Manmeet Bhullar
Encyclopedia
Manmeet Singh Bhullar is a Canadian
politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
, representing the constituency of Calgary-Montrose
as a Progressive Conservative
.
. His family then moved to the community of Whitehorn where he attended Chief Justice Milvain School and Annie Gale Junior High School. Manmeet then attended Lester B. Pearson High School in Pineridge, where he was a member of the school’s football team.
in 2005. Bhullar also attended Mount Royal College as part of his post-secondary education. In 2011, Bhullar received his Bachelor of Laws
from the University of Windsor
.
Bhullar then worked with the Hon. Jim Prentice
, MP for Calgary Centre-North, aiding him with his role as Regional Minister for Alberta and the Territories. As Special Assistant at the Minister’s regional office, Manmeet advised both Minister Prentice and the Prime Minister’s Office regarding issues of importance to the region.
Bhullar first sought public office in the 2008 provincial election in the constituency of Calgary-Montrose. At 28 years of age, Bhullar became the youngest member elected to Alberta's 27th legislature. He was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology on March 12, 2008, making him the youngest politician to serve as a parliamentary assistant or secretary in Canada at the time.. In January 2010 he was made Parliamentary Assistant to Municipal Affairs. Bhullar currently sits on two committees: Standing Committee on Legislative Offices and the Standing Committee on Community Services.
Bhullar has brought forward a number of Bills in the Alberta legislature:
• Bill 7,the Post-secondary Learning Amendment Act, 2008
• Bill 30, the Alberta Evidence Amendment Act, 2008
• Bill 4, the Post-secondary Learning Amendment Act, 2009 – allowing Mount Royal College
and Grant MacEwan College
to become Universities.
• Bill 6, the Emergency Management Amendment Act, 2010
• Motion 508, a motion encouraging innovation in education (27th Legislature, 2nd Session)
On October 12, 2011 Bhullar was appointed to Cabinet as the Minister for Service Alberta by the new Premier Alison Redford. This makes Manmeet one of the youngest cabinet Ministers ever appointed in Alberta and the first turbaned Sikh to hold a ministerial position.
, the Centennial Medallion, and the Athabasca University Leadership Award. Bhullar has been a strong advocate for the issues of East Calgarians in the Alberta legislature.
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...
politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
, representing the constituency of Calgary-Montrose
Calgary Montrose
Calgary Montrose is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 83 in the province mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta of Alberta, Canada....
as a Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
.
Early life
Bhullar was born March 1, 1980 in the community of Penbrooke in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. His family then moved to the community of Whitehorn where he attended Chief Justice Milvain School and Annie Gale Junior High School. Manmeet then attended Lester B. Pearson High School in Pineridge, where he was a member of the school’s football team.
Education
Bhullar earned his Bachelor of Arts with a Sociology concentration from Athabasca UniversityAthabasca University
Athabasca University is a Canadian university in Athabasca, Alberta. It is an accredited research institution which also offers distance education courses and programs. Courses are offered primarily in English with some French offerings. Each year, 32,000 students attend the university. It offers...
in 2005. Bhullar also attended Mount Royal College as part of his post-secondary education. In 2011, Bhullar received his Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
.
Political life
Bhullar became active in politics early on by helping Rick D. Orman, the first MLA for Calgary-Montrose, in his re-election campaign. While seeking his post-secondary education, Bhullar was an organizer for Jim Prentice’s leadership campaign for the Progressive Conservative Party in 2003.Bhullar then worked with the Hon. Jim Prentice
Jim Prentice
James "Jim" Prentice, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer, and politician. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Conservative Party of Canada...
, MP for Calgary Centre-North, aiding him with his role as Regional Minister for Alberta and the Territories. As Special Assistant at the Minister’s regional office, Manmeet advised both Minister Prentice and the Prime Minister’s Office regarding issues of importance to the region.
Bhullar first sought public office in the 2008 provincial election in the constituency of Calgary-Montrose. At 28 years of age, Bhullar became the youngest member elected to Alberta's 27th legislature. He was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology on March 12, 2008, making him the youngest politician to serve as a parliamentary assistant or secretary in Canada at the time.. In January 2010 he was made Parliamentary Assistant to Municipal Affairs. Bhullar currently sits on two committees: Standing Committee on Legislative Offices and the Standing Committee on Community Services.
Bhullar has brought forward a number of Bills in the Alberta legislature:
• Bill 7,the Post-secondary Learning Amendment Act, 2008
• Bill 30, the Alberta Evidence Amendment Act, 2008
• Bill 4, the Post-secondary Learning Amendment Act, 2009 – allowing Mount Royal College
Mount Royal College
Mount Royal University is a public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1910 as a primary and secondary school, Mount Royal became a post-secondary institution in 1931 as Mount Royal College offering transfer courses to the University of Alberta and later to the University of Calgary...
and Grant MacEwan College
Grant MacEwan College
Grant MacEwan University is a post-secondary educational institution located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1971 as "Grant MacEwan Community College,” the institution got its start by offering primarily one and two-year certificate and diploma programs. In 1988 it received approval to...
to become Universities.
• Bill 6, the Emergency Management Amendment Act, 2010
• Motion 508, a motion encouraging innovation in education (27th Legislature, 2nd Session)
On October 12, 2011 Bhullar was appointed to Cabinet as the Minister for Service Alberta by the new Premier Alison Redford. This makes Manmeet one of the youngest cabinet Ministers ever appointed in Alberta and the first turbaned Sikh to hold a ministerial position.
Community Involvement
Manmeet became very active in the community early on. Bhullar was the founder of a youth organization called "Inspire." Bhullar co-ordinated the Walking Hunger Away campaign in Calgary, and led a team of volunteers to raise money on behalf of the Calgary Health Region. Bhullar also worked with other youth groups in that time. Because of his community work Bhullar became a recipient of the Alberta Centennial MedalAlberta Centennial Medal
The Alberta Centennial Medal is a commemorative medal celebrating Alberta’s first 100 years of confederation.-Purpose:This medal is meant to pay tribute to Albertans whose achievements have benefited their fellow citizens, their community and their province....
, the Centennial Medallion, and the Athabasca University Leadership Award. Bhullar has been a strong advocate for the issues of East Calgarians in the Alberta legislature.
Election results
| 2008 Alberta general election results ( Calgary-Montrose Calgary Montrose Calgary Montrose is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 83 in the province mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta of Alberta, Canada.... ) |
font style="font-size: 90%;">Turnout 30.6% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % |
Progressive Conservative | Manmeet Bhullar | 2627 | 35% |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Ron Leech | 2010 | 26% |
Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time... |
Michael Embaie | 1396 | 18% |
Wildrose Alliance Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta The Wildrose Party, formerly Wildrose Alliance Party, is a conservative provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. It includes free market conservative, libertarian and socially conservative factions and was formed in 2008 following a merger of the Wildrose Party of Alberta and the Alberta... |
Said Abdulbaki | 818 | 11% |
NDP Alberta New Democratic Party The Alberta New Democratic Party or Alberta NDP is a social-democratic political party in Alberta, Canada, which was originally founded as the Alberta section of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation... |
Al Brown | 512 | 7% |
Green Green Party of Alberta The Green Party of Alberta, also known as the Alberta Greens, was a provincial political party in the province of Alberta, Canada.The Alberta Greens were formed in 1986 and received official party status on April 6, 1990... |
Fred Clemens | 262 | 3% | |
| Total | 7631 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||