1. John Nunziata first served as an Alderman in the Borough of York from 1978 to 1982.
27 Facts About John Nunziata
1. 2.
John Nunziata served three terms as a Liberal MP in the House of Commons of Canada from York South-Weston and in 1997 was elected as an Independent MP.
3.
John Nunziata is the fifth of seven children of Italian immigrant parents.
4.
John Nunziata attended high school at Runnymede Collegiate Institute in Toronto where he was elected President of the Student Council in 1973.
5.
John Nunziata graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1977 and went on to earn his Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1980.
6.
John Nunziata was called to the Ontario bar in 1982.
7.
John Nunziata has been the recipient of the Borough of York Civic Merit Award, the George Syme and Harwood Ratepayer's "Citizen of the Year Award" and the Canada 125 Medal.
8.
John Nunziata campaigned as a Liberal for a 1982 provincial by-election in York South, but lost to new NDP leader Bob Rae.
9.
John Nunziata was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1984 general election as a Liberal despite a national Progressive Conservative landslide.
10.
John Nunziata thrived as a member of the opposition Rat Pack, a group of Liberal Members of Parliament including Don Boudria, Brian Tobin, and Sheila Copps.
11.
John Nunziata stressed "family values" and was opposed to abortion, but his views on other issues were not always socially conservative.
12.
John Nunziata was re-elected without difficulty in the 1988 election.
13.
John Nunziata served as the critic for Employment from January 1992 to November 1992.
14.
John Nunziata was chairman of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group and headed a Caucus Task Force on Pearson International Airport.
15.
John Nunziata introduced several Private Members Bills including those to repeal the Faint Hope Clause of the Criminal Code of Canada and to modify the Young Offenders Act.
16.
When John Turner resigned as Liberal leader, Nunziata ran to succeed him in the 1990 Liberal leadership convention.
17.
John Nunziata placed last in a field of five candidates.
18.
John Nunziata defeated Toronto councillor Judy Sgro by 4,431 votes to retain his riding, and so became the only independent member elected to the new parliament.
19.
John Nunziata started his political career in 1978 when he was elected an alderman in the former borough of York at age 23 and while still attending law school.
20.
In 1979, John Nunziata was the only alderman to vote against the closing of the Beech Hall Seniors' Apartments.
21.
John Nunziata learned that the residents had not been informed that they were to be evicted, and leaked the story to the Toronto Star.
22.
John Nunziata was responsible for getting the residents to organise and fight for their rights.
23.
John Nunziata ran for Mayor of Toronto in the 2003 municipal election, pledging support for the police, and to bring the homeless off the streets and into institutional care facilities.
24.
Since 2003, John Nunziata has become a partner with the Parliamentary Group and he has responsibility for Queens Park government relations.
25.
In 2013, John Nunziata was one of several candidates for appointment to Ward 3 to replace Doug Holyday, who resigned to become an MPP.
26.
On September 12,2014, the last day to register as a candidate, John Nunziata registered to run for Toronto city council in Ward 12 against incumbent Frank Di Giorgio, community leader Lekan Olawoye and former city staffer Nick Dominelli in the October 27 municipal election.
27.
John Nunziata said he wanted to win the ward to help build consensus on council "so we can actually make a difference".