14 Facts About Dominic Agostino

Dominic Agostino was a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Hamilton East for the Liberal Party in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 until his death in 2004.

Dominic Agostino worked as rehabilitation counsellor with the Ontario March of Dimes, and was a special assistant to Ontario Minister of Culture Lily Munro from 1985 to 1987.

Dominic Agostino was elected as a Catholic separate school board trustee in the Hamilton-Wentworth board at the age of 21, serving from 1980 to 1987.

Dominic Agostino campaigned in the 1985 provincial election in Hamilton Mountain, and finished third against New Democrat Brian Charlton.

Dominic Agostino then served as an alderman on the Hamilton City Council from 1987 until the provincial election of 1995.

Dominic Agostino was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton East.

Dominic Agostino was the first Liberal candidate to win the riding since 1937, and the first member of Hamilton's Italian community to win a provincial election anywhere in the city.

Dominic Agostino defeated Andrew MacKenzie, the son of outgoing New Democratic Party Labour Minister Bob Mackenzie, by about 4,000 votes.

The 1995 election was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, and Dominic Agostino quickly emerged as a prominent figure in the parliamentary opposition.

Dominic Agostino became a leading spokesperson for the Liberal Party's left wing, and gained particular praise for his performance as the party's Environment Critic from 1996 to 1999.

In 1996, Dominic Agostino supported Gerard Kennedy's unsuccessful bid for the party leadership.

Dominic Agostino was re-elected without difficulty in the provincial election of 1999, and served as Chief Opposition Whip from 1999 to 2002.

The Liberals won a majority government in the provincial election of 2003, although Dominic Agostino was re-elected with a somewhat reduced margin of victory.

Dominic Agostino had been battling the disease for some time and had undergone surgery during the 2003 campaign, although this information was not made public until his death.