Bas Balkissoon

Bas Balkissoon
Bas Balkissoon in 2015 as Deputy Speaker
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Scarborough—Rouge River
In office November 24, 2005 – March 22, 2016
Preceded by	Alvin Curling
Succeeded by	Raymond Cho
Toronto City Councillor for Ward 41 Scarborough-Rouge River
In office 2000–2005
Preceded by	New riding
Succeeded by	Paul Ainslie (interim) Chin Lee
Toronto City Councillor for Ward 18 - Scarborough Malvern
In office 1998–2000
Preceded by	New riding
Succeeded by	Riding abolished
Scarborough City Councillor for Ward 13
In office 1988–1997
Preceded by	Bob Sanders
Succeeded by	Riding abolished
Personal details
Born	1952 (age 64–65) Trinidad and Tobago
Political party	Liberal
Spouse(s)	Tahay Balkissoon
Children	3
Residence	Toronto, Ontario
Portfolio	Deputy Speaker (2011-2016)
Religion	Hinduism

Bas Balkissoon (born c. 1952) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2005 to 2016 who represented the riding of Scarborough—Rouge River. From 1988 to 1997 he was a municipal councillor in Scarborough and from 1998 to 2005 he was a councillor in the amalgamated city of Toronto.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, and of Indian descent, Balkissoon rose to prominence as the head of Scarborough Homeowners Alliance For Fair Taxes, an organization that challenged the province's property assessment system. He is married to Tahay and together they have raised three children.

In 1988, he was elected to Scarborough city council in what was then Ward 13.

With the formation of the new amalgamated city of Toronto, he was elected to Toronto City Council in 1997. As chair of the city's Audit Committee he was credited with uncovering a dubious computer leasing deal between the city and MFP Financial, which eventually led to the formation of the Toronto Computer Leasing Inquiry. Balkissoon also served for a period on the Police Services Board on which he was critical of then-Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino as well as the Toronto Police Association and its leader at the time, Craig Bromell.

In a by-election held on November 24, 2005, Balkissoon was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for the riding of Scarborough—Rouge River, replacing Alvin Curling who was appointed as the Canadian ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Balkissoon, as the Liberal Party candidate, won with 58% of the vote. Conservative candidate Cynthia Lai received 24% of the vote and the NDP's Sheila White finished third with 15%. In the Liberal nomination prior to the by-election, the party chose to use a clause in its constitution that declared other candidates invalid, effectively handing the nomination to Balkissoon. This excluded other contenders such as Raymond Cho who considered putting his name forward.