Editing Joe Comuzzi

{{Short description|Canadian lawyer and politician (1933–2021)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name             = Joe Comuzzi
| honorific-suffix = [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada|PC]]
| image            = 
| riding           = [[Thunder Bay—Superior North (federal electoral district)|Thunder Bay—Superior North]]<br><small>Thunder Bay—Nipigon, 1988–2000</small>
| parliament       = Canadian
| term_start       = 1988
| term_end         = 2008
| predecessor      = [[Ernie Epp]]
| successor        = [[Bruce Hyer]]
| birth_name       = Joseph Robert Comuzzi
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1933|04|05}}
| birth_place      = [[Fort William, Ontario|Fort William]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|2021|12|31|1933|04|05}}
| death_place      = [[Thunder Bay]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| profession       = Barrister and solicitor, businessman, lawyer
| party            = [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]] (after 2007)
| otherparty       = [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] (1988–2007)<br />[[Independent politician|Independent]] (2007)
| spouse           = {{marriage|Janet M. Casgrain<br>||2014|end=died}}
| children = 4
| residence        = [[Thunder Bay]]
| footnotes        =
}}
'''Joseph Robert Comuzzi''', {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} (April 5, 1933 – December 31, 2021) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a [[cabinet minister]] under [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Paul Martin]]. He served as a [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) from 1988 to 2008, representing Thunder Bay—Nipigon which was renamed [[Thunder Bay—Superior North (federal electoral district)|Thunder Bay—Superior North]] in 2000.

==Early life==
Comuzzi was born in [[Fort William, Ontario]], on April 5, 1933.<ref name="LoP bio">{{cite web|title=The Hon. Joseph R. (Joe) Comuzzi, P.C., M.P.|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=7288|accessdate=January 5, 2022|publisher=Library of Parliament|location=Ottawa, Canada}}</ref> He studied at the [[University of Windsor]], graduating in 1954 with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree.<ref name="LPC bio">{{cite web|title=Joe Comuzzi|url=https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/eppp-archive/100/205/300/liberal-ef/05-05-24/www.liberal.ca/bio_e.aspx@&id=35091|accessdate=January 5, 2022|publisher=Liberal Party of Canada|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105225805/https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/eppp-archive/100/205/300/liberal-ef/05-05-24/www.liberal.ca/bio_e.aspx@&id=35091|archivedate=January 5, 2022}}</ref> Twelve years later, he received the University of Windsor Alumni Award of Merit, the Alumni Association's most prestigious award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alumni Awards|url=https://www.uwindsor.ca/alumni/419/alumni-awards-2|accessdate=January 5, 2022|publisher=University of Windsor}}</ref> After working in the Thunder Bay business community for 24 years, he went back to his alma mater and obtained a law degree in 1980.<ref name="LPC bio"/> He also served as a school representative on the [[Lakehead District School Board|Lakehead Board of Education]].<ref name="LoP bio"/><ref name="LPC bio"/>

==Political career==
Comuzzi entered federal politics in 1988, running in the [[1988 Canadian federal election|election that year]] for the [[Liberal Party of Canada]]. He was elected to the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]], representing the [[Electoral district (Canada)|riding]] of [[Thunder Bay—Superior North (federal electoral district)|Thunder Bay—Superior North]]. As an opposition MP, he served as chair of the Standing Committee on Transport and a member of the Standing Joint Committee on the Scrutiny of Regulations.<ref name="LoP bio"/> During his tenure as an MP, Comuzzi advocated for key issues specific to his riding: Great Lakes transportation and water quality, the [[pulp and paper industry]], the softwood lumber dispute, grain transportation, mining, small business, health care and the local economy. He also served in various leadership capacities pertaining to transportation and industry.<ref name="LPC bio"/><ref name="Globe Comuzzi Tories">{{cite news|title=Ex-Liberal Comuzzi to join Tories: report|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ex-liberal-comuzzi-to-join-tories-report/article20404771/|date=June 23, 2007|access-date=January 5, 2022|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105224009/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ex-liberal-comuzzi-to-join-tories-report/article20404771/|archive-date=January 5, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> His views on [[Canadian Firearms Registry|gun registry]] spending and [[Official bilingualism in Canada|official bilingualism]] were at odds with the Liberals.<ref name="CTV Comuzzi Tories">{{cite news|title=Harper makes it official: Comuzzi joins Tory fold|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/harper-makes-it-official-comuzzi-joins-tory-fold-1.246514|date=June 26, 2007|access-date=January 5, 2022|publisher=CTV News}}</ref> His call to review the latter policy on its 25th anniversary in 1998 drew the ire of Prime Minister [[Jean Chrétien]].<ref name="Globe Comuzzi Tories"/>

Comuzzi was appointed [[Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario|Minister of State]] responsible for the [[FedNor|Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]] (FedNor) on December 12, 2003.<ref name="HoC bio"/> While Minister of State, he was forced to apologize for remarks about Quebecers when, in commenting on the [[Sponsorship scandal]], he stated, "I guess that's how they do politics there."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=64807 |title="Comuzzi Apology" |access-date=October 26, 2007 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040312144242/http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=64807 |archive-date=March 12, 2004 }}. [[Thunder Bay's Source]].</ref> He served as co-chair of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group from December 2003 until the following July, and again from February 2005 to June 2006.<ref name="LoP bio"/><ref name="HoC bio">{{cite web|title=Roles – Hon. Joe Comuzzi|url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/joe-comuzzi(1028)/roles|accessdate=January 5, 2022|publisher=House of Commons of Canada}}</ref>

An opponent of [[same-sex marriage in Canada]], Comuzzi resigned from cabinet on June 28, 2005, so that he could be free of a [[Party whip (Canada)|two-line party whip]] and oppose [[Civil Marriage Act|Bill C-38]].<ref name="Globe Comuzzi Tories"/><ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/comuzzi-quits-cabinet-over-same-sex-bill-1.535770 "Comuzzi quits cabinet over same-sex bill"]. [[CBC News]], June 28, 2005.</ref> He was eventually expelled from the Liberal caucus for pledging to support the Conservative budget on March 21, 2007.<ref name="Globe Comuzzi Tories"/> He stated that his support for the budget was due to "a single issue that's of absolute critical importance to all the people in Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario, and that's the cancer research centre".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070328182208/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070321/comuzzi_caucus_0700321/20070321 "Comuzzi expelled from Liberal caucus over budget"]. [[CTV News]], March 21, 2006.</ref> He subsequently joined the Conservative Party on June 26 that year.<ref name="CTV Comuzzi Tories"/> On September 5, 2008, Comuzzi announced that he would retire from politics and not seek another term in the [[2008 Canadian federal election|following federal election]].<ref>"Comuzzi won't run in upcoming election". Thunder Bay's Source, September 5, 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/ontario-mp-joe-comuzzi-announces-retirement-1.322391|title=Ontario MP Joe Comuzzi announces retirement|publisher=CTV News|date=September 6, 2008|access-date=May 29, 2018}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Comuzzi was married to Janet M. Casgrain until her death in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thunder Bay loses former Federal Member of Parliament|url=https://lakesuperiornews.com/Public-Safety/Crime/userid/3452/thunder-bay-loses-former-federal-member-of-parliament|date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 5, 2022|newspaper=Lake Superior News|archive-date=January 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105233710/https://lakesuperiornews.com/Public-Safety/Crime/userid/3452/thunder-bay-loses-former-federal-member-of-parliament|url-status=dead}}</ref> Together, they had four children.<ref name="LPC bio"/> He died on December 31, 2021, at the age of 88.<ref name="CBC obit">{{cite news|title=Former Liberal cabinet minister Joe Comuzzi dead at 88|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/former-liberal-cabinet-minister-joe-comuzzi-dies-age-88-1.6302347|date=January 2, 2022|access-date=January 5, 2022|publisher=CBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dunick |first1=Leith |url=https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/former-cabinet-minister-comuzzi-dies-at-88-4915939 |title=Former cabinet minister Joe Comuzzi dies at 88 |access-date=January 6, 2022 |work=TBNewsWatch.com |date=January 2, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=7288}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Comuzzi, Joe}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Conservative Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Independent MPs in the Canadian House of Commons]]
[[Category:Lawyers in Ontario]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Members of the 27th Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:Politicians affected by a party expulsion process]]
[[Category:Politicians from Thunder Bay]]
[[Category:University of Windsor alumni]]
[[Category:University of Windsor Faculty of Law alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]