Wikipedia

Navdeep Bains

Navdeep Singh Bains (born June 16, 1977) is a Canadian politician and business executive who was the minister of innovation, science and industry from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, Bains was the member of Parliament (MP) for Mississauga—Brampton South from 2004 to 2011, and MP for Mississauga—Malton from 2015 to 2021. He was Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Paul Martin in 2005 and appointed to Cabinet by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2015. After leaving federal politics in 2021, Bains joined CIBC in September 2021 and then Rogers Communications in May 2023. He is a candidate in the 2026 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election.[1]

The Honourable
Navdeep Bains
PC FCPA
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Registrar General of Canada
In office
November 4, 2015 – January 12, 2021
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byJames Moore
Succeeded byFrançois-Philipe Champagne
Member of Parliament
for Mississauga—Malton
In office
October 19, 2015 – September 20, 2021
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byIqwinder Gaheer
Member of Parliament
for Mississauga—Brampton South
In office
June 28, 2004 – May 2, 2011
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byEve Adams
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada
In office
October 7, 2005 – November 29, 2005
Prime MinisterPaul Martin
Preceded byPaul DeVillers
Succeeded byJason Kenney
Personal details
BornNavdeep Singh Bains
(1977-06-16) June 16, 1977 (age 48)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
PartyLiberal (federal)
Ontario Liberal (provincial)
SpouseBrahamjot Bains
Children2
EducationTurner Fenton Secondary School
York University (BMS)
University of Windsor (MBA)
ProfessionAccountant, politician, business executive, academic, financial analyst and investment banker
Websitewww.navdeepbains.ca

Early life, education and early career

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Bains was born in Toronto, Ontario on June 16, 1977,[2] to Jat Sikh parents, Harminder and Balwinder Bains.[3] His family has origins from 2 Villages Lehli Kalan & Mahilpur, District Hoshiarpur, Punjab. but his grandfather later moved to Village Chak no 12PS, Tehsil Raisinghnagar, district Sri Ganganagar and later they immigrated to Canada.[4]

Bains graduated from Turner Fenton Secondary School in Brampton,[5] while it was known as J. A. Turner Secondary School and Turner Fenton Campus.[6] After completing high school, Bains attended York University, where he received his Bachelor of Management Studies.[7] He then went on to finish his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Windsor.[7] He received his Certified Management Accountant designation, subsequently becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant in 2014.[2] In 2016, he was awarded the prestigious FCPA designation by CPA Ontario for his "outstanding achievements including community leadership".[8]

Before joining electoral politics, Bains worked as a financial processing analyst at Nike Canada from 2000 to 2001.[9] He also worked for the Ford Motor Company as a revenue and costing analyst from 2000 until 2004.[10]

Political career

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Federal politics (2004–2021)

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In government

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In his first election in 2004, Bains won the Liberal nomination for the riding of Mississauga—Brampton South, and won the seat with over 57% of the total vote; beating his next nearest opponent by over 33%, or over 14,000 votes.[11] At that time, Bains was 26 years old and the youngest Liberal MP in Parliament.[12]

On October 7, 2005, when he became parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, which at the time was Paul Martin. [13] As parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, Bains was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council.[13]

In opposition

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In 2006, Bains was re-elected in his riding with just under 54% of the vote.[14]

Also in 2006, Bains co-chaired the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario)'s annual general meeting Toronto.[15]

During the 2006 Liberal leadership convention to replace Paul Martin, Bains threw his support behind Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy, and after Kennedy dropped out before the third ballot, he joined Kennedy in supporting the eventual winner and new party leader, Stéphane Dion.[16]

In the 39th Parliament, Bains held Official Opposition critic portfolios for Public Works and Government Services, the Treasury Board and International Trade, respectively.[13] Bains was also member of the Liberal Caucus Committees for Planning and Priorities, Canada and the World and Economic Prosperity.[13] In January 2007, he was appointed to the National Election Readiness Committee as a Caucus Representative and in March 2007 served as the Youth Liaison to the Young Liberals of Canada.[13]

In January 2009, he was selected by Michael Ignatieff along with Steve MacKinnon to serve as Co-Chairs of the Special Committee on Party Renewal and tasked with heading a consultation process with the party membership on how to strengthen the party.[13][17] In March 2009, Bains was appointed Chair of Platform Development and oversaw the creation of the party's next electoral platform.[13] As part of his recommendations for party renewal, delegates at the 2009 Liberal leadership election voted to ensure that all future leadership elections would be under a "weighted one member, one vote" system, where each riding has 100 points that are distributed to leadership candidates based on the percentage of votes from party members in that riding.[16]

Bains with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Toronto on June 28, 2010

In January 2011, Bains claimed that the Bloc Québécois was using "the politics of fear" and argued against their attempt to ban the ceremonial Sikh kirpan from the parliamentary buildings after an incident in which the Quebec National Assembly denied entry to a group of four kirpan-wearing Sikhs.[18][19]

Out of Parliament

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In the 2011 federal election, Eve Adams, a former Mississauga City Councillor, beat Bains by over 5,000 votes.[20] Bains was the Ontario co-chair for the federal Liberal campaign, and was returned to the House of Commons in the 2015 federal election in the new riding of Mississauga—Malton.[21][22]

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

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Bains meeting with John F. Kelly, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, in March 2017

On November 4, 2015, he was appointed the minister of innovation, science and economic development in Justin Trudeau's Cabinet.[23] The next day, Bains announced that the mandatory long form census would be restored for 2016, after it was removed from the 2011 edition under the Harper government.[24] Under Bains’ leadership, the 2016 Census response rate exceeded 98 percent, making it the most successful Census since 1666.[25]

A major focus of Bains’ mandate is to spur innovation and economic development in Canada. Following public consultations across Canada in the summer of 2016, he launched the Inclusive Innovation Agenda. Based on the consultations, the Bains identified three priority areas for Canada's Innovation Agenda: finding better ways for more Canadians to get the skills the global economy demands (People), harnessing emerging tech that would create industries and jobs that never existed before as well as reinvigorate existing ones (Technology), and encouraging more Canadians to start and grow companies that are competitive in the global economy (Companies).[26]

Bains and other members of Trudeau's cabinet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2018

Bains worked closely with the Advisory Council on Economic Growth, which advised the minister of finance on economic policies to achieve long-term sustainable growth. The council called for a gradual increase in permanent immigration to Canada to 450,000 people a year.[27][28]

In 2019, Minister Bains announced Canada's Digital Charter.[29]

In August 2020, amidst a review of an August 2019 decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to reduce capacity rates by up to 43% and access rates up to 77%, Bains released a statement saying that the government shared the fears of Canada's big telecommunication corporations that it went too far and would disincentivize investment in communication networks, especially less Partytable rural and remote areas. However, the statement also said that the government would not formally intervene in the ongoing review.[30]

Retirement from federal politics

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On January 20, 2021, Bains announced he was stepping down from his position and would not run in the 2021 Canadian federal election for family reasons.[31] He was replaced by Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne.[31] Ramesh Sangha, the MP for Brampton Centre accused Bains and fellow Liberal cabinet minister Harjit Sajjan of supporting Khalistani extremism.[32] Sangha also believed that Bains resigned because he harbored those views. The Liberal Party removed Sangha because they found the allegations to be baseless.[32]

Provincial politics (2026–present)

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Bains declined to run in the 2023 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election to succeed Steven Del Duca.[33][34] On May 25, 2026, Bains launched his campaign in the party's 2026 leadership election to replace Bonnie Crombie.[35] If elected, he will become the first visible minority to head a major political party in Ontario history.

Outside politics

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Bains also entered academia and became an adjunct lecturer in a Master of Public Service program at the University of Waterloo and a distinguished visiting professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University, starting in 2013 for a one-year term.[7] His teaching contract at Ryerson was extended, and he was still a professor at the time of his re-election in 2015.[21]

After leaving federal politics, Bains joined CIBC as Vice Chair, Global Investment Banking in September 2021. He left the position in May 2023 and joined Rogers Communications as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer.[36] At Rogers, he reportedly worked on getting the merger between the company and Shaw Communications approved.[35][37]

Personal life

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Bains currently resides in Peel Region with his wife, Brahamjot, with whom he has two daughters.[3][5][38]

In 2017, he was forced to remove his turban at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, before boarding a flight back to Canada. Bains, who has a Sikh background, wears a turban for religious reasons. After being told to remove his turban, Canada complained to the U.S. government, and Bains received an apology.[39]

Recognition

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Because of his position in the Party and the roles he has been given, Bains was seen as a rising star, and had been selected three years in a row in the Hill Times survey as the best up and comer from 2004 to 2006.[40] The Hill Times featured Bains on the cover of their Power & Influence magazine in 2017. Dubbed the ‘Minister of Everything’ in the article, he was ranked 4th most influential.[41] He is a recipient of Startup Canada's Policy Prize (2017). In 2017, Bains was listed in The Globe and Mail's The Power 50.[42] He is featured as the second influencer on the 2018 Bay Street Bull Power 50 list,[43] and Apolitical listed him among the World's 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government.[44]

Electoral history

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2019 Canadian federal election: Mississauga—Malton
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalNavdeep Bains27,89057.5-1.62$76,024.88
ConservativeTom Varughese12,52825.8-0.64$86,705.72
New DemocraticNikki Clarke6,10312.6+0.29$12,952.47
GreenChristina Porter1,2512.6+0.93$4.98
People'sTahir Gora3690.8none listed
United Prudence Buchanan3060.6$0.00
Marxist–LeninistFrank Chilelli900.2$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 48,537100.0
Total rejected ballots 500
Turnout 49,03762.0
Eligible voters 79,034
Liberal hold Swing -0.49
Source: Elections Canada[45][46]
2015 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalNavdeep Bains26,16559.12+22.33$103,144.90
ConservativeJagdish Grewal[47]11,70126.44-11.00$126,893.52
New DemocraticDianne Douglas5,45012.31-11.12$5,226.05
GreenHeather Mercer7371.67-0.37–
IndependentNaresh Tharani2100.46–$8,153.79
Total valid votes/Expense limit 44,256100.00 $207,082.35
Total rejected ballots 2370.53–
Turnout 44,49359.76–
Eligible voters 74,448
Liberal notional gain from Conservative Swing +16.67
Source: Elections Canada[48][49]
2011 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%
ConservativeEve Adams23,63244.72
LiberalNavdeep Bains18,57935.16
New DemocraticJim Glavan9,46517.91
GreenBenjamin Stone1,0441.98
Marxist–LeninistTim Sullivan1270.24
Total valid votes 52,847100.00
Total rejected ballots 3510.66
Turnout 53,19857.27
Eligible voters 92,890–
2008 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalNavdeep Bains21,22047.69-6.25$ 65,107.35
ConservativeSalma Ataullahjan14,66432.96+2.2151,467.58
New DemocraticKaran Pandher5,26811.84+0.965,832.24
GreenGrace Yogaretnam2,9476.62+2.825,666.20
Marxist–LeninistTim Sullivan3950.89+0.26 
Total valid votes/Expense limit 44,494100.00-12.31$ 91,776.94
Total rejected ballots 3430.76+0.15
Turnout 44,83749.39-10.62
Eligible voters 90,777 +6.71
2006 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalNavdeep Bains27,37053.94-3.22$ 80,611.34
ConservativeArnjeet Sangha15,60530.75+6.6658,602.08
New DemocraticNirvan Balkisoon5,52110.88-3.929,470.07
GreenGrace Yogaretnam1,9273.80+0.287,606.18
Marxist–LeninistTim Sullivan3190.63+0.20 
Total valid votes/Expense limit 50,742100.00+17.17$ 82,924.57
Total rejected ballots 3100.61-0.13
Turnout 51,05260.01+6.17
Eligible voters 85,068 +4.97
2004 Canadian federal election
Party Candidate Votes%Expenditures
LiberalNavdeep Bains24,75357.16$ 70,830.08
ConservativeParvinder Sandhu10,43324.0964,050.50
New DemocraticLarry Taylor6,41114.8014,516.24
GreenPaul Simas1,5253.52 
Marxist–LeninistDavid Gershuny1850.4323.48
Total valid votes/Expense limit 43,307100.00$ 78,421.35
Total rejected ballots 3210.74
Turnout 43,62853.84
Eligible voters 81,037 

References

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  1. ↑ Benzie, Robert; Ferguson, Rob (May 25, 2026). "Navdeep Bains enters Ontario Liberal leadership race as Nate Erskine-Smith loses appeal". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "BAINS, The Hon. Navdeep Singh, P.C., B.A., M.B.A., C.M.A." Library of Parliament. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Taber, Jane (December 1, 2006). "Family blocs offer convention support". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ "5 from Hoshiarpur re-elected". The Tribune. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Rosella, Louie (November 4, 2015). "Mississauga-Malton MP Navdeep Bains named to Trudeau's cabinet". Brampton Guardian. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  6. ↑ Yearbooks for 1992, 1993 and 1994.
  7. 1 2 3 "Navdeep Bains, former MP, joins Ryerson as distinguished visiting professor". Ryerson Today. January 16, 2013. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  8. ↑ "2016 Fellows". cpaontario.ca. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Mississauga — Brampton South". CBC News. October 14, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  10. ↑ Morgan, Geoffrey (November 4, 2015). "What happened to Industry Canada? Trudeau elevates scientific research in new cabinet role". Financial Post. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ "154 Mississauga-Brampton South". CBC News. June 28, 2004. Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  12. ↑ "GTA MPs form strong presence in Trudeau cabinet". CTV News. November 4, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "How ready are the Liberals?". The Globe and Mail. May 15, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  14. ↑ "154 Mississauga-Brampton South". CBC News. January 23, 2006. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Navdeep Bains Appointed to Liberal's National Campaign Team". The Brampton News. February 15, 2007. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Geddes, John (May 2, 2009). "Navdeep Bains on the new way Liberals will choose their leaders". Maclean's. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  17. ↑ Geddes, John (April 13, 2009). "Iggy's coronation". Maclean's. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Ban kirpan from Parliament: Bloc". CBC News. January 30, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  19. ↑ Perreaux, Les (January 19, 2011). "Bloc to seek parliamentary ban on the kirpan". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  20. ↑ Stone, Laura (February 10, 2015). "Eve Adams' former rival welcomes her to the Liberals". Global News. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  21. 1 2 Lewis, Michael (October 19, 2015). "Liberal Navdeep Bains wins Mississauga-Malton". Toronto Star. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  22. ↑ Geddes, John (October 7, 2015). "Why everyone loves Brampton". Maclean's. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Full list of Justin Trudeau's cabinet 31-member cabinet includes 15 women, attempt at regional balance". CBC News. November 16, 2015. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Liberals to restore mandatory long-form census". CBC News. November 5, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Statistics Canada celebrates 'best census since 1666'". August 29, 2016. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017.
  26. ↑ Niedoba, Sarah (October 26, 2016). "Canadian Business".
  27. ↑ "Influential Liberal advisers want Canadian population to triple by 2100". Global News. October 23, 2016. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Fortier, Ragan part of Advisory Council on Economic Growth". McGill Reporter. May 17, 2016. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  29. ↑ Hemmadi, Murad (May 22, 2019). "Breaking down Ottawa's new digital charter". The Logic. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  30. ↑ Paddon, David (August 15, 2020). "Minister says CRTC may have erred with wholesale rate decision". CTV News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  31. 1 2 Bains, Navdeep (January 12, 2021). "Trudeau shuffles cabinet as Navdeep Bains retires from politics: 'It's time for me to focus on ... being a dad'". National Post.
  32. 1 2 "MP Ramesh Sangha expelled from caucus after baseless accusations against fellow Liberals". The Globe and Mail. January 25, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  33. ↑ Regg Cohn, Martin (September 9, 2022). "Ontario Liberals need to remake their image. Is a fresh federal transplant the fix?". Toronto Star. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  34. ↑ Benzie, Robert (March 30, 2023). "Navdeep Bains will not run for the Ontario Liberal leadership". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  35. 1 2 "Navdeep Bains leaving Rogers Communications, memo says". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Rogers names former Liberal minister to executive role, raising influence concerns - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Navdeep Bains assembling Team Ontario: Liberal take on Doug Ford". Toronto Sun. Toronto Sun. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  38. ↑ "New Baby for MP Bains". Brampton Guardian. July 14, 2010. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  39. ↑ ""Frustrated" Canadian minister asked to take off turban at Detroit airport". CBS News. CBS News. May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Hill Times, December 18, 2006".
  41. ↑ "The Top 100: Navdeep Bains, the 'minister of everything'". The Hill Times. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  42. ↑ "The 50 most powerful people in Canadian business". Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  43. ↑ "The 2018 Bay Street Bull Power 50 - Bay Street Bull". Bay Street Bull. June 13, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  44. ↑ "World's 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government". Apolitical. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  45. ↑ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  46. ↑ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  47. ↑ The Conservative Party dropped Grewal after an editorial he wrote was criticized. His name will still appear on the ballot. Ditchburn, Jennifer (October 6, 2015). "Tories dump candidate who touts therapies to turn gay youth straight". CBC News. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  48. ↑ "Voter Information Service - Find your electoral district". elections.ca. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates". Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
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