Sandra Pupatello (née Pizzolitto; born October 6, 1962) is a politician in
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada. She served in the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2011 as a member of the
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party (OLP; french: Parti libéral de l'Ontario, PLO) is a political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. The party has been led by interim leader John Fraser since August 2022.
The party espouses the principles of li ...
, serving as a Minister in the government of
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr. (born July 19, 1955) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He was the first Liberal leader to win two majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn nea ...
. She did not run in the 2011 provincial election and took a position as director of business and global markets at
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounti ...
. On November 8, 2012, Pupatello announced her candidacy for the
leadership of the Liberal Party of Ontario. On January 26, 2013, she lost to
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O'Day Wynne ( ; born May 21, 1953) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2003 and sat as the ...
on the third and final ballot. Afterwards, she returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Pupatello served as chair of
Hydro One
Hydro One Limited is an electricity transmission and distribution utility serving the Canadian province of Ontario. Hydro One traces its history to the early 20th century and the establishment of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario ( ...
from 2014 to 2015.
She was the federal
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
candidate in
Windsor West
Windsor West (french: Windsor-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography
The district consists of the part of the city of Windsor lying west an ...
in 2019, coming second to
New Democratic Party incumbent
Brian Masse.
Pupatello is married to
Jim Bennett, a former leader of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party.
Early life and career
Pupatello was born Sandra Pizzolitto in
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
, Ontario. She became politically active by campaigning for
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
(MP)
Herb Gray
Herbert Eser Gray (May 25, 1931 – April 21, 2014) was a Canadian lawyer who became a prominent federal politician. He was a Liberal member of parliament for the Windsor area over the course of four decades, from 1962 to 2002, making Gray o ...
in the 1970s. She holds a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree from the
University of Windsor
, mottoeng = Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge
, established =
, academic_affiliations = CARL, COU, Universities Canada
, former_names = Assumption College (1857-1956)Assumption University of Windsor (1956-1963)
, type = Public universi ...
(1986). She remained in the city after her graduation, serving as general manager of the city's
Rotary Club and executive director of the Essex County Kidney Foundation of Canada. She was also a board member of the Windsor Regional Hospital and Windsor Regional Children's Centre, and was president of the Fogolar Furlan Club. Pupatello was named "
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
of the Year" for Windsor-Essex County in 1996, received the Charlie Clark Award for Outstanding Service from the University of Windsor in 2001, and was named "Windsor Woman of the Year" in 2003.
Provincial politics
Pupatello was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the
1995 provincial election, defeating
New Democratic Party candidate Arlene Rousseau by 5,526 votes in
Windsor—Sandwich
Windsor—Sandwich was an electoral riding in Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1934 and was abolished with the 1967 election as a result of redistribution. The area was restructured as Windsor West from 1967 to 1975, during which time it was r ...
. The seat had previously been held by New Democrat
George Dadamo, who did not seek re-election. The
Progressive Conservative Party won a
majority government in the election, and Pupatello entered the legislature as an opposition
Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP). During her first term, she served as Official Opposition Critic for Community and Social Services, Children's issues, Youth Issues, and the Management Board of Cabinet.
Pupatello was co-manager of
Dwight Duncan
Dwight Duncan (born 3 January 1959) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2013 who represented ridings of Windsor—Walkerville, Windsor—St. Clair and Windso ...
's 1996 campaign to lead the Ontario Liberal Party. Like Duncan, she supported
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy (born July 24, 1960) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Ca ...
on the final ballot.
Pupatello was re-elected by a landslide in the
1999 provincial election for the redistributed constituency of
Windsor West
Windsor West (french: Windsor-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography
The district consists of the part of the city of Windsor lying west an ...
, while the Progressive Conservatives were re-elected to a second consecutive majority government. Pupatello remained a member of the opposition frontbench, serving over the next four years as Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Official Opposition Critic for Health and Long-Term Care.
She was a vocal critic of the
Mike Harris
Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. During his time ...
and
Ernie Eves
Ernest Larry Eves (born June 17, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 23rd premier of Ontario from 2002 to 2003. A Progressive Conservative, he took over the premiership upon Mike Harris's resignation as party leade ...
governments, frequently criticizing cutbacks to child care and other programs. In 1997, she introduced a Private Member's Resolution intended to stop cutbacks to hospital funding. She later criticized the Progressive Conservative government's plans to introduce a private MRI clinic, arguing that it posed a long-term threat to public health-care.
In government
![Pupatello and Tory](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Pupatello_and_Tory.jpg)
The Liberal Party won a majority government in the
2003 provincial election, and Pupatello was again re-elected in Windsor West with a significant majority. On October 23, 2003, she was appointed to cabinet as
Minister of Community and Social Services with responsibility for
Women's Issues
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male poi ...
. There was some speculation that she would be appointed
Deputy Premier
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
as well, but this position was instead left vacant until
George Smitherman
George Smitherman (born February 12, 1964) is a former Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayor ...
's appointment in 2006. Pupatello was spoken of as a possible candidate for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party when Dalton McGuinty was to retire in 2006.
Minister of Community and Social Services
Pupatello's most important responsibility in the Community and Social Services portfolio was overseeing Ontario's welfare and disability assistance system. Shortly after taking office, she announced that her government would remove a lifetime ban on welfare recipients who are caught cheating on their applications. Pupatello described the rule as counterproductive, in that many welfare officials were reluctant to bring forward charges out of concern for the extreme punitive consequences. She also announced that her government would take greater steps to find parents who are delinquent with child support payments.
In March 2004, Pupatello announced $2 million to assist low-income Ontarians with increased hydro bills. In June, she announced $10 million to help Ontarians with physical disabilities modify their houses and cars.
Pupatello introduced a 3% social assistance rate increase in 2004, the first such increase after twelve years of freezes. Mechanical difficulties with computers purchased by the
Mike Harris
Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. During his time ...
government subsequently delayed its implementation, and the province implemented lump-sum payments instead. Later in 2004, Pupatello announced that her government would eliminate a rule requiring welfare recipients to liquidate their education savings plans. Speaking to the media, Pupatello described the requirement as "a dumb rule that works at cross-purposes to what welfare is supposed to be doing for people and their families". In 2005, she announced the creation of the ''JobsNow'' program to help welfare recipients enter the workforce.
In January 2005, Pupatello was appointed to chair an ad hoc cabinet committee on the modernization of government.
Pupatello spearheaded passage of the ''
Adoption Information Disclosure Act'' in 2005, allowing birth records to be released to
adoptees
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
. Ontario Privacy Commissioner
Ann Cavoukian
Ann Cavoukian (born October 7, 1952) is the former Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Canadian province of Ontario. Her concept of privacy by design, which takes privacy into account throughout the system engineering process, was expan ...
was a critic of the bill, arguing that it was not sufficiently respectful of the promises of anonymity made to birth parents at the time of adoption. Pupatello argued that the bill was necessary to provide adoptees with information about their personal history, and has noted that it provides safeguards for instances where safety issues are a concern.
In November 2005, the Ministry of Community and Social Services, under Pupatello's leadership, rolled out a series of amendments to the special diet allowance, a program which provides additional funding of up to $250 per month for social assistance recipients to cover the increased costs of certain medically related diets. Groups such as the
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is an anti-poverty group in Ontario, Canada, which promotes the interests of the poor and homeless. The group uses publicity-generating direct action techniques such as squatting and demonstrations w ...
had previously encouraged recipients to apply for the benefit and there had been a significant increase in the number of requests. Pupatello argued that there was a loophole in the program, it was being exploited by activist groups and that the resulting drain on the system needed to be corrected. Several anti-poverty groups criticized the decision. In February 2008, the Ontario Human Rights Commission referred a group of complaints to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, asserting that the 2005 amendments violated the Ontario Human Rights Code. The Tribunal hearings are scheduled to take place in 2009.
Pupatello announced in January 2006 that her department would close Ontario's three remaining government-operated institutions for mentally disabled adults, and assist the occupants with moving into more integrated community facilities. She noted that a "sea change in attitude" had occurred over institutionalization practices since the buildings were first established, and that greater integration was now the preferred approach. Previous ministers, including
John Baird, had also called for the buildings to close. Critics argued that the plan could put the patients at risk.
In March 2006, the McGuinty government was criticized for a backlog in approving provincial disability allowances. Pupatello described the backlog as "totally unacceptable", and announced that her ministry would work to correct it.
Social assistance rates were raised again by 2% in 2006. Pupatello also introduced policy to allow further money to be 'flowed through' from the federal government's National Child Benefit Supplement in each year since 2003. She was unable to implement a planned removal of the federal tax credit clawback, and argued that the deficit inherited from the previous government made this change unviable before 2007.
Minister of Education
Pupatello was promoted to
Minister of Education on April 5, 2006, after
Gerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy (born July 24, 1960) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Ca ...
resigned to run for the federal Liberal leadership. The following month, she announced that her government would give $3 million to the Kids Help Phone service to set up a 24-hour anti-bullying hotline. She also pledged more than $1 million to provide young students with swimming and water survival lessons, in the aftermath of a series of drowning deaths in the
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
area the previous year.
In late May 2006, Pupatello introduced a strategic high school transition plan intended to reduce Ontario's high-school dropout rate. The following month, she introduced a $50 million plan for teacher training and reduced wait times for special needs programs. She also worked toward solving the vexing issue of the teacher funding formula, a problem that the Liberals inherited from the previous government.
Pupatello also announced a comprehensive plan for changes at
TV Ontario
TVO Media Education Group (often abbreviated as TVO and stylized on-air as tvo) is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario E ...
, including a greater focus on educational programming and more money for equipment upgrades. The popular
Studio 2
''Studio 2'' was a daily (weeknights) current affairs newsmagazine on TVOntario in Ontario, Canada. The show won several Gemini Awards, and was hosted by Steve Paikin and Paula Todd (who replaced original co-host Mary Hynes in the show's third ...
program was cancelled, and replaced by a nightly current affairs show called ''The Agenda''. Some opposition politicians charged political interference in the latter decision, but this was denied by both Pupatello and Studio 2 host
Steve Paikin.
During the summer of 2006, Pupatello criticized a number of Ontario school boards for failing to balance their books. She appointed a financial adviser to the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, which was experiencing difficulties balancing its budget. Pupatello also targeted administrative costs in the Toronto District School Board, arguing that the board had the means to balance its books without program cuts. In late August, she appointed two provincial representatives to review the TDSB books.
During a September 2006 by-election
Parkdale—High Park
Parkdale—High Park is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1979. It was created during the 1976 electoral boundaries redistribution from parts of Parkdale, Hig ...
, Pupatello engaged in a controversial negative campaign on behalf of Liberal candidate
Sylvia Watson. She accused New Democratic Party candidate Rev.
Cheri DiNovo of comparing Canada's media coverage of serial killer
Karla Homolka
Karla Leanne Homolka (born May 4, 1970), also known as Karla Leanne Teale, Leanne Teale, and Leanne Bordelais, is a Canadian serial killer who acted as an accomplice to her husband, Paul Bernardo, taking active part in the actual rapes and murde ...
to the persecution of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, and suggested that DiNovo was unfit to run for parliament. Many argued that Pupatello took DiNovo's words completely out of context, and opposition politicians accused the Liberals of conducting a smear campaign. The effort backfired, and DiNovo was elected by a significant margin. Pupatello has defended her role in the campaign, saying "If I was presented once again with apparently what is factual and has yet to be refuted and that is sermons that were posted on the world wide web ... I would have exactly the same opinion as I do today".
Minister of Economic Development and Trade
Pupatello was reassigned as
Minister of Economic Development and Trade on September 18, 2006, following the resignation of
Joe Cordiano
Joseph Cordiano (born October 30, 1957) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 2006 who represented the riding of Downsview. He served as a cabinet minister in the g ...
. This was generally interpreted as a demotion, although at least one columnist has suggested that holding an economic portfolio could help Pupatello's long-term political ambitions.
Pupatello led provincial trade delegations to
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
in late 2006 and early 2007, promoting Ontario's business sector to the western province's booming economy. She also took part in a trade mission to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
in January 2007, and went on a four-day trade mission to
Japan in April of the same year. Her department has also set up a growing number of marketing centres around the world.
Minister Responsible for Women's Issues
In late 2005, Pupatello introduced a program to assist provincial emergency workers in identifying cases of domestic abuse. She has also introduced several initiatives to assist women from low income backgrounds in entering the job market. She introduced "EqualityRules.ca" in November 2006, to encourage equal relationships between young boys and girls. In the same month, she announced $2.1 million for interpreter services for victims of domestic violence.
Minister of International Trade and Investment
In September 2008, she was appointed the province's Minister of International Trade and Development, which was created with the mandate of attracting new investment in Ontario.
Minister of Economic Development and Trade
In June 2009, she was appointed the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, a new ministry that combined three previous ministries: Small Business, International Trade and Investment and Economic Development.
In June 2011, she announced that she would not seek re-election in the
October 2011 general election.
2013 Ontario Liberal leadership bid
On 8 November 2012 Pupatello announced that she was leaving her Bay Street job to seek the
leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party. She lost to
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O'Day Wynne ( ; born May 21, 1953) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2003 and sat as the ...
who subsequently asked her to become Minister of Finance in her first cabinet; Pupatello declined in favour of returning to the private sector.
Hydro One
The provincial government appointed Pupatello to the board of
Hydro One
Hydro One Limited is an electricity transmission and distribution utility serving the Canadian province of Ontario. Hydro One traces its history to the early 20th century and the establishment of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario ( ...
, the province's largest electricity company, in November 2013 and subsequently appointed her chair effective April 2014.
She was succeeded as chair by
David F. Denison
David F. Denison is a Canadian businessperson and the chair of Hydro One and Hydro One Inc. He is the former president and chief executive officer of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
Biography
Denison earned a bachelor's degree in both m ...
on April 16, 2015, but remained on the Hydro One board of directors.
Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation
In May 2013, Pupatello was named CEO of the municipally owned Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation and occupied that position in addition to her old position at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
She resigned in July 2015, despite having two years left in her contract,
after months of criticism from some Windsor city councillors who grilled Pupatello over the WEEDC's failure to create jobs in the region.
Federal politics
Pupatello supported
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
The son o ...
's bid to succeed
Jean Chrétien as leader of the
Liberal Party of Canada. She also supported
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff (; born May 12, 1947) is a Canadian author, academic and former politician who served as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011. Known for his work as a histo ...
's bid for the party leadership
in 2006.
In 2015, there was speculation that she may run for the federal Liberals in
Windsor West
Windsor West (french: Windsor-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography
The district consists of the part of the city of Windsor lying west an ...
in the
October 2015 federal election and attempt to unseat
NDP
NDP may stand for:
Computing
* Neighbor Discovery Protocol, an Internet protocol
* Nortel Discovery Protocol, a layer two Internet protocol, also called SONMP
* Nondeterministic programming, a type of computer language
Government
* National ...
incumbent
Brian Masse but that didn't eventuate.
Pupatello announced in August 2019 that she was seeking the
federal Liberal nomination in
Windsor West
Windsor West (french: Windsor-Ouest) is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Geography
The district consists of the part of the city of Windsor lying west an ...
in the
2019 Canadian federal election. She won the nomination and attempted to unseat incumbent
New Democratic Party MP
Brian Masse, coming second to him.
Table of offices held
Electoral record
Federal
Provincial
All electoral information is taken from
Elections Ontario
Elections Ontario (french: Élections Ontario) is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario responsible for the administration of provincial elections and referendums. It is charged with the implementation and enforcement of th ...
. The expenditure figures cited on this page for all elections after 1995 are the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations.
References
Notes
Citations
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pupatello, Sandra
1962 births
Canadian people of Italian descent
Women government ministers of Canada
Living people
Ontario Liberal Party MPPs
Members of the Executive Council of Ontario
Politicians from Windsor, Ontario
University of Windsor alumni
Women MPPs in Ontario
21st-century Canadian politicians
21st-century Canadian women politicians