Gila Martow

Gila Martow
MPP
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Thornhill
Assumed office
February 13, 2014
Preceded by Peter Shurman
Personal details
Born (1961-06-05) June 5, 1961
Montreal, Quebec
Political party Progressive Conservative
Children 4
Residence Thornhill, Ontario
Occupation Optometrist
Portfolio Opposition Critic for Francophone Affairs and GTA Issues (2014–), Anti Racism (2016–)
Religion Judaism

Gila Deborah Martow (née Gladstone; born June 5, 1961) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She represents the electoral district of Thornhill as a member of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.[1]

Background

Originally from Chomedey, Quebec,[2] Martow was a practising optometrist prior to her election to the legislature.[2] She and her husband, an ophthalmologist, jointly ran an eye clinic at the Markham Stouffville Hospital.[2]

Martow's maternal grandparents lived on a kibbutz organized by the Hashomer Hatzair Socialist-Zionist youth movement in the early 1930s in Palestine.[3]

Politics

In 2007, she was a spokesperson for the Multi-Faith Coalition. During the provincial election that year, she supported Progressive Conservative leader John Tory's plan to create funding among Ontario’s private faith-based schools. She said, "By not funding non-Catholic faith-based schools, there is going to be social unrest. This is discrimination against non-Catholics."[4]

In early 2014 she ran in a by-election in the riding of Thornhill to replace the retiring Peter Shurman. She defeated Liberal candidate Sandra Yeung Racco on February 13, 2014.[1] Four months later she ran again in the 2014 provincial election. She faced Racco again in a rematch. Initially Racco was declared the winner but the decision was reversed the next day following the official Elections Ontario tally of the vote. Martow was declared the winner by 85 votes.[5] A recount was done and Martow was declared the winner on June 23, 2014 by a margin of 106 votes.[6]

On December 1, 2016, Martow presented a motion in the legislature that rejects the anti-Israel BDS movement. It passed by a vote of 49-5 with the governing Liberals and PC's supporting, and NDP opposing.

Martow is the PC Critic for GTA Issues, Francophone Affairs and the Anti-Racism Secretariat.

Election results

Ontario general election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeGila Martow 21,886 43.95 -3.94
LiberalSandra Yeung Racco 21,780 43.78 +2.18
New DemocraticCindy Hackelberg 4,052 8.16 +1.37
GreenDavid Bergart 1,229 2.48 +1.04
LibertarianGene Balfour 571 1.16 +0.11
FreedomErin Goodwin 233 0.47 -0.08
Total valid votes 50,291 100.0  
Progressive Conservative hold Swing -3.06
Source: Elections Ontario[7]
Ontario provincial by-election, February 13, 2014
Resignation of Peter Shurman
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Progressive ConservativeGila Martow 13,438 47.67 +0.96
LiberalSandra Yeung Racco 11,677 41.43 +0.51
New DemocraticCindy Hackelberg 1,905 6.75 -2.21
GreenTeresa Pun 404 1.43 -0.25
LibertarianGene Balfour 296 1.05 -0.34
FreedomErin Goodwin 153 0.54 +0.21
People's Political PartyKevin Clarke 144 0.51
Pauper Party of OntarioJohn Turmel 47 0.17
Total valid votes 28,184
Turnout 27.4%
     Progressive Conservative hold Swing +0.34%

References

  1. 1 2 "NDP win Niagara Falls, Tories hold Thornhill in Ontario byelections". Global News. February 13, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Parties get set as Thornhill byelection called". yorkregion.com, January 14, 2014.
  3. ↑ http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?locale=fr&Date=2015-04-23
  4. ↑ Eby, Chris. "Ont. Tories trash Liberal promise-keeping record". CTV Toronto News. CTV. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "It's official: PC Martow wins Thornhill in wake of vote tally error". York Region. June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Martow proclaimed winner in recount". York Region. Metroland Media. June 23, 2014.
  7. ↑ "General Election Results by District, 089 Thornhill". Elections Ontario. 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
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