Read about Bas Balkissoon net worth, age, wife, children, height, family, parents, salary, and party as well as other information you need to know.
Introduction
Bas Balkissoon 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 councilor in Scarborough and from 1998 to 2005 he was a councilor in the amalgamated city of Toronto. On March 22, 2016, Balkissoon resigned from the legislature.
Early life
| Name | Bas Balkissoon |
| Net Worth | $5 million |
| Occupation | Former politician |
| Age | 71 years |
| Height | 1.75m |
Bas Balkissoon was born in 1952 (age 71 years) in Trinidad and Tobago. He is the son 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.
Career
Bas Balkissoon was elected in 1988 to Scarborough city council in what was then Ward 13. With the formation of the newly 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.
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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 the 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. Balkissoon was easily re-elected in the 2007 provincial election, defeating his closest opponent by over 17,000 votes. He was also re-elected in 2011 and 2014.
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During his time in office he has been appointed to a number of Parliamentary Assistant roles including Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services (2006-7, 2014); Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (2007-10); and Minister of Community and Social Services (2010-2013). In 2011 he was named as Deputy Speaker and Chair of the Committee of the Whole House.
Wife
Bas Balkissoon is married to his wife Tahay, they had their wedding in Canada. His wife is a private person and together they have raised three children. His daughter-in-law, Laura Jarrett, is an attorney and reporter for CNN, daughter of Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama. As of April 2023, Bas Balkissoon and his wife Tahay are still married.
Bas Balkissoon net worth
How much is Bas Balkissoon worth? Bas Balkissoon net worth is estimated at around $5 million. His main source of income is from his primary work as a former politician. Bas Balkissoon’s salary per month and other career earnings are over $400,000 dollars annually.
His remarkable achievements have earned him some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy car trips. He is one of the richest and most influential former politicians in Canada. Bas Balkissoon stands at an appealing height of 1.75m and has a good body weight which suits his personality.