Joe Fontana

This article is about the Canadian politician. For the character on Law & Order, see Joe Fontana (Law & Order).
The Honourable
Joe Fontana
PC
Fontana in 2012
59th Mayor of London, Ontario
In office
December 1, 2010 – June 19, 2014
Preceded by Anne Marie DeCicco-Best
Succeeded by Joni Baechler
Member of Parliament for London East
In office
1988–1997
Preceded by Jim Jepson
Succeeded by riding dissolved
Member of Parliament for London North Centre
In office
1997–2006
Preceded by first member
Succeeded by Glen Pearson
Personal details
Born January 13, 1950
Cellara, Cosenza, Italy

Joseph Frank "Joe" Fontana, PC (born January 13, 1950) is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1987 to 2006, and mayor of London, Ontario from 2010 to 2014.

Life and career

Fontana was born in Cellara, Cosenza, Italy in 1950, and moved to Canada with his parents at the age of four.

He studied chemical engineering at the University of Waterloo, but left school after becoming the drummer in a rock band. He later moved to London and briefly returned to school at the University of Western Ontario, but left to work in real estate and the insurance industry.

He opposed the building of a federal prison in London and soon became involved in local politics. In 1976 he ran for city council, representing Ward 3, but lost; in 1978 he also lost the Liberal nomination for the federal riding of London-Middlesex, but was elected to London City Council later in the year and served there until 1988, sitting on London's Board of Control from 1985 to 1988.

As Member of Parliament

In 1988 he was elected to the House of Commons as a member of the opposition and served as Critic for Urban Affairs and Housing. He also formed the band "True Grit" with several Liberals including Roger Gallaway and future prime minister Jean Chrétien (who played trombone). He became the Ontario chair of the Liberal caucus and was involved in the Task Force on Via Rail and the Task Force on the Economy and Recession. In 1990 he supported Paul Martin's attempt to become leader of the Liberal Party.

He was re-elected in 1993 and became parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Transport, playing a key role in, among other things, the introduction of the National Airports Policy. From 1996 to 1999 he served a record three times as chair of the national Liberal caucus and in 1999 became chair of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and the chair of the Southwestern Ontario Liberal caucus.

He served as Minister of Labour in Paul Martin's minority government until February 6, 2006, when Stephen Harper was sworn in as Prime Minister.

He was re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2006. Appointed as the critic for Science and Research within the Liberal shadow cabinet, Mr. Fontana was strongly speculated to be considering a run for leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, though he ultimately did not seek the post, supporting Gerard Kennedy instead.

Election as mayor

On September 8, 2006, Fontana announced that he would run for mayor in London against mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best. On September 20, 2006, Fontana formally resigned his seat in the House of Commons in order to run for mayor.[1][2] He was unsuccessful, losing badly to Mayor DeCicco-Best.

He subsequently announced he would run in the 2010 London mayoral election, again against DeCicco-Best. Fontana won the mayoralty in that election.

As a member of the Privy Council of Canada, Fontana automatically received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

Criminal convictions

In October 2012, calls for Fontana's resignation as mayor were made amid allegations of misuse of government funds used to pay for his son's wedding. Some city councillors urged Fontana to step aside during the investigation.

On November 21, 2012, the London detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police issued a press release announcing that Fontana had been charged with breach of trust by a public officer; fraud under $5,000; and uttering forged documents.[3]

On November 22, 2012, Fontana offered to resign from the London Police Services Board and his resignation was formally accepted. Under municipal law governing Ontario, Police Services cannot allow an individual who is under investigation for a criminal offences to take part in any police function.[4] At the next meeting of council's Finance and Administrative Services Committee; its councillors asked that Fontanta step aside, passing by a 3-1 vote-margin that he resign his council seat and duties as mayor. The committee decision does not bind Fontana to its decision under the Municipal Act.[5] A council motion asking Fontana to leave office pending resolution of his criminal charges lost by a vote, 8-5.[6]

Fontana was found guilty of the charges by the Ontario Superior Court on June 13, 2014.[7] Fontana will avoid being sent to prison by serving 4 months under house arrest and 18 months on probation.[8]

On June 16, Fontana announced he would be stepping down as mayor of London.[9] He formally resigned on June 19,[10] and was temporarily succeeded by Ward 3 city councillor Joe Swan as acting mayor until a council vote the following week selected Joni Baechler as his formal successor until the 2014 municipal election.

Electoral record

London mayoral election, 2010

Mayoral Candidate Vote %
Joe Fontana48,62647.2
Anne Marie DeCicco-Best (X) 46,089 44.8
Cynthia Etheridge 4,402 4.3
Eric Southern 644 0.6
Ivan W. Kasiurak 612 0.6
Christopher R. Foerster 462 0.4
Aaron Broughm 427 0.4
Wayne Ford 375 0.4
Zak Young 298 0.3
Stephen Elliott Beckles 252 0.2
Tomasz Winnicki 234 0.2
Dan Lenart 1730.2
Tom Ha 149 0.1
Ma'in Sinan 128 0.1
Jonas Richard White 83 0.1

London mayoral election, 2006

Candidate Vote %
Anne Marie DeCicco-Best (X) 57,891 57.7
Joe Fontana 35,083 35.7
Cynthia Etheridge 2,561 2.6
Ivan W. Kasiurak 1,905 1.9
Arthur Majoor 1,623 1.6
Matthew L. R. Shantz 532 0.5
Canadian federal election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
LiberalJoe Fontana 24,109 40.12 -2.96 $78,406
ConservativeJohn Mazzilli 17,968 29.90 +2.46 $63,536
New DemocraticStephen Maynard 14,271 23.75 -0.39 $20,817
GreenStuart Smith 3,300 5.49 +0.72 $2,442
Progressive CanadianRod Morley 283 0.47 +0.03 $2,852
Marxist–LeninistMargaret Mondaca 160 0.27 +0.14 $0.00
Canadian federal election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalJoe Fontana 21,472 43.08 -8.46
ConservativeTim Gatten 13,677 27.44 -9.57
New DemocraticJoe Swan 12,034 24.14 +15.24
GreenBronagh Joyce Morgan 2,376 4.77 +3.23
Progressive CanadianRod Morley 220 0.44 –
Marxist–LeninistGustavo Grandos-Ocon 67 0.13 –

^ Conservative change is from combined Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative totals.

Canadian federal election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalJoe Fontana 22,795 51.54 -0.18
AllianceNancy Branscombe 9,062 20.49 +5.30
Progressive ConservativeLorie Johnson 7,305 16.52 -0.95
New DemocraticColleen Redmond 3,936 8.90 -3.39
GreenJeremy McNaughton 681 1.54 +0.06
MarijuanaTim Berg 453 1.02 -

^ Canadian Alliance change is from Reform

Canadian federal election, 1997
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalJoe Fontana 23,891 51.72
Progressive ConservativeJim Henkel 8,072 17.47
ReformTara Bingham 7,016 15.19
New DemocraticColleen Redmond 5,679 12.29
GreenJeff Culbert 685 1.48
Christian HeritageKen Devries 375 0.81
IndependentMichael Rubinoff 336 0.73
Marxist–LeninistVera Cruise 138 0.30
Canadian federal election, 1993
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalJoe Fontana 28,279 55.8% +18.1%
Progressive ConservativeRob Alder 9,237 18.2% -19.3%
ReformPaul Cheng 8,704 17.2% +17.2%
New DemocraticAlfredo Marroquin 2,614 5.2% -19.2%
NationalBill Cecil-Smith 830 1.6% +1.6%
GreenJeff Culbert 567 1.1% +1.1%
Natural LawJim Hill 282 0.6% +0.6%
Canada PartyAl Plumb 108 0.2% +0.2%
Commonwealth of CanadaSid Tarleton 31 0.1% +0.1%
Canadian federal election, 1988
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
LiberalJoe Fontana 19,547 37.7% +11.8%
Progressive ConservativeJim Jepson 19,445 37.5% -9.7%
New DemocraticMarion Boyd 12,667 24.4% -2.5%
IndependentPeter Ewart 201 0.4% +0.4%

References

  1. ↑ Hansard, 39th Parliament, 1st Session, Number 049, . Accessed 21 September 2006.
  2. ↑ Hansard, 39th Parliament, 1st Session, Number 049, . Accessed 21 September 2006.
  3. ↑ "Joe Fontana, mayor of London, Ont., charged with fraud". CBC News, November 21, 2012.
  4. ↑ Resignation of Mayor Joe Fontana from the London Police Services Board. London Police, November 22, 2012.
  5. ↑ Motion requesting Mayor Joe Fontana to leave office has been passed. Hamilton Spectator, November 26, 2012.
  6. ↑ Eight-member council bloc runs city, Henderson says. London Free Press, December 11, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Joe Fontana found guilty of fraud and forgery, judge ‘perplexed’ about why he did it". National Post, June 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/joe-fontana-former-london-mayor-gets-4-month-conditional-sentence-1.2707290
  9. ↑ "Joe Fontana to step down as London mayor after criminal convictions". CTV News, June 16, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Joe Fontana officially resigns as mayor of London". Toronto Sun, June 19, 2014.

External links

27th Ministry – Cabinet of Paul Martin
Cabinet Post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Claudette Bradshaw Minister of Labour
2004–2006
styled as Minister of Labour and Housing		 Jean-Pierre Blackburn