| Mike Colle |
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Colle moved to Canada at a young age, and was educated at Carleton University . He worked as a teacher of history and economics for eighteen years, including several terms at St. Michael's College School in Toronto . Colle served on the City of York municipal council from 1982 to 1985 , and on the Metro Toronto Council as a York representative from 1988 to 1994 . He was also chair of the Toronto Transit Commission from 1991 to 1994 . Colle was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the Provincial Election Of 1995 , defeating incumbent New Democrat Tony Rizzo in the riding of Oakwood by about 1000 votes. (Rizzo had previously helped to defeat his own government's same-sex benefits plan, and received little assistance from the Toronto NDP organization.) In the Provincial Election Of 1999 , Colle defeated incumbent Progressive Conservative John Parker by about 9,000 votes in the redistributed riding of Eglinton—Lawrence . The Progressive Conservatives won both elections, and Colle sat in opposition during this period. In 1996 , Colle supported Dwight Duncan 's unsuccessful bid to become Liberal Party leader. Colle has championed environmental causes during his time in the legislature (including the protection of the Oak Ridges Moraine ), and is not generally regarded as a right-wing Liberal. Despite this, he was a co-chair of Mel Lastman 's 1997 bid to become Mayor of Toronto. Lastman was also supported by prominent members of the Progressive Conservative Party in Toronto, and was opposed by members of the Social Democratic New Democratic Party. The Liberals won the 2003 Election , and Colle was re-elected by over 10,000 votes in his own riding. Despite having been a prominent member of the opposition, and some public speculation, he was not initially appointed to the Cabinet by Premier Dalton McGuinty . On October 23 , 2003 , he was named Parliamentary Assistant to Greg Sorbara , the provincial Finance Minister . Colle was promoted to cabinet on June 29 , 2005 as Minister Of Citizenship And Immigration . Coincidentally, his federal riding counterpart Joseph Volpe held the same portfolio in the Federal Cabinet . |
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