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Rosario is the member of provincial parliament for the riding of Trinity-Spadina in Toronto, Ontario. First elected in 1990, he was re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007.

His emphasis is on providing access to government to those who have traditionally been underserved. His downtown constituency is home to Toronto’s Chinese, Portuguese and Italian communities, and includes the Financial District, Chinatown, Little Italy, Fashion District.

During the NDP government, Rosario served as Minister of Culture. Under his leadership, the ministry provided the single largest funding increase to artists through the Ontario Arts Council, a new publishing strategy was developed, the growing film industry was given stronger support, and concrete steps were taken to improve the status of the artist in Ontario. In addition, the Ministry reached out to underserved groups, including the francophone community, through a working group created to advocate for better French cultural services.

Rosario believes that the most important role of government is in protecting the rights of communities. As a member of the Cabinet Committee on the Constitution, Rosario helped to define the inherent right to self-government for aboriginal peoples.

Before running for Provincial Parliament, Rosario was a Toronto School Board trustee from 1982-1990. A strong advocate of lingual and racial rights, he worked to establish international language programs, alternative schools and school childcare, and helped to end the practice of streaming students into narrow learning programs.

Prior to becoming Trinity-Spadina’s MPP, Rosario was a teacher of French and English in Toronto and Mississauga. His extensive volunteer commitments have included Vice-President of the National Congress of Italian Canadians (Toronto), Toronto Public Library Board trustee, and Chair of the Multilingual Literacy Centre.

Rosario came to Toronto from Italy, at the age of nine. A graduate of Harbord Collegiate, he earned his BA in English, French and Philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1978 and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Education degree.

Rosario is fluent in English, Italian and French, and is conversant in Portuguese and Spanish.