Liberal Francesco Sorbara wins in Vaughan-Woodbridge

Sorbara was elected for the Liberals in Vaughan-Woodbridge, unseating Julian Fantino.

Thestar.com
Oct. 20, 2015
By Noor Javed

The Conservative favourite in York region, Julian Fantino, has lost his seat in Vaughan-Woodbridge, as a red wave swept through the much sought after suburbs.

Rookie politician Liberal Francesco Sorbara took the seat in a tight race in the new riding which encompassed the west of Vaughan.

“Tonight's a big night but the real work starts tomorrow,” said Sorbara, who works in finance.

Fantino, 73, had faced a tough term in Ottawa that saw him demoted from his role as minister of Veteran's Affairs and criticized for his handling of the sensitive file.

The former top cop arrived at the Fontana Primavera in Woodbridge, his wife Livinia at his side to thank supporters and fans, who cheered and whistled as he walked in.

“I have been in public a good long time and I have served the public honourably, ethically, professionally to the best of my ability for the whole of my career,” he said passionately. “I came to this country as an immigrant and worked hard,” he said. “This is a wonderful country that gives as opportunity ... a welcoming country, county that shares it goodness with all of us,” he said.

Fantino congratulated Sorbara and said he now plans to spend time with his family and grandchild

Fantino first won a seat in a byelection in 2010, in a riding were 54 per cent of the population is Italian, according to the 2011 National Household Survey.

Vaughan-Woodbridge was one of the two new ridings created in Vaughan in 2012 and was previously part of Vaughan-King-Aurora, where Fantino won last time around.

This was the first political foray for Liberal Francesco Sorbara, whose family is from the same town in Italy as Greg Sorbara, a former provincial politician. The lifelong Liberal said he “didn’t like the direction Stephen Harper was taking the country” and felt it was the right time to run.

“There is a large desire for change among voters in Vaughan,” said the corporate debt analyst, who has had a long career in the finance sector. “I am hearing it at the GO train, at the coffee shops.”

Sorbar said issues that matter to residents in this election include pensions, home care, transit infrastructure, traffic and seniors issues.

The seniors file is one Fantino has been quite familiar with.

He has had long tenure in the public service, including serving as the head of the Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, before entering politics. After his victory in the 2011 election, he was considered a star in the Tory caucus and was quickly promoted to cabinet roles, including the minister of state for seniors, minister of international co-operation and minister of veterans affairs in 2013.

But Fantino’s tenure as veterans affairs minister was short-lived and he was demoted after several high-profile incidents forced the government to make an abrupt change earlier this year.

Among them were incidents caught on camera of Fantino snapping at veterans who chided him for being late for a meeting. He was there to discuss the closing of several veterans service offices. Another incident caught him ignoring questions shouted at him from the wife of a former soldier. He later said he couldn’t hear the woman. He was deemed by many to “lack compassion” needed to manage the sensitive portfolio.

After just 18 months, Fantino was demoted to associate minister of national defence.

The Tories appeared to be committed to holding on to Vaughan, which has historically been Liberal red.

Just days before Thanksgiving, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and his family were in town and attended the Woodbridge Fair with Fantino, who posted pictures on Twitter. Harper was also in Woodbridge weeks earlier visiting a bakery and talking about home ownership with Fantino.