Parm Gill | |
|---|---|
 Gill in 2020 | |
| Minister of Red Tape Reduction | |
| In office June 24, 2022 – January 26, 2024 | |
| Premier | Doug Ford |
| Preceded by | Nina Tangri (Associate Ministry of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction) |
| Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism | |
| In office June 18, 2021 – June 24, 2022 | |
| Premier | Doug Ford |
| Preceded by | Laura Albanese (2018) |
| Succeeded by | Michael Ford |
| Member of theOntario Provincial Parliament forMilton | |
| In office June 7, 2018 – February 16, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Indira Naidoo-Harris[1] |
| Succeeded by | Zee Hamid |
| Member of Parliament forBrampton—Springdale | |
| In office May 2, 2011 – August 4, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Ruby Dhalla |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Paramjit Gill (1974-05-17)May 17, 1974 (age 50) Moga district,Punjab, India[2] |
| Political party | Conservative Party of Canada (federal) Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (provincial) |
| Profession | Entrepreneur |
Parm Gill (born May 17, 1974) is a Canadian politician. He represented the riding ofMilton in theLegislative Assembly of Ontario between 2018 and 2024.
As a member of theConservative Party, he represented theriding ofBrampton—Springdale inOntario in theHouse of Commons of Canada from 2011 to 2015, holding roles as parliamentary secretary to theMinister of Veterans Affairs and theMinister of International Trade from 2013 until his defeat in the2015 federal election.
He was elected to the provincial legislature, representingMilton for theProgressive Conservative Party of Ontario, in the2018 provincial election. In 2021, he was elevated to the Cabinet as the Minister for Citizenship and Multiculturalism, and became the Minister of Red Tape Reduction in 2022. In January 2024, he announced his departure from provincial politics to run for the Conservatives in the45th Canadian federal election.[3][4]
Gill was born on May 17, 1974, inMoga, Punjab inIndia.[5]
He moved toCanada at a young age.[citation needed] Before politics, he was an entrepreneur and business executive.[5] He worked on his family's businesses, which include a furniture manufacturing factory and some restaurants that he operated with his older brother.[6]
In the2006 federal election, Gill ran inYork West, and lost to Liberal MPJudy Sgro by over 15000 votes.[7] In the2008 federal election, Gill ran inBrampton—Springdale against incumbentRuby Dhalla, but was narrowly defeated by 773 votes.[6] The election campaign between the two were heated, and during an all-candidates' debate, Dhalla brought up how Gill's brother had been charged with vandalizing her campaign signs in 2006, even though the charges were dropped, and Gill attacked Dhalla for failing to do enough for a boy beaten by police in India after stealing her aide's purse.[8]
He was elected as aConservative Party of CanadaMember of Parliament representingBrampton Springdale in the2011 election, defeating Dhalla.[6]
After witnessing increased gang activity in his riding, Gill toured Western Canadian cities in December 2011 to speak with police and community organizations to see how this could be stopped.[9] In May 2012, Gill introduced aprivate members bill, C-394, which made it a crime to target someone for recruitment into a gang.[9][10] It was eventually passed into law in June 2014.[11][12]
In September 2013, Gill was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to theMinister of Veterans Affairs.[5] DuringRob Ford's drug scandal, Gill was one of the few federal politicians to offer support for the embattled mayor, calling him a "great mayor" who was "doing a wonderful job" in November 2013, and claimed that Torontonians were happy with his record.[13]
In January 2015, Gill was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the role of a Parliamentary Secretary to theMinister of International Trade.[14] In May 2015, Gill wrote letters of support to theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for two of his constituents' competing applications for a community radio station in Brampton. TheConflict of Interest Act bars parliamentary secretaries from writing such letters to the CRTC and other administrative tribunals, and in October 2013, ethics commissionerMary Dawson had issued a directive to that effect.[15] The Ethics Commissioner ruled in February 2016 that although he had acted in good faith, Gill had violated theConflict of Interest Act.[16][17]
Redistribution of federal ridings took place and concluded shortly before the2015 federal election. Gill's riding, Brampton-Springdale, was eliminated,[18] and he ran in the new riding ofBrampton North.[19]
In August 2015, theHuffington Post reported that a supporter of Gill's who previously bundled donations to Liberal MPJim Karygiannis, had switched his allegiance and had induced Liberal supporters into donating to Gill without their consent. In October 2015, a week and a half before voting day, it was reported that the commissioner ofElections Canada launched an investigation into these claims.[20][21]
During the election, Gill criticized the provincialOntario Liberal Party and Premier Kathleen Wynne's proposed updates to the sexual education curriculum, which had not been changed since 1998. The changes included teaching thathomosexuality was acceptable in Grade 3, teaching aboutpuberty in Grade 4 as opposed to Grade 5, and teaching aboutmasturbation andgender expression in Grade 6.[22] Gill described the changes as "graphic and explicit" in a taxpayer-funded mailout which conflated the provincial party's education policies with those of separate federal Liberal party, which has no constitutional jurisdiction in the field. In the mailout, Gill also said that it was part of a Liberal attack onfamily values and parent's right to control the education of their children.[23] In a 2015 video with thePunjabi Post, Gill described some segments of the new education curriculum as "disgusting."[24]
Gill lost to Liberal candidateRuby Sahota.[19]
On October 29, 2016, Gill announced that he would seek theProgressive Conservative Party of Ontario nomination inMilton for the42nd Ontario general election.[25] On June 18, 2017, he won the nomination.[26] In June 2017, then Progressive Conservative leaderPatrick Brown stated that Gill's position on gay rights had shifted, and he was now "100 per cent" in favour of gay rights after comments stating that Gill said that he became involved in politics due to his opposition to legalizingsame-sex marriage were uncovered.[24]
On June 7, 2018 Gill won theOntario general election in the riding ofMilton as a member of the Progressive Conservatives.[27] In 2021, he was appointed theOntario Minister for Citizenship and Multiculturalism from 2021 to 2022, when he became the Minister of Red Tape Reduction.[28] Gill officially resigned as MPP on February 16, 2024.[29] Theprovincial by-election to replace him was held on May 2, 2024.[30] The seat was retained by the Progressive Conservatives.[31]
On January 25, 2024, Gill announced that he would be resigning as a Minister and MPP to run in the45th Canadian federal election inMilton.[28] He was acclaimed as the Conservative candidate despite an allegations that he misled a prospective candidate, D'Arcy Keene, aGeorgetown town Councillor, about running.[32] After the riding was split intoBurlington North-Milton West, andMilton East-Halton Hills South, Gill planned to seek a seat in Milton East-Halton Hills South.[33] Keene, who ran tried running in the nomination for Milton East-Halton Hills South, never received nomination papers and suggested this was because the party preferred Gill as their candidate.[34]
Gill and his wife Amarpal have three children.[35]
| 2022 Ontario general election:Milton | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Parm Gill | 16,766 | 43.07 | +1.40 | $47,201 | |||
| Liberal | Sameera Ali | 15,086 | 38.75 | +8.92 | $55,857 | |||
| New Democratic | Katherine Cirlincione | 3,777 | 9.70 | −12.54 | $21,161 | |||
| Green | Oriana Knox | 1,612 | 4.14 | −0.88 | $1,700 | |||
| New Blue | John Spina | 1,579 | 4.06 | N/A | $9,745 | |||
| Consensus Ontario | Masood Khan | 107 | 0.27 | N/A | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes | 38,927 | 99.41 | +0.32 | |||||
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 231 | 0.59 | -0.32 | |||||
| Turnout | 39,158 | 42.70 | -13.40 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 91,696 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservativehold | Swing | −3.76 | ||||||
Source(s)
| ||||||||
| 2018 Ontario general election:Milton | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Parm Gill | 18,249 | 41.67 | +4.12 | $58,739 | |||
| Liberal | Indira Naidoo-Harris | 13,064 | 29.83 | -13.26 | $49,410 | |||
| New Democratic | Brendan Smyth | 9,740 | 22.24 | +7.83 | $370 | |||
| Green | Eleanor Hayward | 2,200 | 5.02 | +1.44 | $81 | |||
| Libertarian | Benjamin Cunningham | 366 | 0.84 | N/A | none listed | |||
| Social Reform | Enam Ahmed | 170 | 0.39 | N/A | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes | 43,789 | 99.09 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 403 | 0.91 | ||||||
| Turnout | 44,192 | 56.11 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 78,764 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservativenotional gain fromLiberal | Swing | +8.69 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Ontario[36][37][38] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election:Brampton North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ruby Sahota | 23,297 | 48.37 | +20.21 | $136,386.70 | |||
| Conservative | Parm Gill | 15,888 | 32.99 | -15.88 | $194,312.26 | |||
| New Democratic | Martin Singh | 7,946 | 16.50 | -2.34 | $78,854.84 | |||
| Green | Pauline Thornham | 915 | 1.90 | -1.78 | $146.44 | |||
| Communist | Harinderpal Hundal | 120 | 0.25 | – | – | |||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 48,166 | 100.00 | $206,076.29 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 318 | 0.66 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 48,484 | 66.13 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 73,321 | |||||||
| Liberalnotional gain fromConservative | Swing | +18.05 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[39][40] | ||||||||
| 2011 Canadian federal election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Parm Gill | 24,617 | 48.3% | – | – | |||
| Liberal | Ruby Dhalla | 14,231 | 27.9% | – | – | |||
| New Democratic | Manjit Grewal | 9,963 | 19.6% | – | – | |||
| Green | Mark Hoffberg | 1,926 | 3.8% | – | – | |||
| Communist | Liz Rowley | 219 | 0.4% | – | – | |||
| Total valid votes | 50,956 | 100.0% | – | |||||
| 2008 Canadian federal election:Brampton—Springdale | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ruby Dhalla | 18,577 | 41.03 | −6.3 | $80,011 | |||
| Conservative | Parm Gill | 17,804 | 39.32 | +5.5 | $86,444 | |||
| New Democratic | Mani Singh | 5,238 | 11.57 | −6.1 | $21,152 | |||
| Green | Dave Finlay | 3,516 | 7.76 | +3.9 | $746 | |||
| Communist | Dimitrios Kabitsis | 135 | 0.29 | +0.1 | $407 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 45,270 | 100.0 | – | $87,594 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 419 | 0.92 | ||||||
| Turnout | 45,689 | 54.24 | −7.0 | |||||
| Electors on the lists | 84,239 | |||||||
| 2006 Canadian federal election:York West | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||
| Liberal | Judy Sgro | 21,418 | 63.78 | $48,741.93 | ||||
| Conservative | Parm Gill | 6,244 | 18.59 | $71,005.65 | ||||
| New Democratic | Sandra Romano Anthony | 4,724 | 14.07 | $8,845.73 | ||||
| Green | Nick Capra | 1,002 | 2.98 | $1,692.18 | ||||
| Independent | Axcel Cocon | 192 | 0.57 | $1,801.61 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 33,580 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 261 | |||||||
| Turnout | 33,841 | 57.90 | ||||||
| Electors on the lists | 58,450 | |||||||
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