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Lorenzo Berardinetti

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Lorenzo Berardinetti
Ontario MPP
In office
2003–2018
Preceded byDan Newman
Succeeded byDoly Begum
ConstituencyScarborough Southwest
Personal details
Born (1961-10-21) 21 October 1961 (age 63)
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2004; div. 2021)​
Residence(s)Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
OccupationLawyer
PortfolioDeputy Government Whip (2003-2007)

Lorenzo Berardinetti (born 21 October 1961) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2018 who represented the Toronto riding of Scarborough Southwest.

Background

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Berardinetti was born in Scarborough, and is a lawyer by profession. He attended the University of Toronto and the University of Windsor Law School, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1988. On October 25, 2010, Berardinetti's then-wife Michelle won election as a Toronto City Councillor. They married in 2004 and divorced around 2021.[1] Berardinetti's cousin is politician Michael Colle. As a child, he and Colle lived in the same house in downtown Toronto. They would later serve together as MPPs in Queen's Park.[1]

Politics

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Municipal

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Berardinetti was a councillor in the pre-amalgamation Scarborough Council from 1988 to 1996, and represented Ward 37 (Scarborough Centre) on the amalgamated Toronto City Council from 1997 to 2003. In 1997, he served as chair of Toronto's administration committee, which created the framework for a unified civic administration in the amalgamated city. Berardinetti was generally regarded as an ally of Toronto mayor Mel Lastman during his years on the Toronto council.

Provincial

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In the provincial election of 2003, Berardinetti defeated incumbent Progressive Conservative Dan Newman by about 6,000 votes in Scarborough Southwest.[2] The Liberals won a majority government under Dalton McGuinty in this election, and Berardinetti was appointed the deputy government whip on 23 October 2003.[3] He was re-elected in 2007,[4] 2011,[5] and 2014.[6]

In 2004, he introduced a private member's bill, to outlaw what he called "gender-based pricing," whereby prices for equivalent or similar products and services, such as clothing, dry cleaning and haircuts, may vary between women and men. He contended women were charged much more for many products and services. The bill reached only second reading before it died on the order paper.[7]

During his time in the government, Berardinetti was a Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour (2010-2011) and PA to the Attorney General (2011–2018).

Berardinetti lost his seat in the 2018 provincial election, finishing third in the riding of Scarborough Southwest.

Later life

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In 2022, Berardinetti attempted to return to city politics, running for a seat on Toronto city council in the ward of Scarborough Southwest. He finished fourth in the election.

Shortly after his defeat he suffered a seizure and was in a coma for a month. He could not find work after his 2018 defeat and was unable to work in the aftermath of his coma and depleted his savings as a result. He moved in with his brother in Ajax, Ontario but left after an argument over money and has lived in homeless shelters since then. In the summer of 2024, his neurologist gave him permission to work again and he is trying to re-establish a law practice.[1]

Election results

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2018 Ontario general election: Scarborough Southwest
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Doly Begum 19,835 45.66 +22.01
Progressive Conservative Gary Ellis 13,565 31.22 +10.58
Liberal Lorenzo Berardinetti 8,228 18.94 -31.28
Green David Del Grande 1,174 2.70 -1.37
None of the Above Allen Atkinson 222 0.51
Libertarian James Speirs 195 0.45 -0.44
Special Needs Willie Little 160 0.37
Trillium Bobby Turley 64 0.15
Total valid votes 43,443 100.0  
Source: Elections Ontario[8]
2014 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lorenzo Berardinetti 18,420 50.22 +6.13
New Democratic Jessie Macaulay 8,674 23.65 -7.80
Progressive Conservative Nita Kang 7,570 20.64 -0.71
Green David Del Grande 1,492 4.07 +1.72
Libertarian Tyler Rose 328 0.89
Independent Jean-Baptiste Foaleng 192 0.52
Total valid votes 36,676 100.0  
Liberal hold Swing +6.96
Source: Elections Ontario[9]
2011 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lorenzo Berardinetti 14,585 44.09 -2.06
New Democratic Bruce Budd 10,404 31.45 +13.37
Progressive Conservative Mike Chopowick 7,061 21.35 -4.19
Green Robin McKim 777 2.35 -5.76
Freedom Caroline Blanco-Ruibal 250 0.75  
Total valid votes 33,077 100.00
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 155 0.47
Turnout 33,232 47.80
Eligible voters 69,553
Liberal hold Swing -7.72
Source: Elections Ontario[10]
2007 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lorenzo Berardinetti 15,113 46.15 -0.78
Progressive Conservative Gary Crawford 8,363 25.54 -6.17
New Democratic Jay Sarkar 5,920 18.08 +0.14
Green Stefan Dixon 2,655 8.11 +6.26
Family Coalition Wiktor Pawel Borkowski 398 1.22 -0.35
Libertarian George Dance 296 0.90
Total valid votes 32,745 100.00
Elections Ontario.[11]
2003 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lorenzo Berardinetti 17,501 46.93 +13.27
Progressive Conservative Dan Newman 11,826 31.71 -8.05
New Democratic Barbara Warner 6,688 17.94 -5.28
Green Andrew Strachan 689 1.85 +0.64
Family Coalition Ray Scott 586 1.57 +0.29
Total valid votes 37,290 100.00
Elections Ontario.[12]
1999 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Progressive Conservative Dan Newman 15,349 39.76
Liberal Adrian Heaps 12,992 33.66
New Democratic Michael Yorke 8,962 23.22
Family Coalition Wiktor Pawel Borkowski 495 1.28
Green Barbara Schaefer 466 1.21
Natural Law Laurence Corp 339 0.88
Total valid votes 38,603 100.00
Elections Ontario.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "'I may end up in tears telling my story': How a former MPP and Toronto city councillor found himself living in a homeless shelter". Toronto Star. December 26, 2024. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. October 2, 2003. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  3. ^ Rushowy, Kristin (October 4, 2007). "Scarborough Southwest; Liberal and Conservative contenders work toward making a difference in the lives of others". Toronto Star. p. Y10.
  4. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 10, 2007. p. 14 (xxiii). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2009. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  5. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 6, 2011. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2013. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  6. ^ "General Election by District: Scarborough Southwest". Elections Ontario. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on June 17, 2014.
  7. ^ "Bill 182, Gender-Based Price Discrimination Prohibition Act, 2005". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. April 8, 2005.
  8. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 8. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  9. ^ "General Election Results by District, 084 Scarborough Southwest". Elections Ontario. 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  10. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2011. p. 16. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  11. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 14. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  12. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  13. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
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