Greg Sorbara - Early Career

Early Career

Sorbara was involved in philanthropic and environmental causes in his early years. He left the University of Toronto without graduating in the 1960s to work with street youth in Vancouver, and spent a number of years working as an organic farmer in the British Columbia interior. He subsequently returned to Toronto, completed his education at York University, Glendon College and Osgoode Hall Law School, and practised law before running for public office.

Sorbara was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1985 provincial election, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative William Hodgson in York North, a suburban riding north of Toronto. The Liberals under David Peterson were able to form a minority government after this election, and Sorbara was appointed Minister of Colleges and Universities and Minister of Skills Development on June 26, 1985.

Sorbara was re-elected in the redistributed riding of York Centre in the 1987 provincial election. On September 29, 1987, he became Minister of Labour with responsibility for Women's Issues. Following a cabinet shuffle in August 1989, he became Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations.

In 1990, Sorbara was a vocal opponent of Peterson's plans to call a snap election at just over two-and-a-half years into his mandate. He argued that the government should return to the electorate after a standard four-year cycle was completed, and run on the full record of its accomplishment. His objections were dismissed, and the Liberals were upset by the New Democratic Party in the election which followed. Sorbara had little difficulty defeating NDP candidate Laurie Orrett in his riding.

In 1992, Sorbara ran for the leadership of the Liberal Party as an "anti-establishment" candidate, claiming that the party had lost touch with its support base in the Peterson years. Although he is usually regarded as being on the right of the Liberal Party, Sorbara's campaign incorporated both left-wing and right-wing elements, opposing the NDP's labour laws but also promising to target poverty and homelessness in Ontario. He also spoke of in favour of government intervention in economic matters, arguing that growth could be best accomplished in partnership with the private sector. He finished third on the first ballot, and remained in this position until dropping from the race after the fourth ballot. Sorbara refused to support either Murray Elston or Lyn McLeod (the eventual winner) on the fifth and final ballot, and did not seek re-election in 1995.

From 1995 to 2003, Sorbara was a partner in The Sorbara Group, a prominent real estate and land development firm, and served as a director on the corporate board of Royal Group Technologies Inc. He was also director of the York United Way, as well as a Member of the Board of Alumni that governs York University.