Judy Sgro

Last updated

In November 2004, controversy began to surround Sgro as questions arose surrounding her activities during the June election earlier that year. Several members of her ministerial staff had filed expense claims to travel to and work in her riding throughout the campaign ending on election day. More serious claims were also raised when Opposition Conservative MPs claimed she had given a special immigration permit to a campaign supporter – specifically Alina Balaican, a Romanian who had initially been admitted to the country to work as a stripper. New Democratic Party MP Pat Martin also accused Sgro's aides of making threats to deny ministerial permits to his constituents if he criticized her on the stripper controversy. [6] The press dubbed the issue "Strippergate".

On January 14, 2005, Sgro resigned from cabinet after further allegations that she had offered to intervene in the immigration hearing of Harjit Singh, a Brampton pizzeria owner, in exchange for free pizza for her campaign staff. [7] The following day, the Toronto Star revealed that Singh had previously committed credit card fraud. [8]

On January 31, 2005, Sgro filed a lawsuit against Singh for $750,000 in damages. [9] On May 10, 2005, the Federal ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro cleared Sgro of all wrongdoing from the Strippergate debacle when it was found that Sgro didn't know that two staffers had put her in a position of conflict of interest. The ethics commissioner also concluded that Sgro had never met the woman or even knew that she had volunteered on her re-election campaign. Shapiro said to Sgro, "It appears you acted appropriately." Also the same day, Singh retracted his allegations and apologized to Sgro. He said, "I now admit I did not have a meeting with Judy Sgro and at no time did she request any campaign assistance from me. Nor did she help me with my immigration problems." [10]

Sgro was the first member of Cabinet to resign from Paul Martin's government. There was some speculation in the media that fellow minister Joe Volpe helped to engineer her resignation given that they had a cool relationship. [10]

Expenses issue

In June 2010 it was revealed that Sgro had been claiming expenses for rent on an Ottawa luxury highrise condominium owned by her adult children, violating rules for such expenses set by the Board of Internal Economy of the House of Commons. Sgro had paid $138,000 to purchase the condo in 2001, and then transferred the title on the property to her children in 2006; she then paid her children $22,000 a year in rent to live in the apartment, violating rules forbidding MPs from claiming expenses on goods or services contracted from family members. [11]

Asked about this controversy in 2013 by a reporter from Québecor Média, Sgro replied, "The issue was dealt with, an issue was pointed out... I immediately dealt with the issue and I would ask the prime minister and his folks to do the same thing. Thank you very much." [12]

Opposition (2006–2015)

Sgro served as the Opposition Critic for Industry for the Liberals. [13] On November 1, 2010, the Liberals released a white paper providing recommendations for retirement income security followed by a Pension Income Bill of Rights. The paper was created by a working group co-chaired by Sgro. [14]

On March 4, 2014, Sgro was re-nominated by acclamation as the Liberal candidate for the renamed riding of Humber River—Black Creek for the next federal election. [15] She subsequently won election to this seat.

Government (2015–present)

Sgro currently serves as the chair of the Standing Committee on International Trade. She was re-elected in the 2019 federal election.

Personal life

She and her husband Sam Sgro are the parents of three children. Judy's daughter, Deanna Sgro, was a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party during the 2018 Ontario general election, as well as the 2018 Toronto municipal election for Humber River-Black Creek.

Election results

The Honourable
Judy Sgro
PC MP
Judy Sgro.jpg
Member of Parliament
for Humber River—Black Creek
York West (1997–2015)
Assumed office
November 15, 1999
2021 Canadian federal election
** Preliminary results — Not yet official **
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Judy Sgro18,83360.7-0.4
Conservative Rinku Shah5,40217.4+1.1
New Democratic Matias De Dovitiis5,06616.3-2.7
People's Raatib Anderson1,2354.0+2.9
Green Unblind Tibbin3681.2-0.9
Marxist–Leninist Christine Nugent1250.4
Total valid votes31,029
Total rejected ballots
Turnout46.97
Eligible voters66,067
Source: Elections Canada [16]
2019 Canadian federal election : Humber River—Black Creek
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Judy Sgro 23,18761.1-5.81$93,410.00
New Democratic Maria Augimeri 7,19819.0+8.06$18,120.64
Conservative Iftikhar Choudry6,16416.3-3.96$3,300.00
Green Mike Schmitz8042.1+0.47none listed
People's Ania Krosinska 4021.1–none listed
United Stenneth Smith1140.3-$0.00
Marxist–Leninist Christine Nugent890.2-0.36$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit37,958100.0
Total rejected ballots503
Turnout38,46156.8
Eligible voters67,656
Liberal hold Swing -6.94
Source: Elections Canada [17] [18]
2015 Canadian federal election : Humber River—Black Creek
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Judy Sgro23,99566.9+19.9–
Conservative Kerry Vandenberg7,22820.2-1.9–
New Democratic Darnel Harris3,85110.7-17.1–
Green Keith Jarrett5841.60–
Marxist–Leninist Christine Nugent2010.6––
Total valid votes/Expense limit35,859100.0   $195,631.84
Total rejected ballots333––
Turnout36,192––
Eligible voters60,994
Source: Elections Canada [19] [20]
Liberal hold Swing +18.5
2011 Canadian federal election : York West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Judy Sgro 13,03047.0-12.4
New Democratic Giulio Manfrini7,72127.8+9.1
Conservative Audrey Walters6,12222.1+5.4
Green Unblind Tibben4501.6-3.6
Christian Heritage George Okoth Otura2310.8–
Canadian Action Arthur Smitherman1700.6–
Total valid votes/expense limit27,724100.0
Total rejected ballots 267 1.0+0.2
Turnout27,991 48.2-0.1
Eligible voters 57,287 ––
2008 Canadian federal election : York West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Liberal Judy Sgro 16,99759.4-4.4$35,514
New Democratic Giulio Manfrini5,36318.7+4.6$12,354
Conservative Kevin Nguyen4,77316.7-1.9$12,960
Green Nick Capra1,4885.2+2.2$1,557
Total valid votes/expense limit28,621 100.0$77,457
Total rejected ballots2190.8
Turnout28,840 48.3
2006 Canadian federal election : York West
PartyCandidateVotes%Expenditures
Liberal Judy Sgro 21,41863.78$48,741.93
Conservative Parm Gill 6,24418.59$71,005.65
New Democratic Sandra Romano Anthony4,72414.07$8,845.73
Green Nick Capra1,0022.98$1,692.18
Independent Axcel Cocon1920.57$1,801.61
Total valid votes33,580100.00
Total rejected ballots261
Turnout33,84157.90
Electors on the lists58,450
2004 Canadian federal election : York West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Judy Sgro 17,90364.7-12.6
New Democratic Sandra Romano Anthony4,22815.2+6.0
Conservative Leslie Soobrian3,12011.2+0.5
Christian Heritage Joseph Grubb1,5805.7
Green Tim McKellar8243.0
Total valid votes 27,655100.0

Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.

2000 Canadian federal election : York West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Judy Sgro 19,73777.3+3.1
Alliance Munish Chandra2,72410.7+7.9
New Democratic Julia McCrea2,3619.2+1.5
Marijuana G. Marcello Marchetti5372.1
Marxist–Leninist Amarjit Dhillon1750.7
Total valid votes 25,534100.0

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.

Canadian federal by-election, November 15, 1999 : York West
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Judy Sgro10,03474.2+0.5
Progressive Conservative Elio Di Iorio1,72112.7+5.2
New Democratic Julia McCrea1,0547.8-2.1
Reform Enzo Granzotto3772.8-6.2
Canadian Action Stephen Burega2421.8
Green Henry Zeifman1010.7
Total valid votes 13,529100.0
Liberal hold Swing +1.3
By-election due to the appointment of Sergio Marchi as Canadian Ambassador to the World Trade Organization
1997 Toronto City Council Election: North York Humber
Council Candidate
2 to be elected		Vote %
Judy Sgro14,33433.83
George Mammoliti 10,22624.13
Gina Serverino6,87516.22
Tony Marzilli5,20512.28
Bob Churchhill5,01211.83
Michael Marson7221.70
1997 Canadian federal election : York South-Weston
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent John Nunziata 17,16345.0
Liberal Judy Sgro12,73233.4-36.7
New Democratic Odoardo Di Santo 3,5529.3+3.9
Reform Kathleen Crone2,3636.2-8.6
Progressive Conservative Jan Harnett1,9255.1-1.8
Green Shelley Lipsey1710.4
Marxist–Leninist Ginette Boutet1120.3+0.1
Independent Hassan Husseini980.3
Independent gain from Liberal Swing –
Total valid votes38,116 100.0
1994 Metro Toronto Council Election: North York Humber
Council CandidateVote %
Judy SgroAcclaimed
1991 North York City Council Election: Ward 2
Council CandidateVote %
Judy SgroAcclaimed
1988 North York City Council Election: Ward 2
Council CandidateVote %
Judy Sgro6,88267.43
Gerry Iuliano2,39823.50
Luigi Cavaleri9269.07

Related Research Articles

Anthony "Tony" Ianno is a businessman and a former Canadian politician. He served as a Liberal Party of Canada MP representing Trinity—Spadina (1993–2006) and Minister of Families and Caregivers (2004–06).

Lucienne Robillard is a Canadian politician and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. She sat in the House of Commons of Canada as the member of Parliament for the riding of Westmount—Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Volpe</span> Canadian politician

Giuseppe "Joe" Volpe is a Canadian politician. He represented the Ontario riding of Eglinton-Lawrence as a member of the Liberal Party in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 until 2011, when he lost his seat to Conservative candidate Joe Oliver. Volpe held two senior positions in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Cabinet from 2003 to 2006, and served as transportation critic when his party became the Official Opposition. In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Minna</span> Canadian politician

Maria Minna is a former 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.

Yasmin Ratansi is a Canadian former politician who represented the Toronto area riding of Don Valley East in the House of Commons from 2004 to 2011 and again from 2015 to 2021. She was elected as a Liberal in the 2004 federal election and served until her defeat in 2011. She was re-elected in 2015 and 2019. Ratansi left the Liberal Party on November 9, 2020 following a CBC News investigation that revealed she had violated parliamentary rules by using public funds to employ her sister in her constituency office. Ratansi sat as an independent for the remainder of her term and did not seek re-election in the 2021 election.

MaryAnn Mihychuk is a Canadian politician from Manitoba. She was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 2015, representing the riding of Kildonan—St. Paul for the Liberal Party of Canada, and served as Minister of Employment, Workforce and Labour in the federal Cabinet until the January 10, 2017, cabinet shuffle by Justin Trudeau. She lost her seat in the House of Commons in the 2019 Canadian federal election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Dhalla</span> Canadian politician

Ruby Dhalla is a Canadian actress, activist, model and former politician. She served as the Member of Parliament for Brampton—Springdale in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2011 as a member of the Liberal Party. Dhalla and British Columbia Conservative MP Nina Grewal were the first Sikh women to serve in the House of Commons of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Chong</span> Canadian politician

Michael David Chong is a Canadian politician who has represented the Ontario riding of Wellington—Halton Hills in the House of Commons since 2004. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport, as well as the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada from February 6, 2006 to November 27, 2006. On September 8, 2020, Chong was appointed the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Gurmant Singh Grewal is an Indo-Canadian politician and former Conservative Member of Parliament. Gurmant and his wife, Nina Grewal, who represented Fleetwood—Port Kells from 2004 to 2015, were the first married couple to serve in the House of Commons of Canada at the same time. First elected to the Canadian House of Commons on June 2, 1997 for the riding of Surrey Central and re-elected there on November 27, 2000, he represented the riding of Newton—North Delta from 2004 until 2005. Grewal announced that he would not be running in the 2006 federal election over a dispute of alleged offer of patronage with the Liberal Party, which was governing at that time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election</span>

The 2006 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election was prompted by outgoing Prime Minister Paul Martin's announcement that he would not lead the Liberal Party of Canada into another election, following his party's defeat in the 2006 federal election in Canada. The party's biennial convention, already scheduled to occur from November 29 to December 1, 2006, in Montreal's Palais des congrès, was followed by the party's leadership convention at the same venue occurring December 2 to December 3, 2006. As the winner, Stéphane Dion led the Liberal Party into the 2008 federal election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Foote</span> Canadian politician

Judy May Foote is a Canadian former politician who served as the 14th lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador from 2018 to 2023. She was the first woman to hold the position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election</span>

The 2009 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election was prompted by Stéphane Dion's announcement that he would not lead the Liberal Party of Canada into another election, following his party's defeat in the 2008 federal election in Canada. The Liberals, who captured just slightly over 26% of the total votes, scored their lowest percentage in the party's history to that date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parm Gill</span> Canadian politician

Parm Gill is a Canadian politician. He has represented the riding of Milton in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2018 and served as the Ontario Minister for Citizenship and Multiculturalism from June 18, 2021, to June 24, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election</span>

The 2020 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election concluded on March 7, 2020, resulting in the election of Steven Del Duca, a former cabinet minister in the government of Kathleen Wynne, as Ontario Liberal Party’s 33rd leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gudie Hutchings</span> Canadian politician (born 1959)

Gudrid Ida "Gudie" Hutchings is a Canadian politician serves as Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. A member of the Liberal Party, Hutchings has represented Long Range Mountains in the House of Commons since the 2015 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Mendicino</span> Canadian politician (born 1973)

Marco Mendicino is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Eglinton—Lawrence in the House of Commons since 2015. He served as the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship from 2019 to 2021 and the Minister of Public Safety from 2021 to 2023.

Ruby Sahota is a Canadian Liberal politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal riding Brampton North during the 2015 Canadian federal election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Dzerowicz</span> Canadian Liberal politician

Juliana Roma "Julie" Dzerowicz is a Canadian politician. A member of the Liberal Party, she has represented the Toronto riding of Davenport in the House of Commons of Canada since her initial election in 2015, and was subsequently reelected in 2019 and in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslyn Lewis</span> Canadian lawyer and politician

Leslyn Lewis is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Haldimand—Norfolk since 2021. A member of the Conservative Party, Lewis contested the party leadership in the 2020 leadership election, placing third. She was the first visible minority woman to run for the federal Conservative Party leadership. She is known for her socially conservative views.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strippergate (Canada)</span> Canadian political scandal 2004/5

Strippergate was a 2004-2005 political scandal in Canada in which federal immigration minister Judy Sgro was accused of providing favours to people who helped with her political campaigning during the 2004 Canadian federal election. Sgro was accused of giving favourable immigration processing to Romanian immigrant, stripper, and campaign volunteer Alina Balaican, and Harjit Singh, a campaign donor and pizza shop owner.

References

  1. 1 2 "Search For Contributions". Elections Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  2. ↑ Canadian House of Commons Liaison Committee
  3. ↑ "Roles - Hon. Judy A. Sgro - Current and Past - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada".
  4. ↑ "1994 Toronto General Election Results (Former Metropolitan Toronto): Former Municipality of the City of North York: Metro Councillor". City of Toronto. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Moloney, Paul; Campion Smith, Bruce (January 15, 2005). "A well-earned reputation as a battling politician; Judy Sgro loses cabinet portfolio: She promises a fight to clear her name". Toronto Star. p. F1.
  6. ↑ Fife, Robert (December 27, 2004). "Sgro aide tried to silence critics by withholding permits, MPs allege". Ottawa Citizen. p. A9.
  7. ↑ "Sgro quits cabinet to fight allegations". CTV News. Archived from the original on March 22, 2007.
  8. ↑ "Sgro's accuser trying to avoid deportation". CTV News. January 15, 2005. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ Sean, Gordon (February 1, 2005). "Sgro sues Singh for slander, libel; 3 others named in $750,000 lawsuit: Accusations led to minister resigning". Toronto Star. p. A6.
  10. 1 2 Geiger, John (May 11, 2005). "The belated vindication of Judy Sgro". National Post. p. A22.
  11. ↑ Glen McGregor; Stephen Maher (June 7, 2010). "Toronto MP uses taxpayers' money to rent condo owned by her children". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  12. ↑ Kirkup, Kristy (June 11, 2013). "Liberal MP Judy Sgro sloughs off questions about her housing expenses". Toronto Sun. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Judy Sgro: Member of Parliament at House of Commons". LinkedIn. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Liberals plan to ease CPP rules". The Province. November 3, 2010. p. A11.
  15. ↑ http://www.elections.ca/WPAPPS/WPR/EN/NC/Details?province=-1&distyear=2013&district=2268&party=1&keywords2=Sgro&selectedid=7119
  16. ↑ "Official Voting Results". Elections Canada . Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  17. ↑ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  19. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Humber River—Black Creek, 30 September 2015
  20. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.