Joe Spina
Encyclopedia
Joe Spina is a politician
in Ontario, Canada
. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 1995 to 2003, representing a Brampton-area riding
for the Progressive Conservative Party
.
Spina was educated at the University of Windsor
, receiving a Bachelor of Commerce
degree in 1975. He was the owner and president of Amplexus Communications from 1981 to 1995 and served as president of the Brampton Board of Trade in 1989-90. He was also a founding chair of the Brampton and Vaughan Santa Claus Parades.
Spina was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1995
, defeating incumbent Liberal
Carman McClelland
by just over 5,000 votes in the riding of Brampton North
. This riding is located in "905 belt", a suburban region which provided the Ontario Tories with their strongest support base in this period. He increased his level of victory in the 1999 provincial election
in the redistributed riding of Brampton Centre
, defeating Liberal Gurjit Grewal by over 10,000 votes. In 2000, he supported Stockwell Day
's bid to lead the Canadian Alliance
on the second ballot of the new federal party's leadership vote.
En 1996, afin de marquer la date du 10e anniversaire de l'adoption de la Loi sur les services en français, le député néo-démocrate Gilles Bisson a prononcé un discours en français à l'Assemblée législative de l'Ontario. Il fut chahuté par le progressiste-conservateur Joe Spina, qui cria à l'endroit de Bisson : « Speak English! »
Spina was not a prominent figure in the Progressive Conservative Party, and was not appointed to cabinet
in the governments of Mike Harris
and Ernie Eves
. In 2001, he introduced a Private Member's Bill attempting to increase public awareness of congenital heart defects. He supported Tony Clement
for the party's leadership in 2002.
In the 2003 provincial election
, he was narrowly defeated by Liberal candidate Linda Jeffrey
, completing a Liberal sweep of the Brampton-Mississauga region.
In the Canadian federal election of 2004
, Spina ran for the Conservative Party of Canada
in the riding of Vaughan
against high-profile Liberal
incumbent Maurizio Bevilacqua
. He was resoundingly defeated, losing to Bevilacqua by almost 20,000 votes.
During the 2004 campaign, Spina accused the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
of being biased toward the governing Liberals (at one point calling it the "Communist Broadcasting Corporation"), and suggested that its funding should be scrapped (except in rural sparsely populated markets that cannot support commercial broadcasting).
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 1995 to 2003, representing a Brampton-area riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
for the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
.
Spina was educated at the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
, receiving a Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
degree in 1975. He was the owner and president of Amplexus Communications from 1981 to 1995 and served as president of the Brampton Board of Trade in 1989-90. He was also a founding chair of the Brampton and Vaughan Santa Claus Parades.
Spina was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1995
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, defeating incumbent Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
Carman McClelland
Carman McClelland
John Carman McClelland is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1995.-Background:...
by just over 5,000 votes in the riding of Brampton North
Brampton North
Brampton North is a former provincial electoral district in Ontario. It existed for the 1987, 1990, and 1995 elections. It was abolished in 1999 into Bramalea—Gore—Malton—Springdale, Brampton Centre, Brampton West—Mississauga...
. This riding is located in "905 belt", a suburban region which provided the Ontario Tories with their strongest support base in this period. He increased his level of victory in the 1999 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
in the redistributed riding of Brampton Centre
Brampton Centre
Brampton Centre was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004. This riding was created in 1996 from parts of Brampton riding....
, defeating Liberal Gurjit Grewal by over 10,000 votes. In 2000, he supported Stockwell Day
Stockwell Day
Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
's bid to lead the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
on the second ballot of the new federal party's leadership vote.
En 1996, afin de marquer la date du 10e anniversaire de l'adoption de la Loi sur les services en français, le député néo-démocrate Gilles Bisson a prononcé un discours en français à l'Assemblée législative de l'Ontario. Il fut chahuté par le progressiste-conservateur Joe Spina, qui cria à l'endroit de Bisson : « Speak English! »
Spina was not a prominent figure in the Progressive Conservative Party, and was not appointed to cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
in the governments of Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
and Ernie Eves
Ernie Eves
Ernest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
. In 2001, he introduced a Private Member's Bill attempting to increase public awareness of congenital heart defects. He supported Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
for the party's leadership in 2002.
In the 2003 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, he was narrowly defeated by Liberal candidate Linda Jeffrey
Linda Jeffrey
Linda Jeffrey is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Brampton—Springdale for the Ontario Liberal Party, and is the province's Minister of Natural Resources in the Liberal government of Premier Dalton...
, completing a Liberal sweep of the Brampton-Mississauga region.
In the Canadian federal election of 2004
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, Spina ran for the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
in the riding of Vaughan
Vaughan (electoral district)
Vaughan is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding covers the fast-growing region of Vaughan north of Toronto....
against high-profile Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
incumbent Maurizio Bevilacqua
Maurizio Bevilacqua
Maurizio Bevilacqua, PC, is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1988 to 2010 and was of eleven candidates for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada but dropped out of the race on August 14, 2006...
. He was resoundingly defeated, losing to Bevilacqua by almost 20,000 votes.
During the 2004 campaign, Spina accused the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
of being biased toward the governing Liberals (at one point calling it the "Communist Broadcasting Corporation"), and suggested that its funding should be scrapped (except in rural sparsely populated markets that cannot support commercial broadcasting).