Rudy Cuzzetto

Rudy Cuzzetto MPP
Cuzzetto in 2025
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy and Mines
Incumbent
Assumed office March 28, 2024
Minister	Todd Smith Stephen Lecce
Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board
In office June 26, 2019 – March 28, 2024
Minister	Peter Bethlenfalvy Prabmeet Sarkaria Caroline Mulroney
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Mississauga—Lakeshore
Incumbent
Assumed office June 7, 2018
Preceded by	Charles Sousa
Personal details
Born	Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Party	Progressive Conservative
Relations	Silvia Gualtieri (sister)
Children	2
Occupation	Politician, former vehicle auditor

Rudy Cuzzetto (Italian pronunciation: [kutˈtsetto]) is a Canadian politician who has represented Mississauga—Lakeshore in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2018 as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. He was re-elected in 2022 and 2025.

Since March 2024, he has served as a parliamentary assistant in Ontario's energy portfolio, currently as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy and Mines. He previously served as Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board from 2019 to 2024.

Cuzzetto's sister, Silvia Gualtieri, was elected as the Progressive Conservative MPP for Mississauga East—Cooksville in the 2025 provincial election. With Cuzzetto's re-election that year, they became the first brother and sister to serve together in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Early life and career

Cuzzetto was born in Mississauga and grew up in Port Credit, where his family has lived for four generations. In his inaugural speech in the legislature, Cuzzetto described his family's history in Port Credit, including his father Rodolfo's employment at the former Texaco refinery in the community.

Rodolfo died on December 12, 1985, and the family subsequently spent 12 years pursuing a workers' compensation claim before establishing that asbestosis had caused his father's death and obtaining compensation for his mother. Cuzzetto has subsequently referred to his father's experience while discussing occupational disease and workers' compensation.

Cuzzetto became involved in politics in Mississauga through the local campaigns of federal MP Don Blenkarn and provincial MPP Margaret Marland. He has credited Prime Minister Brian Mulroney with inspiring his initial involvement in politics and has described Marland, who represented his area from 1985 to 2003, as his mentor.

Before entering politics, Cuzzetto worked for Ford Motor Company of Canada for 31 years, most recently as a vehicle auditor. During his career at Ford, he was a member of the Canadian Auto Workers and later Unifor.

Political career

Cuzzetto was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election, defeating incumbent Liberal MPP and former Ontario finance minister Charles Sousa in Mississauga—Lakeshore. He was re-elected in the 2022 provincial election and to a third term in the 2025 provincial election.

Treasury Board

In June 2019, Cuzzetto was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board, with responsibility for internal audit. In that role, he participated in implementing a new internal-audit governance structure, including the Audit and Accountability Committee (AAC), Ontario Internal Audit Committee (OIAC) and nine Sector Audit Committees.

Cuzzetto served as a member of the Audit and Accountability Committee, which provided oversight of internal audit and directed priority risk-based audits across government. The OIAC and sector committees provided independent advice on internal audit, risk management, governance and internal controls. Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy cited Cuzzetto's involvement in implementing the Audit and Accountability Committee while discussing strengthened financial controls in the legislature.

Following his re-election in 2022, Cuzzetto continued as Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board, without the specific Internal Audit designation, until his appointment to the energy portfolio in March 2024.

Health care

Cuzzetto made health care and the redevelopment of the Mississauga Hospital a focus of his first term in office. A 2022 review by The Pointer of his legislative record found that health care was one of the issues on which he focused much of his activity.

Cuzzetto advocated for the hospital's redevelopment before the project was approved. In 2021, Ontario announced what it described as the largest single hospital infrastructure investment in the province's history, including the redevelopment of Mississauga Hospital and expansion of the Queensway Health Centre. Construction of the new hospital began in 2025. The province is investing more than $14 billion in the 2.8-million-square-foot facility, which is planned to have more than 950 beds and become the largest teaching hospital in Canada.

In 2023, Cuzzetto participated in the opening of Wellbrook Place, a campus comprising two new long-term-care homes with a combined 632 beds. The Ontario government described Wellbrook Place as the largest long-term-care home in the province.

In 2024, Cuzzetto announced funding toward construction of a 12-bed residential facility for Hospice Mississauga adjacent to Wellbrook Place. The facility is planned as Mississauga's first residential hospice and as part of a broader campus of care at the site.

Energy and nuclear policy

In March 2024, Cuzzetto was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy. His work in the portfolio has included nuclear energy, small modular reactors (SMRs), electricity and natural gas policy, and cross-border energy cooperation.

Cuzzetto has represented Ontario at energy and nuclear-industry events in Canada, the United States and Europe. In 2024, he represented Ontario at the New England–Canada Business Council's U.S.–Canada Executive Energy Conference in Boston, participating in discussions concerning energy infrastructure and cross-border cooperation.

Cuzzetto also accompanied Energy Minister Stephen Lecce on an energy trade mission to Poland focused on nuclear energy and small modular reactors. During the mission, Ontario Power Generation subsidiary Laurentis Energy Partners reached an agreement worth up to $40 million with Poland's ORLEN Synthos Green Energy to support preliminary work for the potential deployment of BWRX-300 small modular reactors in Poland. Laurentis also signed a memorandum of understanding concerning potential SMR development in Estonia.

Cuzzetto has also been involved in Ontario's development of small modular reactors at the Darlington New Nuclear Project. In 2025, Lecce credited Cuzzetto with helping to advance the project and secure international export opportunities for Ontario's nuclear supply chain. Cuzzetto has subsequently represented the ministry in the legislature on the project, including providing updates on construction of the first BWRX-300 reactor.

Cuzzetto has represented Ontario at the SMR Forum in Edmonton, speaking about small modular reactors and nuclear energy. He has also represented the ministry in consultations with nuclear host communities concerning proposed new generation, including the proposed Bruce C project. Municipal delegations from Kincardine and Saugeen Shores have met with Cuzzetto concerning municipal infrastructure, growth readiness and host-community issues associated with nuclear expansion.

Legislation

Cuzzetto has sponsored legislation concerning health, consumer protection, cultural recognition and charitable organizations.

In 2020, Cuzzetto introduced Bill 219, the Life Settlements and Loans Act, 2020, which proposed amendments to Ontario's Insurance Act concerning the sale, assignment and use as collateral of life insurance policies. The bill passed second reading but did not receive royal assent before the end of the parliamentary session.

In 2021, Cuzzetto and MPP Andrea Khanjin co-sponsored Bill 255, the Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Day and Thalassemia Awareness Day Act, 2021. The legislation proclaimed June 19 as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Day and May 8 as Thalassemia Awareness Day in Ontario. It received royal assent on June 3, 2021.

Cuzzetto subsequently introduced Bill 50, the Hungarian Heritage Month Act, 2022, designating October of each year as Hungarian Heritage Month in Ontario. The legislation received royal assent on April 11, 2022.

In 2023, Cuzzetto introduced Bill 66, the Heart Valve Disease Awareness Act, proclaiming February 22 as Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day and the week beginning on the third Monday in September as Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week. Cuzzetto has said that his advocacy on the issue was informed by his own experience with heart valve disease; he was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and underwent mechanical aortic valve replacement surgery in 2009. The legislation received royal assent on December 19, 2024.

In 2024, Cuzzetto sponsored Bill Pr42, the Luso Canadian Charitable Society Act (Tax Relief), 2024, a private bill authorizing the City of Hamilton to exempt property owned by the Luso Canadian Charitable Society at 922 Main Street East from municipal and school property taxes while it is used to provide not-for-profit day services and residential accommodation for people with physical or developmental disabilities. The bill received royal assent on April 25, 2024. Hamilton subsequently enacted the property-tax exemption through By-law No. 24-196.

In 2026, Cuzzetto and MPP Logan Kanapathi introduced Bill 122, the Romanian Heritage Week Act, 2026, proposing to designate the first full week of December each year as Romanian Heritage Week in Ontario.

Honours

In 2023, Cuzzetto received the Knight's Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit. He acknowledged receiving the decoration during Hungarian Heritage Month in the Legislative Assembly.

In 2025, Cuzzetto received the King Charles III Coronation Medal. The Governor General of Canada's honours registry records that he received the medal on June 20, 2025, after being nominated by Premier Doug Ford.

Personal life

Cuzzetto's sister, Silvia Gualtieri, has represented Mississauga East—Cooksville in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 2025. Gualtieri's daughter, Genevieve Gualtieri, is married to Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton and former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Election results

2025 Ontario general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Rudy Cuzzetto	20,586	47.54	+2.45
	Liberal	Elizabeth Mendes	18,915	43.68	+6.92
	New Democratic	Spencer Ki	1,974	4.56	–3.94
	Green	Julia Budahazy	1,041	2.40	–2.64
	New Blue	Renata Cynarska	549	1.27	–1.09
	Independent	Ayoub Bumbia	123	0.28	N/A
	Moderate	Oleksii Avdeiev	113	0.26	N/A
Total valid votes/expense limit			43,301	99.47	–0.07
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots			229	0.53	+0.07
Turnout			43,530	46.13	–0.82
Eligible voters			94,358
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		–2.31
Source: Elections Ontario

2022 Ontario general election: Mississauga—Lakeshore
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Rudy Cuzzetto	19,341	45.09	+2.76
	Liberal	Elizabeth Mendes	15,768	36.76	+1.73
	New Democratic	Julia Kole	3,647	8.50	−9.80
	Green	David Zeni	2,160	5.04	+2.08
	New Blue	Renata Cynarska	1,014	2.36
	Ontario Party	George Cescon	501	1.17
	None of the Above	Brian Crombie	459	1.07	+0.39
Total valid votes			42,890	100.0
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots			197
Turnout			43,087	46.95
Eligible voters			91,907
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+0.51
Source(s) "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21.

2018 Ontario general election: Mississauga—Lakeshore
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Rudy Cuzzetto	22,520	42.33	+8.88
	Liberal	Charles Sousa	18,636	35.03	-15.45
	New Democratic	Boris Rosolak	9,735	18.30	+7.62
	Green	Lloyd Jones	1,572	2.95	-0.24
	None of the Above	Kenny Robinson	363	0.68
	Libertarian	Jay Ward	223	0.42
	Go Vegan	Felicia Trigiani	150	0.28
Total valid votes			53,199	99.12
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots			474	0.88
Turnout			53,673	59.33
Eligible voters			90,469
	Progressive Conservative notional gain from Liberal		Swing		+12.17
Source: Elections Ontario

External links

• Ontario Legislative Assembly parliamentary history