Lorenzo Berardinetti

Background

Berardinetti was born in Scarborough, and is a lawyer by profession. He attended the University of Toronto and the University of Windsor Law School, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1988. On October 25, 2010, Berardinetti's then-wife Michelle won election as a Toronto City Councillor. They married in 2004 and divorced in 2018. Berardinetti's cousin is politician Michael Colle. As a child, he and Colle lived in the same house in downtown Toronto. They would later serve together as MPPs in Queen's Park.

Politics

Municipal

Berardinetti was a councillor in the pre-amalgamation Scarborough Council from 1988 to 1996, and represented Ward 37 (Scarborough Centre) on the amalgamated Toronto City Council from 1997 to 2003. In 1997, he served as chair of Toronto's administration committee, which created the framework for a unified civic administration in the amalgamated city. Berardinetti was generally regarded as an ally of Toronto mayor Mel Lastman during his years on the Toronto council.

Provincial

In the provincial election of 2003, Berardinetti defeated incumbent Progressive Conservative Dan Newman by about 6,000 votes in Scarborough Southwest. The Liberals won a majority government under Dalton McGuinty in this election, and Berardinetti was appointed the deputy government whip on 23 October 2003. He was re-elected in 2007, 2011, and 2014.

In 2004, he introduced a private member's bill, to outlaw what he called "gender-based pricing," whereby prices for equivalent or similar products and services, such as clothing, dry cleaning and haircuts, may vary between women and men. He contended women were charged much more for many products and services. The bill reached only second reading before it died on the order paper.

During his time in the government, Berardinetti was a Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour (2010-2011) and PA to the Attorney General (2011–2018).

Berardinetti lost his seat in the 2018 provincial election, finishing third in the riding of Scarborough Southwest.

Later life

In 2022, Berardinetti attempted to return to city politics, running for a seat on Toronto city council in the ward of Scarborough Southwest. He finished fourth in the election.

Shortly after his municipal defeat he suffered a seizure and was in a coma for a month. He could not find work after his 2018 defeat and was unable to work in the aftermath of his coma and depleted his savings as a result. He moved in with his brother in Ajax, Ontario in 2022 but left in 2023 after an argument over money and has lived in homeless shelters since then. In the summer of 2024, his neurologist gave him permission to work again and he is trying to establish a law practice. After news of his situation broke, he was able to raise over $25,000 from former colleagues across all parties, including his Progressive Conservative predecessor and New Democratic successor as MPP, Dan Newman and Doly Begum. It also led to suggestions that the MPP pension, removed in 1995 by Premier Mike Harris, be reinstated.

Election results

2022 Toronto municipal election: Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest

2000 Toronto municipal election ;Ward 37 - Scarborough Centre:

• Lorenzo Berardinetti - 11,007
• Colleen Mills - 3,203

1997 Toronto municipal election ;Ward 15 – Scarborough City Centre (2 elected) :Brad Duguid – 15686 :Lorenzo Berardinetti – 14179 :Paul Mushinski – 9141 :Betty Hackett – 4579 :Russell Worrick – 3882 :Ron Hartung – 743

1994 Scarborough municipal election ;Ward 4

• Lorenzo Berardinetti - 5,551
• Georges Legault Sr - 1,193

1991 Scarborough municipal election ;Ward 4

• Lorenzo Berardinetti - 3,762
• Kurt Christensen - 2,104
• Costas Manios - 1,367
• Ruth A. Lunel - 357

1988 Scarborough municipal election ;Ward 4

• Lorenzo Berardinetti - 2,453
• Kurt Christensen - 2,449
• Glynwilliams - 1,936
• Ward - 1,011
• McDowell - 318
• Georges Legault - 292

References

References

1. (October 2, 2003). "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario.
2. Rushowy, Kristin. (October 4, 2007). "Scarborough Southwest; Liberal and Conservative contenders work toward making a difference in the lives of others". Toronto Star.
3. (October 10, 2007). "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate". Elections Ontario.
4. (October 6, 2011). "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate". Elections Ontario.
5. (June 12, 2014). "General Election by District: Scarborough Southwest". Elections Ontario.
6. (April 8, 2005). "Bill 182, Gender-Based Price Discrimination Prohibition Act, 2005". Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
7. Cohen, Ben. (December 26, 2024). "‘I may end up in tears telling my story’: How a former MPP and Toronto city councillor found himself living in a homeless shelter". Toronto Star.
8. Cohen, Ben. (January 2, 2025). "Politicians of all political stripes raise $25,000 to move former MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti out of homeless shelter". [[Toronto Star]].
9. "Declaration of Results".
10. (2014). "General Election Results by District, 084 Scarborough Southwest". [[Elections Ontario]].
11. (2011). "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for each Candidate". Elections Ontario.
12. "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for each Candidate". Elections Ontario.
13. "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario.