Peter Fonseca
- Born
- October 5, 1966 — Lisbon, Portugal
- Family
- Married to Christine "Chris" Fonseca in 2003
- Education
- BA, University of Oregon; BEd, University of Windsor
- Career
- Senior performance management consultant for the Coach Corporation; ran an importing and distributing company in Portugal
- Political Experience
- Provincial Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing Mississauga East (2003-2007) and Mississauga East—Cooksville (2007- 2011); Minister of Tourism and Recreation; Minister of Labour; Chair of the Finance Committee
- Notable
- Dual-citizenship with Portugal; represented Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia in the Men's Marathon
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before entering federal politics, Peter Fonseca had a career in athletics and provincial politics. He was an accomplished marathon runner who represented Canada at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He also worked in the financial services industry as an investment and insurance advisor. Fonseca served as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario from 2003 to 2011. During his time in the provincial government, he held cabinet positions, including Minister of Labour and Minister of Tourism and Recreation.
Public Controversies
In 2011, while serving as Ontario's Minister of Labour, Peter Fonseca resigned from his provincial cabinet post and his seat as a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) to run as a candidate in the federal election. His decision was criticized by opposition parties and some members of the public. The criticism focused on the timing of his departure, which triggered a provincial by-election, and the perception that he was abandoning his provincial responsibilities for a federal opportunity. Fonseca was unsuccessful in his 2011 federal campaign but was later elected to the House of Commons in 2015.
Where Peter falls on key policy spectrums
Your Money
People & Society
How We're Governed
Land & Community
How does Peter Fonseca's voting record line up with your values?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding work of the University Health Network and the Walnut Foundation, which are bringing their important PSA Detect and Protect program to Ottawa. They are making free PSA testing more accessible in the community and helping raise awareness about prostate cancer, particularly among Black men over the age of 40. Too often, men put off getting
Thank you. I'll open that up to Ms. Exner-Pirot also.
Can you repeat that? Voices: Oh, oh!
C-39 We can bring in the mega deduction too—Bill, the mega deduction and the investments.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll never miss an opportunity to talk up Canada. We are number one when it comes to mining. We are number one in the world. When you talk about financing for mines, we are number one in the world. When you talk about the biggest show, when we bring PDAC here, we bring people from all over the world, and 130 or 140 countries come to Toronto, to Ontario, to Canada, to do
Madam Speaker, just listening to the member, I think vividly of my riding. As people go to the gas pump, for the average resident and consumer in Mississauga East—Cooksville, that means a reduction in the price of gas they are paying. They need gas to get to work. They need it to take their kids to sports. They need it for everything they do. It is so important to have these affordability
Thank you. MP Acan, go ahead.
C-35 I understand there will be consultations over the summer as we go through Bill. In terms of recommendations that have come from labour organizations, human rights groups and businesses that have called for these enforcement tools, have some of those been addressed within Bill C-35? Can you respond to that?
Rather than proving forced labour after the fact, it's to prevent suspect goods from entering Canada in the first place. What are the steps that would change that, reverse that onus so that businesses would be able to provide the information? What information would you be looking for from businesses before that importation takes place?
C-35 Would you also agree that Billshifts Canada's approach from proving forced labour after the fact to preventing suspect goods from entering Canada in the first place?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will be sharing my time with MP Acan. C-35 First up, the focus of my questions will be Bill. Would you agree that this bill builds on the 2020 import ban and the 2024 supply chains act to create one of the most comprehensive forced labour frameworks in the world?
Canada would have one of the most comprehensive forced labour frameworks in the world.