Carl Benito
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| Carl Benito | |
|---|---|
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|
| MLA for Edmonton-Mill Woods | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Weslyn Mather |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 21, 1954 Manila, Philippines |
| Political party | Progressive Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Estrella |
| Residence | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Occupation | realtor, investor |
Carlito Benito (born February 21, 1954 in Manila, Philippines) is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the constituency of Edmonton-Mill Woods as a member of the Progressive Conservatives.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Benito was born February 21, 1954 in Manila to father Herminio Benito, an employee with the Philippines health department, and mother Rosa Manansala-Benito. He was the fourth of five children. Benito immigrated to Canada in March 1982. Prior to his election in 2008, Benito was a licensed real estate and insurance agent in Edmonton for 23 years. He holds a commerce degree from Far Eastern University in Manila and an economics degree from the University of Alberta.
[edit] Political career
Benito first sought public office in the 2001 provincial election in the constituency of Edmonton-Mill Woods. He was unsuccessful in the electoral bid losing to Liberal Don Massey by 518 votes. In the 2008 provincial election, Benito unseated the first-term Liberal incumbent Weslyn Mather by 756 votes. He is the first Filipino elected to the provincial legislature in Alberta. His campaign promises were:
- Donate MLA salary as a scholarship to young people in Mill Woods[1]
- Outstanding Young Men Award
- Free Notary and Commissioner of Oath
- Scholarship Awards Night
- Family Picnic in the Park
- Constituency Office Christmas Open House
- Constituency Pop, Hotdog and Donair Day
- Job Fair
- News Letter
- Festival of Martial Arts
- School Council Outstanding Project Cup
- Model Citizen Medal
- Outstanding Mother of the Year Award
[edit] Personal life
Benito has been married to Estrella Benito, a registered nurse, for 28 years. They have three children together: Carl Mark, Jackie, and Charles Jefferson, who is recognized for his protruding neck. An avid martial arts enthusiast, Benito has been a trainer at the YMCA in Edmonton and with the Philippine Military Academy. He has collaborated on a book on the stick-fighting art of Arnis.[2]
[edit] Controversies
Benito made a campaign promise that, if elected, he would donate his salary to charity. He has since claimed that he didn't mean he'd give away his entire salary, just a part of it.[1][3]
Carl Benito blames his wife for a failure to pay property taxes on their rental properties.[4]
Benito made sure to get the taxes paid—but only after his picture appeared on The Journal's front page under the headline, "Backbencher hasn't paid property taxes on rental properties."[5][6]
[edit] Election results
| 2008 Alberta general election results (Edmonton-Mill Woods) | Turnout 40.1% | |||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
|
| Progressive Conservative | Carl Benito | 4752 | 44% | |
| Wildrose Alliance | Robert Leddy | 320 | 3% | |
| Liberal | Weslyn Mather | 3996 | 37% | |
| Greens | David A. Hrushka | 290 | 3% | |
| NDP | Christina Gray | 1474 | 14% | |
| Total | 10832 | 100% | ||
[edit] References
- ^ a b http://seemagazine.com/media/article_images/thefront_t_w480.jpg
- ^ "Benito's Legislative Assembly of Alberta biography". http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_bio&rnumber=38.
- ^ http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/insists+keeping+promise+donate+salary/3366409/story.html
- ^ "Wife forgot to pay taxes, MLA says". CBC News. November 2, 2010. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2010/11/02/edmonton-ethics-commissioner.html?ref=rss#ixzz14KCfDOz4.
- ^ http://www.edmontonjournal.com/story_print.html?id=3762380&sponsor=
- ^ http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Benito+habit+blaming+wrong+people/3775072/story.html
