Peter Li Preti
Encyclopedia
Peter Li Preti was a city councillor in Toronto
, Canada
, who represented one of the two York West
wards from 1985 to 2006.
ran for a seat in the provincial legislature. Representing the troubled Jane and Finch
, he campaigned for development in the area, including extending the Spadina subway. He also argued that the media was biased against the region, and attempted to set up a fund that would sue for libel any media outlet that spoke negatively of the area.
, Li Preti had sought the Liberal Party
nomination in the York Centre
riding. However, Liberal leader Jean Chrétien
directly appointed Art Eggleton
to run in the seat. Besides Li Preti and his supporters, the appointment was criticized by several high profile Toronto Liberals including Joe Volpe
, Dennis Mills
, and John Nunziata
. Allegations of racism against Italian-Canadian
s were also levelled. After battling Chrétien in the media and in the courts, Li Preti eventually chose to run as an independent, branding himself an "independent Liberal" using the Liberal colour red, and promising voters he would ask to join the Liberal caucus in House of Commons
if elected. Li Preti came under some criticism for potentially misleading some voters as to his affiliation with the party. Unlike the pro-choice
Eggleton, he took a pro-life
position opposed to abortion. He emphasized his support for industrial development in many of the CFB Downsview lands
in the riding that were being decommissioned. Li Preti came in a distant second polling 3,918 votes to Eggleton's 27, 150.
in the 1997
He was also elected in 2000
and 2003 elections
. As the Councillor for Ward 8, Li Preti advocated for maintaining and preserving affordable housing stock, supporting and encouraging the provision of good child care and expanding and upgrading recreation and playground facilities. He has also supported for Computers at Home, a project aimed at providing computers to students who are unable to afford one.
Li Preti aided the formation of homeowner associations and tenant associations within his constituency. He supports their issues and concerns, and involving them in advocacy and decision making. Peter Li Preti has always been a strong supporter of the Oakdale Community Center.
In the 2006 municipal election
he sought re-election against former North York colleague Anthony Perruzza
. Several incidents occurred during advanced polling on the weekend of November 4–5, 2006, leading to Li Preti and Perruzza accusing each other of dirty campaigning and the breaking of numerous election
s. Perruzza beat him by 579 votes. The contest was repeated in the 2010 municipal election
with Peruzza prevailing by 352 votes.
Unofficial results as of October 26, 2010 03:55 am
|-
| align="left" | Anthony Perruzza
| align="right" | 4,738
| align="right" | 45.70
|-
| align="left" | (x)Peter Li Preti
| align="right" | 4,159
| align="right" | 40.11
|-
| align="left" | Hau Dang Tan
| align="right" | 734
| align="right" | 7.08
|-
| align="left" | Garry Green
| align="right" | 371
| align="right" | 3.58
|-
| align="left" | Ramnarine Tiwari
| align="right" | 193
| align="right" | 1.86
|-
| align="left" | Abdulhaq Omar
| align="right" | 173
| align="right" | 1.67
|- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! align="left" | Total valid votes
! align="right" | 10,368
! align="right" | 100.00
|}
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, 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...
, who represented one of the two York West
York West
York West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904 and since 1917.Its population was 110,384 in 2001...
wards from 1985 to 2006.
Background
Li Preti received a B.A. and M.A. at the University of Toronto and went on to complete a Masters of Education in School Psychology and Clinical Counselling. He later achieved a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and he practised as a psychometrist (any indication on other websites that suggest that he practiced as a neuropsychologist is wrong as he is not a registered psychologist in the province of Ontario). Li Preti is founder and president of the Family and Individual Psychoneurological Assessment Centre.North York city councillor
Li Preti was appointed to fill a vacancy on North York City Council in 1985 when former alderman Claudio PolsinelliClaudio Polsinelli
Claudio Polsinelli is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1985 to 1990....
ran for a seat in the provincial legislature. Representing the troubled Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch
Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in northwestern North York, a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Driftwood Avenue to the east, Grandravine Drive to the south, and Shoreham Drive to the north...
, he campaigned for development in the area, including extending the Spadina subway. He also argued that the media was biased against the region, and attempted to set up a fund that would sue for libel any media outlet that spoke negatively of the area.
Federal politics
Prior to the 1993 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, Li Preti had sought the Liberal Party
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...
nomination in the York Centre
York Centre
York Centre is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1917 and since 1953....
riding. However, Liberal leader Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
directly appointed Art Eggleton
Art Eggleton
Arthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
to run in the seat. Besides Li Preti and his supporters, the appointment was criticized by several high profile Toronto Liberals including Joe Volpe
Joe Volpe
Giuseppe Joseph "Joe" Volpe, PC, was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until the 2011 federal election, being surpassed by the conservative member Joe Oliver Joe Oliver, and held two senior positions in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Cabinet...
, Dennis Mills
Dennis Mills
Dennis Joseph Mills is a Canadian businessman and former politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Toronto-Danforth in the east-end of downtown Toronto. He now sits on the board of directors of Magna International....
, and John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
. Allegations of racism against Italian-Canadian
Italian-Canadian
An Italian Canadian is a Canadian of Italian descent or heritage. According to the 2006 census of Canada, 1,445,335 Canadians consider themselves to be of Italian origin. The Italian-Canadian population climbed by more than 12% and half have combined Italian origins along with another ethnic...
s were also levelled. After battling Chrétien in the media and in the courts, Li Preti eventually chose to run as an independent, branding himself an "independent Liberal" using the Liberal colour red, and promising voters he would ask to join the Liberal caucus in House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
if elected. Li Preti came under some criticism for potentially misleading some voters as to his affiliation with the party. Unlike the pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
Eggleton, he took a pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
position opposed to abortion. He emphasized his support for industrial development in many of the CFB Downsview lands
Downsview Park
Downsview Park is a former Canadian Forces Base in the community of Downsview in Toronto, Canada. It contains about 231.5 hectares of land, of which more than 130 hectares are earmarked for traditional parkland, recreational and cultural amenities...
in the riding that were being decommissioned. Li Preti came in a distant second polling 3,918 votes to Eggleton's 27, 150.
Toronto city councillor
In 1997 when North York was merged with Toronto and the other parts of Metro to form the new "megacity", he was elected to the new Toronto City CouncilToronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
in the 1997
Toronto municipal election, 1997
The 1997 Toronto municipal election was the first election held for offices in the amalgamated "megacity" of Toronto, Canada. The elections were administered by the old City of Toronto and its five suburbs within Metropolitan Toronto...
He was also elected in 2000
Toronto municipal election, 2000
The Toronto municipal election of 2000, dubbed "Toronto Vote 2000" was the municipal and school board election held in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000.Elections were held to elect:* the Mayor of Toronto,* councillors for each of Toronto's 44 wards,* trustees...
and 2003 elections
Toronto municipal election, 2003
The Toronto municipal election of 2003 was held on November 10, 2003, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to elect the Mayor of Toronto, 44 city councillors, and school board trustees.David Miller was elected mayor ....
. As the Councillor for Ward 8, Li Preti advocated for maintaining and preserving affordable housing stock, supporting and encouraging the provision of good child care and expanding and upgrading recreation and playground facilities. He has also supported for Computers at Home, a project aimed at providing computers to students who are unable to afford one.
Li Preti aided the formation of homeowner associations and tenant associations within his constituency. He supports their issues and concerns, and involving them in advocacy and decision making. Peter Li Preti has always been a strong supporter of the Oakdale Community Center.
In the 2006 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 2006
The 2006 Toronto municipal election took place on 13 November 2006 to elect a mayor and 44 city councillors in Toronto, Ontario. In addition, school trustees were elected to the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest...
he sought re-election against former North York colleague Anthony Perruzza
Anthony Perruzza
Anthony Perruzza is a politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was a city councillor in North York from 1988 to 1990, and served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995 as a member of the New Democratic Party...
. Several incidents occurred during advanced polling on the weekend of November 4–5, 2006, leading to Li Preti and Perruzza accusing each other of dirty campaigning and the breaking of numerous election
Election law
Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science. It researches "the politics of law and the law of politics"...
s. Perruzza beat him by 579 votes. The contest was repeated in the 2010 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 2010
The 2010 Toronto municipal election was held on October 25, 2010 to elect a mayor and 44 city councillors in Toronto, Canada. In addition, school trustees were elected to the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest and...
with Peruzza prevailing by 352 votes.
Election results
| 2010 Toronto election Toronto city council election, 2010 For information on the campaign for mayor see Toronto mayoral election, 2010The 2010 Toronto council election was held on October 25, 2010 to elect councillors to represent Toronto's 44 wards at Toronto City Council... , Ward 8 |
||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Perruzza Anthony Perruzza Anthony Perruzza is a politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was a city councillor in North York from 1988 to 1990, and served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995 as a member of the New Democratic Party... |
4,724 | 41.5 |
| Peter Li Preti | 4,372 | 38.4 |
| Antonius Clarke | 1,487 | 13.1 |
| Arthur Smitherman | 268 | 2.4 |
| Naseeb Husain | 243 | 2.1 |
| John Gallagher | 129 | 1.1 |
| Ramnarine Tiwari | 117 | 1.0 |
| Gerardo Miniguano | 53 | 0.5 |
| Total | 11,393 | 100 |
Unofficial results as of October 26, 2010 03:55 am
|-
| align="left" | Anthony Perruzza
Anthony Perruzza
Anthony Perruzza is a politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was a city councillor in North York from 1988 to 1990, and served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995 as a member of the New Democratic Party...
| align="right" | 4,738
| align="right" | 45.70
|-
| align="left" | (x)Peter Li Preti
| align="right" | 4,159
| align="right" | 40.11
|-
| align="left" | Hau Dang Tan
| align="right" | 734
| align="right" | 7.08
|-
| align="left" | Garry Green
| align="right" | 371
| align="right" | 3.58
|-
| align="left" | Ramnarine Tiwari
| align="right" | 193
| align="right" | 1.86
|-
| align="left" | Abdulhaq Omar
| align="right" | 173
| align="right" | 1.67
|- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! align="left" | Total valid votes
! align="right" | 10,368
! align="right" | 100.00
|}