Charles Sousa
- Born
- September 27, 1958
- Family
- Lives in Clarkson with his wife Zenaida and their three children.
- Education
- Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1982; fellowship at the Institute of Canadian Bankers in 1991; Executive MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in 1994.
- Career
- Worked at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Financial Group for more than 20 years, primarily as Director Commercial Banking and Director Marketing at RBC Dominion Securities. Owned and operated a factoring company that offered asset base financing to small businesses.
- Political Experience
- Elected to represent Mississauga South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2007. Minister of Labour in 2010. Ontario's minister of citizenship and immigration in 2011. Minister of Finance for Ontario from 2013 to 2018. Member of Parliament from Mississauga-Lakeshore since December 12, 2022.
- Notable
- Appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement in September 2023.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before entering federal politics, Charles Sousa had a lengthy career in banking. He worked for RBC Financial Group for over 20 years, reportedly holding senior positions including vice-president. His professional background is in commercial and corporate finance. This experience was a prominent part of his public profile during his time as Ontario's provincial Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2018.
Key Relationships & Connections
As a long-serving Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario, Sousa was a key cabinet minister in the Liberal governments led by Premier Dalton McGuinty and Premier Kathleen Wynne. He served as Minister of Finance under Premier Wynne, making him a central figure in her administration and a close political ally. Federally, he is a member of the Liberal caucus led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
During his time as Ontario's Finance Minister, concerns were raised by opposition parties and in media reports about the process for the partial sale of Hydro One. It was reported that some of the financial institutions that advised the government on the sale also acted as underwriters, earning significant fees. Critics argued this created a potential conflict of interest, as the advisors stood to benefit financially from the course of action they were recommending to the government.
Public Controversies
As Ontario's Finance Minister, Sousa oversaw the partial privatization of Hydro One, the province's largest electricity transmission utility. The decision was highly controversial and faced widespread public criticism, protests, and scrutiny from the province's Auditor General over the loss of public revenue and control. He was also a senior cabinet minister in the Ontario Liberal government during the period it faced the gas plant scandal, which involved the politically motivated cancellation of two power plants at a cost to taxpayers that was initially understated.
Where Charles falls on key policy spectrums
Your Money
People & Society
How We're Governed
Land & Community
Charles Sousa won with 34,971 votes (52.4%)
Total votes cast: 66,797
How does Charles Sousa's voting record line up with your values?
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