Bas Balkissoon
Politics Person
"Bas Balkissoon was elected to the Ontario legislature in a by-election in 2005 and was re-elected in 2007. He currently serves as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Community and Social Services. He is the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Committee and is also a member of the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.
Bas recently served on the Select Committee for Mental Health and Addictions that published a final report listing recommendations to establish and implement a comprehensive mental health and addictions plan for Ontario. In 2008, Bas served on the Select Committee that developed the Poverty Reduction Strategy. He was the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care from 2007-2010 and to the Minister of Community Safety in 2006-2007.
Bas was born in Trinidad and immigrated to Canada in 1970. He spent 17 years working at Bell Canada, including two and a half years overseas as an advisor to the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Post, Telephone and Telegraph. In 1988, he was elected as a City Councillor to the municipal government of the former City of Scarborough. In 1997, he was elected to the amalgamated City of Toronto in 1997.
In 2001, as the chair of Toronto's Audit Committee, Bas played a key role in exposing millions of dollars in misappropriated City funds. During his 17 year career in municipal politics, he also served on the Budget Committee, Toronto Police Services Board and was a member of the TTC. He also served as chair of Waste Diversion Ontario, and on the boards of the Metro Toronto Housing Authority and the Social Housing Services Corporation.
Bas and his family have lived in Scarborough-Rouge River for over 35 years."[1]