Sorbara is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of Greg Sorbara, who is a Member of Provincial Parliament, formerly the Minister of Finance in Ontario....
is a successful singer-songwriter, currently touring the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as frontwoman to the electropop outfit Dragonette
Dragonette
Dragonette is a Canadian electropop group active since 2005. Dragonette consists of singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara, bassist and producer Dan Kurtz and drummer Joel Stouffer....
.
Electoral record
|-
|Greg Sorbara
|align="right"|26,176
|align="right"|53.02%
|align="right"|-8.7
|-
|Tony Genco
|align="right"|15,409
|align="right"|31.21%
|align="right"|12.41
|-
|Paul Donofrio
|align="right"|5,584
|align="right"|11.31%
|align="right"|-2.9
|-
|Paolo Fabrizio
|align="right"|934
|align="right"|1.89%
|align="right"|
|-
|Brendan Frye
|align="right"|695
|align="right"|1.41%
|align="right"|-4.99
|}
|-
|Greg Sorbara
|align="right"|28,961
|align="right"|61.9%
|align="right"|5.76
|-
|Gayani Weerasinghe
|align="right"|8,773
|align="right"|18.8%
|align="right"|-14.26
|-
|Rick Morelli
|align="right"|5,417
|align="right"|11.6%
|align="right"|4.46
|-
|Russell Korus
|align="right"|2,978
|align="right"|6.4%
|align="right"|2.73
|-
|Savino Quatela
|align="right"|624
|align="right"|1.3%
|align="right"|
|}
|-
|Greg Sorbara
|align="right"|36928
|align="right"|56.14
|align="right"|15.97
|-
|Carmine Iacono
|align="right"|21744
|align="right"|33.06
|align="right"|-21.64
|-
|Mike Seaward
|align="right"|4697
|align="right"|7.14
|align="right"|4.22
|-
|Adrian Visentin
|align="right"|2412
|align="right"|3.67
|align="right"|2.73
|}