Gagan Sikand | |
Riding: | Mississauga—Streetsville |
Parliament: | Canadian |
Term Start: | October 19, 2015 |
Term End: | September 19, 2021 |
Predecessor: | Brad Butt |
Successor: | Rechie Valdez |
Party: | Liberal |
Birth Date: | 21 November 1984 |
Birth Place: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Profession: | Lawyer, businessman, politician |
Alma Mater: | University of Toronto Brunel Law School |
Residence: | Mississauga, Ontario |
Gagan Sikand is a Canadian politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Greater Toronto Area riding of Mississauga—Streetsville from 2015 to 2021. He served as a member of the Liberal Party.
Sikand attended the University of Toronto. He completed an Honours B.A. with a double major in crime and deviance and philosophy with a minor in anthropology. He obtained an LLB Law degree from Brunel Law School in London, England.[1] He worked for the provincial office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs.[2] Born in Toronto, he has lived in Mississauga for over 30 years and in the riding of Mississauga-Streetsville for 29 years.
In the 2015 federal election, Sikand ran as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Mississauga—Streetsville. He defeated Conservative incumbent Brad Butt by 4,171 votes.[3] [4] [5] He was a backbench supporter of the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He sat on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament.[6] On April 18, 2018 he was named Co-Chair of the Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament.[7]
On February 26, 2016, he introduced a Private Member's Bill that would allow police to use a device that could detect the presence of alcohol for a car driver without having to administer a breathalyzer test.[8] As of September 21, 2016, the bill has passed first reading and is being consider by the house.[9]
On June 13, 2016 he was named Caucus Liaison for the Ontario Young Liberals.[10]
In 2017, Sikand abstained during the vote for Motion 103 to condemn Islamophobia. All other Liberal MPs present voted in favor of the motion.[11]
On October 20, 2020, Sikand took a medical leave of absence from Parliament, the leave was approved by the Chief Government Whip.[12]
On August 15, 2021, Sikand announced that he would not be seeking re-election in the next election.[13]