David Piccini

David Winsor Piccini^[1] MPP (born September 29, 1988) is a Canadian politician who is Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development since September 22, 2023. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election. He represents the riding of Northumberland—Peterborough South as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

The Honourable David Piccini ECO MPP
Piccini in 2019
Ontario Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Incumbent
Assumed office June 18, 2021
Premier	Doug Ford
Preceded by	Jeff Yurek
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
In office June 26, 2018 – June 18, 2021
Minister	Merrilee Fullerton Ross Romano
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Northumberland—Peterborough South
Incumbent
Assumed office June 7, 2018
Preceded by	Riding established
Personal details
Born	David Winsor Piccini (1988-09-29) September 29, 1988 (age 36) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Residence(s)	Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Politician

Early and personal life

Piccini grew up in Port Hope, an hour east of Toronto.^[2] His father is an architect, and his mother worked as an educator at Trinity College School, which he attended.^[2] His grandfather was born on a farm in Udine, Northern Italy, and emigrated to Canada.^[2]

He first worked slicing deli meats at an Italian grocer, at Agriculture Canada and Service Canada, and in 2011 as an executive assistant to Conservative MP Ed Fast, who was the international trade minister.^[2] He and his wife live in Port Hope with their two dogs.^[3] His wife, Faith Chipman, is employed by New West Public Affairs, and has done consultations for Provincial Governments in Canada. He received a BA in Political Science from the University of Ottawa and an MBA from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

Career

Early years

Piccini worked for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada starting in 2015, supporting their international work.^[2] In 2018, he helped found the Canadian International Health Education Association, leading one of Canada’s largest health care missions to the Gulf region.

In 2015, Piccini ran in Ottawa-Vanier for the Conservative Party of Canada, but finished third.^[4]

Legislative Assembly of Ontario; Minister of the Environment

Piccini was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election.^[5] He represents the riding of Northumberland—Peterborough South as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.^[2]

After he was elected, Piccini served from 2018-21 as a member of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, served from 2018-19 as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Colleges and Universities, and served from 2021-23 as the youngest-ever (at 33 years of age) Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.^[6][2]

Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Piccini has been Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development since September 22, 2023.^[6]

Working for Workers Four

On November 14, 2023, Piccini introduced Ontario's Working for Workers Four Act, his first as Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.^[7] The bill received Royal Assent on March 21, 2024,^[8] introducing changes to cancer coverage for firefighters and fire investigators by lowering the employment period needed to receive compensation when diagnosed with esophageal cancer from 25 to 15 years.

The legislation also made changes to the Employment Standards Act (ESA), these included prohibiting employers from deducting wages for stolen property or unpaid bills, and mandating payment for trial shifts. The changes also required transparency in tip-sharing practices and salary disclosures in job postings,^[9][10] banned the use of Canadian work experience as a job application requirement, improved oversight of third-party assessments for international qualifications, clarified vacation pay provisions, and allowed inflation-adjusted increases to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board benefits.^[11]

In August 2024, he confronted Fred Hahn, the President of CUPE Ontario, and told Hahn "you have to stop hating Jews."^[12] Piccini was praised for that by, among others, former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, psychologist and author Jordan Peterson, and Conservative MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Melissa Lantsman.^[13]

Electoral record

v t e 2022 Ontario general election: Northumberland—Peterborough South
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	David Piccini	26,419	50.93	+5.61
	Liberal	Jeff Kawzenuk	12,936	24.94	+0.77
	New Democratic	Kim McArthur-Jackson	6,806	13.12	−11.38
	Green	Lisa Francis	2,942	5.67	+1.14
	Ontario Party	Vanessa Head	1,598	3.08
	New Blue	Joshua Chalhoub	1,170	2.26
Total valid votes			51,871	100.0
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots			258
Turnout			52,129	51.72
Eligible voters			99,034
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+2.42
Source(s) "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023.

v t e 2018 Ontario general election: Northumberland—Peterborough South
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	David Piccini	27,386	45.32	+9.78
	New Democratic	Jana Papuckoski	14,804	24.50	+6.03
	Liberal	Lou Rinaldi	14,603	24.17	-17.35
	Green	Jeff Wheeldon	2,740	4.53	+0.27
	Libertarian	John O'Keefe	425	0.70
	Trillium	Derek Sharp	278	0.46
	Stop Climate Change	Paul Cragg	187	0.31
Total valid votes			60,423	100.0
	Progressive Conservative notional gain from Liberal		Swing		+1.88
Source: Elections Ontario[14]

2015 Canadian federal election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Mauril Bélanger	36,474	57.57	+19.47	$163,698.89
	New Democratic	Emilie Taman	12,194	19.25	-9.43	$123,293.39
	Conservative	David Piccini	12,109	19.11	-8.84	$74,698.91
	Green	Nira Dookeran	1,947	3.07	-1.99	$8,775.54
	Libertarian	Coreen Corcoran	503	0.79	–	$747.12
	Marxist–Leninist	Christian Legeais	128	0.2	-0.03	–
Total valid votes/Expense limit			63,355	100.0		$219,479.72
Total rejected ballots			418	–	–
Turnout			63,773	–	–
Eligible voters			83,570
Source: Elections Canada[15][16]