Maurizio Bevilacqua
Encyclopedia
Maurizio Bevilacqua, PC
, (born June 1, 1960) is a Canadian
politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1988 to 2010 and was of eleven candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada
but dropped out of the race on August 14, 2006. He has been described in the media as a "right-of-centre, business friendly Liberal".
He resigned his seat in the Canadian House of Commons
and announced on September 3, 2010, that he would be a candidate for mayor of Vaughan, Ontario
. On October 25 he was elected mayor.
from York University
. He has two children, Jean-Paul and Victoria.
by working as a staffer for Sergio Marchi
, and would later participate in student politics at York University.
Initially elected in the 1988 election
, he defeated the Progressive Conservative
candidate by only 77 votes. The results in the riding were disputed and were declared void and invalid by the courts, which resulted in a by-election
to clarify the outcome.
Bevilacqua surprised many when he defeated parachute candidate Maria Minna
for the Liberal nomination in the 1990 by-election of York North
. He won the by-election by over 7,000 votes, despite a strong effort by the New Democratic Party
.
Bevilacqua was a Liberal
member of the Canadian House of Commons
. He represented the districts of York North
(1988–1997), Vaughan—King—Aurora
(1997–2004) and Vaughan
(2004–2010). He is a former secretary of state (Science, Research and Development) and (International Financial Institutions). He is also a former parliamentary secretary to the minister of Labour (Human Resources Development) and to the Minister of Employment and Immigration (Human Resources Development). He was formerly a consultant.
He was the longtime chair of the Commons finance committee. While a fiscal conservative, Bevilacqua has supported same-sex marriage
.
In addition, Bevilacqua is against abortion.
"Hon. members, everything I believe, everything that I hold dear, my social and cultural make-up, my personal beliefs as a human being, tells me that abortion is wrong. I feel within myself, passionately, that abortion is against the natural order. It negates the essence of our being" - Maurizio Bevilacqua (Hansard, November 27, 1989).
"I do not understand how any of us can accept giving the responsibility and the right to anyone to decide on who will live and who will not" - Maurizio Bevilacqua (Hansard, November 27, 1989).
Bevilacqua was the first Liberal to declare his support for Paul Martin
's failed 1990 bid for the leadership of the party.
Bevilacqua supports a common integration with the U.S. Dollar Currency. "Mr. Bevilacqua's outspoken criticism of economic protectionism, and his support for continental integration and a common currency with the United States, could put him at odds with more traditional Liberals." National Post
He holds the record for the largest personal margin of victory in a Canadian federal election, winning his seat by a margin of 51,389 votes over his closest rival in 1993
.
, Michael Ignatieff
, and Stéphane Dion
as official entrants into the leadership race. His supporters included MPs Gerry Byrne and Roy Cullen
, former Cabinet minister Roy MacLaren
and former party pollster Michael Marzolini. He also attracted the support of former Chrétien organizers Tennio Evangelista, Jeff Angel and Jeff Smith. His campaign for the Liberal Party leadership was not successful and he dropped out of the race on August 14, 2006 to support fellow Liberal Party leadership candidate Bob Rae
.
He defeated controversial incumbent Linda Jackson
, the former mayor who was still facing charges from election finance irregularities stemming from her 2006 mayoral victory.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, (born June 1, 1960) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1988 to 2010 and was of eleven candidates for the leadership of 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...
but dropped out of the race on August 14, 2006. He has been described in the media as a "right-of-centre, business friendly Liberal".
He resigned his seat in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
and announced on September 3, 2010, that he would be a candidate for mayor of Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan, Ontario
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
. On October 25 he was elected mayor.
Early life
As a youth, he attended Emery Collegiate and received a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from 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....
. He has two children, Jean-Paul and Victoria.
Politics
He first got involved in party politicsParty Politics
Party Politics is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers in the field of Political Science. The journal's editors are David M Farrell and Paul Webb...
by working as a staffer for Sergio Marchi
Sergio Marchi
Sergio Marchi, PC is a Canadian diplomat and former politician.Marchi was born in Argentina to an Italian family who subsequently emigrated to Canada...
, and would later participate in student politics at York University.
Initially elected in the 1988 election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
, he defeated the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
candidate by only 77 votes. The results in the riding were disputed and were declared void and invalid by the courts, which resulted 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....
to clarify the outcome.
Bevilacqua surprised many when he defeated parachute candidate Maria Minna
Maria Minna
Maria Minna, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who represented the Toronto riding of Beaches—East York in the House of Commons as a member of the Liberal Party from 1993 to 2011.-Background:...
for the Liberal nomination in the 1990 by-election of 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...
. He won the by-election by over 7,000 votes, despite a strong effort by the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
Bevilacqua was a Liberal
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...
member of the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. He represented the districts of 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...
(1988–1997), 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....
(1997–2004) and Vaughan
Vaughan (electoral district)
Vaughan is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding covers the fast-growing region of Vaughan north of Toronto....
(2004–2010). He is a former secretary of state (Science, Research and Development) and (International Financial Institutions). He is also a former parliamentary secretary to the minister of Labour (Human Resources Development) and to the Minister of Employment and Immigration (Human Resources Development). He was formerly a consultant.
He was the longtime chair of the Commons finance committee. While a fiscal conservative, Bevilacqua has supported same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
.
In addition, Bevilacqua is against abortion.
"Hon. members, everything I believe, everything that I hold dear, my social and cultural make-up, my personal beliefs as a human being, tells me that abortion is wrong. I feel within myself, passionately, that abortion is against the natural order. It negates the essence of our being" - Maurizio Bevilacqua (Hansard, November 27, 1989).
"I do not understand how any of us can accept giving the responsibility and the right to anyone to decide on who will live and who will not" - Maurizio Bevilacqua (Hansard, November 27, 1989).
Bevilacqua was the first Liberal to declare his support for Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's failed 1990 bid for the leadership of the party.
Bevilacqua supports a common integration with the U.S. Dollar Currency. "Mr. Bevilacqua's outspoken criticism of economic protectionism, and his support for continental integration and a common currency with the United States, could put him at odds with more traditional Liberals." National Post
He holds the record for the largest personal margin of victory in a Canadian federal election, winning his seat by a margin of 51,389 votes over his closest rival in 1993
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
.
2006 Liberal leadership bid
On April 19, 2006, he declared his candidacy for the leadership of the Liberal Party, joining Martha Hall FindlayMartha Hall Findlay
Martha Hall Findlay is a Canadian lawyer, businesswoman and politician. She was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as the Liberal Party of Canada's candidate in the Toronto riding of Willowdale in a federal by-election held on March 17, 2008 to fill a vacancy created by former Liberal MP Jim...
, Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
, and Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
as official entrants into the leadership race. His supporters included MPs Gerry Byrne and Roy Cullen
Roy Cullen
For the Texas businessman, see Hugh Roy Cullen.Roy Cullen, PC, MP was a Liberal MP for the riding of Etobicoke North in the Canadian House of Commons.-Background:...
, former Cabinet minister Roy MacLaren
Roy MacLaren
Roy MacLaren, PC , is a Canadian politician, diplomat, historian, and author.Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia with a major in History, a Master's degree from St Catharine's College, Cambridge, a Master of...
and former party pollster Michael Marzolini. He also attracted the support of former Chrétien organizers Tennio Evangelista, Jeff Angel and Jeff Smith. His campaign for the Liberal Party leadership was not successful and he dropped out of the race on August 14, 2006 to support fellow Liberal Party leadership candidate 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....
.
2010 mayoral election
Bevilacqua officially announced in early September 2010 that he was running in the 2010 Vaughan municipal election for the position of mayor. The announcement came shortly after his resignation as Member of Parliament for Vaughan.He defeated controversial incumbent Linda Jackson
Linda Jackson (politician)
Linda D. Jackson is a Canadian politician and former mayor of Vaughan, Ontario. Jackson has been a resident of the City of Vaughan since 1966 and was elected as Mayor on November 14, 2006. Jackson was defeated by Maurizio Bevilacqua in the 2010 Vaughan municipal election.Jackson’s election to the...
, the former mayor who was still facing charges from election finance irregularities stemming from her 2006 mayoral victory.