Peter Fonseca
Canadian politician

Peter Fonseca

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Canadian politician
Gender:
Male
Places:
Canada
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PoliticianAthlete
Work field:
PoliticsSports
Birth:
5 October 1966
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Biography

Introduction

For other people with a similar name, see Pedro da Fonseca (disambiguation)
Peter Fonseca, MP (born October 5, 1966) is a Canadian politician and former athlete. He is a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville since his election in 2015.
Prior to entering federal politics, Fonseca was a provincial Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing Mississauga East (2003-2007) and Mississauga East—Cooksville (2007- 2011). He was a cabinet minister in the government of Dalton McGuinty.

Background

Fonseca was born in Lisbon, Portugal and immigrated to Toronto with his family in 1968. He was raised in Little Portugal. He graduated from St. Michael's College School and attended the University of Oregon, gaining a Bachelor of Arts on an athletic scholarship. He also holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Windsor. He finished 5th in the 10,000 metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. He also represented Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia in the Men's Marathon. He was the top finisher for the Canadians, placing 21st overall in a 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi) race with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 28 seconds. He also placed second in the 1994 Toronto Marathon and the 1994 Houston Marathon, and third in the 1992 New York City Marathon and the 1990 Los Angeles Marathon.

Fonseca was later a senior performance management consultant for the Coach Corporation, and has run an importing and distributing company in Portugal.

He married his wife Christine "Chris" Fonseca in 2003. Christine was elected to Mississauga City Council as Councillor for Ward 3 in the 2010 Mississauga municipal election and 2014 Mississauga municipal election.

Politics

Provincial

Fonseca was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 2003, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative Carl DeFaria by about 3,000 votes in Mississauga East. On October 23, 2003, he was named parliamentary assistant to George Smitherman, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. In July 2005, he became the parliamentary assistant to Jim Watson, the Minister of Health Promotion.

In October 2007, Fonseca was named to cabinet as Minister of Tourism and Recreation. In a cabinet shuffle on September 18, 2008, Fonseca was appointed as the province's Minister of Labour.

Provincial Government of Dalton McGuinty
Cabinet Posts (2)
Predecessor Office Successor
Jim Bradley Minister of Tourism and Recreation
2008–2010		 Monique Smith
Brad Duguid Minister of Labour
2007–2008		 Charles Sousa

Federal

On December 16, 2010, Fonseca resigned from the Ontario cabinet to run for the federal Liberals in the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville. He was defeated by Conservative candidate Wladyslaw Lizon in the 2011 federal election by 676 votes.

Fonseca ran for the Liberals again in the 2015 federal election and defeated Lizon by a wide margin as part of the Liberal sweep of Mississauga ridings.

Electoral record

Federal

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Canadian federal election, 2015: Mississauga East—Cooksville
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Liberal Peter Fonseca 28,154 54.23 +18.07 –
Conservative Wladyslaw Lizon 18,353 35.35 -8.20 –
New Democratic Ali Naqvi 4,481 8.63 -9.03 –
Green Jaymini Bhikha 766 1.48 -0.69 –
Marxist–Leninist Tim Sullivan 163 0.31 – –
Total valid votes/Expense limit 51,917 100.00     $216,912.60
Total rejected ballots 287 0.55
Turnout 52,204 63.87
Eligible voters 81,736
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +13.13
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Canadian federal election, 2011: Mississauga East—Cooksville
Party Candidate Votes % ∆% Expenditures
Conservative Wladyslaw Lizon 18,796 39.97 +7.42 $90,142
Liberal Peter Fonseca 18,120 38.53 -11.63 $71,450
New Democratic Waseem Ahmed 8,836 18.79 +7.44 $6,591
Green Jaymini Bhikha 1,032 2.19 -3.05 $968
Marxist–Leninist Pierre Chénier 241 0.51 -0.16
Total valid votes/Expense limit 47,025 100.00   $169,151
Total rejected ballots 289 0.61
Turnout 47,314 56.8
Eligible voters 83,018
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +9.52

Provincial

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Ontario general election, 2007: Mississauga East—Cooksville
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Peter Fonseca 22,249 58.93
Progressive Conservative Zoran Churchin 8,715 23.08
New Democratic Satish Balasunderam 3,192 8.46
Green Carla Cassanova 2,361 6.25
Family Coalition Al Zawadzki 992 2.63
Freedom Ryan Jamieson 243 0.64
Total valid votes 100.0
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 349 0.91
Turnout 38,101 47.47
Eligible voters 80,247
Liberal gain Swing –
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Ontario general election, 2003: Mississauga East
Party Candidate Votes % ∆%
Liberal Peter Fonseca 16,686 48.68 +9.69
Progressive Conservative Carl DeFaria 13,832 40.35 -11.23
New Democratic Michael Hancock 2,479 7.23 -0.01
Green Donald Barber 666 1.94
Family Coalition Gary Nail 358 1.04
Independent Pierre Chénier 256 0.75
Total valid votes 34,277 100.00
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 252 0.73
Turnout 34,529 51.38
Eligible voters 67,198
Liberal gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +10.46