The Honourable Judy Sgro PC MP
Member of Parliament forHumber River—Black Creek York West (1999–2015)
Incumbent
Assumed office November 15, 1999
Preceded by	Sergio Marchi
Chair of theStanding Committee on International Trade
Incumbent
Assumed office January 29, 2020
Preceded by	Mark Eyking
Chair of theStanding Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
In office February 3, 2016 – September 11, 2019
Preceded by	Vance Badawey
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
In office 12 December 2003 – 13 January 2005
Prime Minister	Paul Martin
Preceded by	Denis Coderre
Succeeded by	Joe Volpe
Toronto City Councillor for North York Humber
In office January 1, 1998 – November 14, 1999
Preceded by	Ward Created
Succeeded by	Paul Valenti
Constituency	Ward 6
Metro Councillor for North York Humber
In office December 1, 1994 – December 31, 1997
Preceded by	Mario Gentile
Succeeded by	City amalgamated
North YorkCity Councillor
In office 1987 – November 30, 1994
Preceded by	Mario Gentile
Succeeded by	Gina Severino
Constituency	Ward 2
Personal details
Born	(1944-12-16)December 16, 1944 (age 80) Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Sam Sgro
Residence(s)	Thornhill, Ontario, Canada[1]

Judith A. Sgro^[1]PC MP (born December 16, 1944) is a Canadian politician. A member of theLiberal Party of Canada, she currently represents the electoral district ofHumber River—Black Creek in theHouse of Commons of Canada. Sgro currently serves as the chair of theStanding Committee on International Trade and as a chair on theCanadian House of Commons Liaison Committee since 2016.^[2]

Sgro was introduced to politics when she was elected toNorth York City Council in 1987. In 1994, she was acclaimed as aMetro councillor for North York.^[3] In 1998 she became a Toronto city councillor in the newly amalgamated city where she served a term as vice-chair of theToronto Police Services Board.^[4]

In 1997, Sgro's first attempt at federal politics came up short when she tried to get elected in the riding ofYork South—Weston. She lost toJohn Nunziata, who was running as an independent, by 4,431 votes. In 1999 she won a by-election in York West to replaceSergio Marchi who had accepted an ambassadorial position to theWorld Trade Organization. She has since been re-elected by substantial pluralities.

In 2001, she was named chairperson of the prime minister's "Caucus Task Force on Urban Issues". In 2003, her group released an interim report recommending increased federal support to recognize their economic and social value.^[4] From December 12, 2003 to January 13, 2005, Sgro served asminister of Citizenship and Immigration in the government ofPaul Martin.

In November 2004, controversy began to surround Sgro as questions arose surrounding her activities during the June election earlier that year. Several members of her ministerial staff had filed expense claims to travel to and work in herriding throughout the campaign ending on election day. More serious claims were also raised whenOppositionConservative MPs claimed she had given a special immigration permit to a campaign supporter – specifically Alina Balaican, a Romanian who had initially been admitted to the country to work as astripper.New Democratic Party MPPat Martin also accused Sgro's aides of making threats to deny ministerial permits to his constituents if he criticized her on the stripper controversy.^[5] The press dubbed the issueStrippergate.

On January 14, 2005, Sgro resigned from cabinet after further allegations that she had offered to intervene in the immigration hearing of Harjit Singh, aBrampton pizzeria owner, in exchange for free pizza for her campaign staff.^[6] The following day, theToronto Star revealed that Singh had previously committedcredit card fraud.^[7]

On January 31, 2005, Sgro filed alawsuit against Singh for $750,000 in damages.^[8] On May 10, 2005, the federal ethics commissionerBernard Shapiro cleared Sgro of all wrongdoing from the "Strippergate" debacle when it was found that Sgro didn't know that two staffers had put her in a position of conflict of interest. The ethics commissioner also concluded that Sgro had never met the woman or even knew that she had volunteered on her re-election campaign. Shapiro said to Sgro, "It appears you acted appropriately." Also the same day, Singh retracted his allegations and apologized to Sgro. He said, "I now admit I did not have a meeting with Judy Sgro and at no time did she request any campaign assistance from me. Nor did she help me with my immigration problems."^[9]

Sgro was the first member of Cabinet to resign from Paul Martin's government. There was some speculation in the media that fellow ministerJoe Volpe helped to engineer her resignation given that they had a cool relationship.^[9]

In June 2010, it was revealed that Sgro had been claiming expenses for rent on an Ottawa luxury highrise condominium owned by her adult children, violating rules for such expenses set by theBoard of Internal Economy of the House of Commons. Sgro had paid $138,000 to purchase the condo in 2001, and then transferred the title on the property to her children in 2006; she then paid her children $22,000 a year in rent to live in the apartment, violating rules forbidding MPs from claiming expenses on goods or services contracted from family members.^[10]

Asked about this controversy in 2013 by a reporter fromQuébecor Média, Sgro replied, "The issue was dealt with, an issue was pointed out... I immediately dealt with the issue and I would ask the prime minister and his folks to do the same thing. Thank you very much."^[11]

Sgro served as the opposition critic for Industry for the Liberals.^[12] On November 1, 2010, the Liberals released awhite paper providing recommendations for retirement income security followed by a Pension Income Bill of Rights. The paper was created by a working group co-chaired by Sgro.^[13]

Sgro currently serves as the chair of theStanding Committee on International Trade.^[14]

She and her husband Sam Sgro are the parents of three children. Her daughter, Deanna Sgro, was a candidate for theOntario Liberal Party during the2018 Ontario general election, as well as the2018 Toronto municipal election forHumber River-Black Creek.

Note: Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.

• Official website
• Judy Sgro – Parliament of Canada biography

• 1944 births
• 21st-century Canadian women politicians
• Canadian monarchists
• Canadian people of Italian descent
• Liberal Party of Canada MPs
• Living people
• Members of the 27th Canadian Ministry
• Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
• Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
• Politicians from Moncton
• People from Thornhill, Ontario
• Toronto city councillors
• Women government ministers of Canada
• Women members of the House of Commons of Canada
• Women municipal councillors in Ontario
• 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
• 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
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• 20th-century Canadian municipal councillors

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