Vic Dhillon
Encyclopedia
Vic Dhillon is a politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
, representing the constituency of Brampton West
for the Ontario Liberal Party
. Dhillon is one of the three Sikh
Members of the Legislature, all of whom are members of the Liberal Party.
, Ontario for most of his life. He has a degree in Business Administration from Lakehead University
, and helped found a family-owned business in Mississauga
after his graduation. He has done fundraising work for the Brampton Food Bank, and led a local initiative to send supplies to eastern Ontario during the ice storm
of 1998. Dhillon worked as a constituency assistant to federal Liberal
Member of Parliament
(MP) Gurbax Singh Malhi for five months after the 1993 federal election
, and then worked as an executive assistant to Liberal MP Colleen Beaumier
for over nine years.
, and losing to high-profile Progressive Conservative
cabinet minister Tony Clement
in the newly-created provincial constituency of Brampton West—Mississauga. He ran again in the 2003 election
, and this time defeated Clement by 2,512 votes. Most political observers considered this to be a significant upset. Strong support from the constituency's Indo-Canadian community was a factor, as was a provincial swing to the Liberals.
Dhillon was 34 years old at the time of his election, and his second child was born during the campaign. He was appointed as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Government Services on September 20, 2006.
In 2004, Dhillon was credited by local residents with saving Knights Table, a non-profit diner that provides meals for Brampton's poor and homeless. According to a Toronto Star
report, Dhillon introduced the diner's management to Jaswant Singh Birk, who in turn provided the establishment with a generous lease after its previous contract expired.
In December 2006, he introduced a private member's bill to protect transient workers from exploitation by hiring agencies. The bill was endorsed by the Toronto Star
newspaper the following week.
Dhillon took part in an Ontario government business mission to India
in January 2007.
On January 25, 2010, Dhillon was named Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for Seniors
.
's bid to lead the Liberal Party of Canada
in 2006.
. Expenditure entries are taken from official candidate reports as listed by Elections Ontario. The figures cited are the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
, representing the constituency of Brampton West
Brampton West (provincial electoral district)
Brampton West is a provincial electoral district in central Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 2007 provincial election. 72.8% of the district was created from Brampton West—Mississauga while 27.2% was carved from Brampton Centre....
for the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
. Dhillon is one of the three Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
Members of the Legislature, all of whom are members of the Liberal Party.
Early life and career
Dhillon has lived in BramptonBrampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
, Ontario for most of his life. He has a degree in Business Administration from Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
, and helped found a family-owned business in Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
after his graduation. He has done fundraising work for the Brampton Food Bank, and led a local initiative to send supplies to eastern Ontario during the ice storm
Ice storm
An ice storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, also known as a glaze event or in some parts of the United States as a silver thaw. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least of ice on exposed surfaces...
of 1998. Dhillon worked as a constituency assistant to federal Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) Gurbax Singh Malhi for five months after the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, and then worked as an executive assistant to Liberal MP Colleen Beaumier
Colleen Beaumier
Colleen Beaumier is a Canadian politician, who served in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1993 to 2008.-Pre-politics:...
for over nine years.
Political career
Dhillon first ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1999 provincial electionOntario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and losing to high-profile Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
cabinet minister Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
in the newly-created provincial constituency of Brampton West—Mississauga. He ran again in the 2003 election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, and this time defeated Clement by 2,512 votes. Most political observers considered this to be a significant upset. Strong support from the constituency's Indo-Canadian community was a factor, as was a provincial swing to the Liberals.
Dhillon was 34 years old at the time of his election, and his second child was born during the campaign. He was appointed as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Government Services on September 20, 2006.
In 2004, Dhillon was credited by local residents with saving Knights Table, a non-profit diner that provides meals for Brampton's poor and homeless. According to a Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
report, Dhillon introduced the diner's management to Jaswant Singh Birk, who in turn provided the establishment with a generous lease after its previous contract expired.
In December 2006, he introduced a private member's bill to protect transient workers from exploitation by hiring agencies. The bill was endorsed by the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
newspaper the following week.
Dhillon took part in an Ontario government business mission to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in January 2007.
On January 25, 2010, Dhillon was named Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for Seniors
Ontario Seniors' Secretariat
Ontario Seniors' Secretariat is responsible for senior citizens issues in the Canadian province of Ontario.The current Minister Responsible for Seniors is the Honourable Sophia Aggelonitis....
.
Federal politics
Dhillon supported Gerard KennedyGerard Kennedy
Gerard Michael Kennedy is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as Ontario's Minister of Education from 2003 to 2006, when he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada...
's bid to lead the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in 2006.
Electoral record
All election information is taken from Elections OntarioElections Ontario
Elections Ontario is a non-partisan Agency of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. They work under the Chief Electoral Officer, an officer of the Legislative Assembly. responsible for the conduct of provincial elections.-External links:*...
. Expenditure entries are taken from official candidate reports as listed by Elections Ontario. The figures cited are the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations.