Gary Grewal
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Gary Grewal
| birth_place =
| birth_date =
| party = Saskatchewan Party
| residence = Regina, Saskatchewan
| successor = Jacqueline Roy
| predecessor = Yens Pedersen
| term_start = October 26, 2020
| term_end = October 1, 2024
| assembly = Saskatchewan Legislative
| constituency_AM = Regina Northeast
| honorific-suffix =
| honorific-prefix =
| caption =
| imagesize =
| nationality =
| occupation = Business owner
}}
Gary Grewal is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2020 Saskatchewan general election. He represented the district of Regina Northeast as a member of the Saskatchewan Party for one term. Grewal was the first Indo-Canadian elected to the Legislature.
Before politics
Grewal immigrated to Canada from India in 1983. He served as president of the India Canada Association of Saskatchewan as well as the Sikh Society, and as director of the Canadian Cricket Association.{{Cite web |last=Giles |first=David |date=2020-09-29 |title=Saskatchewan election: Regina Northeast |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6661654/saskatchewan-election-regina-northeast/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030200255/https://globalnews.ca/news/6661654/saskatchewan-election-regina-northeast/ |archive-date=2020-10-30 |access-date=2020-10-27 |website=Global News |language=en-US}} He is married and has three children.
Political career
Grewal's first bid for office came in a 2018 by-election in Regina Northeast following the resignation of Kevin Doherty; Grewal finished second in the by-election to Yens Pedersen of the New Democratic Party (NDP).{{Cite web |last=Mandryk |first=Murray |date=2018-09-11 |title=Sask. Party Northeast byelection efforts are a bit puzzling |url=https://leaderpost.com/opinion/columnists/sask-party-northeast-byelection-efforts-are-a-bit-puzzling |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911151246/https://leaderpost.com/opinion/columnists/sask-party-northeast-byelection-efforts-are-a-bit-puzzling |archive-date=2018-09-11 |access-date=2020-10-30 |website=Regina Leader-Post |language=en-CA}}{{Cite news |last=Fraser |first=D. C. |date=2018-09-12 |title=Yens Pedersen wins Regina Northeast byelection for NDP |url=https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/ndp-wins-regina-northeast-byelection |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913110349/https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/ndp-wins-regina-northeast-byelection |archive-date=2018-09-13 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=Regina Leader-Post}} In the general election two years later, Grewal won Regina Northeast in a re-match against Pedersen.{{Cite web |last=Solomon |first=Michaela |date=2020-10-26 |title=Sask. election night results from Regina's 12 constituencies |url=https://regina.ctvnews.ca/sask-election-night-results-from-regina-s-12-constituencies-1.5162281 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101065738/https://regina.ctvnews.ca/sask-election-night-results-from-regina-s-12-constituencies-1.5162281 |archive-date=2020-11-01 |access-date=2020-10-30 |website=CTV News Regina |language=en}} The win made Grewal the first Indo-Canadian elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature.{{Cite news |last=Salloum |first=Alec |date=2024-02-23 |title=Sask. Party MLA Gary Grewal will not seek reelection in 2024 |url=https://leaderpost.com/news/politics/sask-party-mla-gary-grewal-will-not-seek-reelection-in-2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304132452/https://leaderpost.com/news/politics/sask-party-mla-gary-grewal-will-not-seek-reelection-in-2024 |archive-date=2024-03-04 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=Regina Leader-Post}}
In July 2023, a Regina man was charged with extortion for threatening Grewal after Grewal declined to help him in a local campaign.{{Cite news |last=Kruger |first=Brooke |date=2023-07-14 |title=Man charged in alleged extortion case against Sask. MLA Gary Grewal |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9833736/man-charged-exotortion-gary-grewal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715112213/https://globalnews.ca/news/9833736/man-charged-exotortion-gary-grewal/ |archive-date=2023-07-15 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=Global News}}
In November 2023, the Opposition NDP raised concerns in the legislature about contracts between the Ministry of Social Services and the Sunrise Motel in Regina, a business owned by Grewal. It was alleged that prices were increased for social services clients.{{Cite news |last=Hunter |first=Adam |date=2023-11-15 |title=Motel owned by Sask. Party MLA in spotlight after rates rise for evicted senior |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-ndp-motel-room-social-services-1.7029129 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116100735/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-ndp-motel-room-social-services-1.7029129 |archive-date=2023-11-16 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=CBC News}} By February 2024, the NDP revealed evidence that the Sunrise and the Thriftlodge Hotel—another business in which Grewal held a stake—had received close to $400,000 from social services clients in the previous fiscal year.{{Cite news |last=Quon |first=Alexander |date=2024-02-13 |title=Sask. Party MLA's motels got $384K from social services for client hotel rooms last fiscal year |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/gary-grewal-hotel-social-services-1.7113663 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214015214/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/gary-grewal-hotel-social-services-1.7113663 |archive-date=2024-02-14 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=CBC News}}
Later in February 2024, Grewal announced that he would not be running in the 2024 Saskatchewan general election.{{cite web |date=2024-02-23 |title=Regina Northeast MLA Gary Grewal not seeking re-election |url=https://www.ckom.com/2024/02/23/regina-northeast-mla-gary-grewal-not-seeking-re-election/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519033808/https://www.ckom.com/2024/02/23/regina-northeast-mla-gary-grewal-not-seeking-re-election/ |archive-date=2024-05-19 |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=CKOM}}
In May 2024, the NDP made a formal request for a conflict of interest investigation in regards to Grewal's businesses.{{Cite news |last=Salloum |first=Alec |last2=Kurz |first2=Larissa |date=2024-05-16 |title=NDP calls on conflict of interest commissioner to investigate two Sask. Party MLAs |url=https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/ndp-calls-on-conflict-of-interest-commissioner-to-investigate-two-sask-party-mlas |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516194247/https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/ndp-calls-on-conflict-of-interest-commissioner-to-investigate-two-sask-party-mlas |archive-date=2024-05-16 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=Regina Leader-Post}} Five months later, the conflict of interest commissioner released their ruling that Grewal had breached conflict of interest rules in relation to the government contracts.{{Cite news |last=Hunter |first=Adam |date=2024-10-22 |title=Conflict commissioner finds former Sask. Party MLA broke rules as motel owner |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-conflict-commissioner-1.7359541 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113203155/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-conflict-commissioner-1.7359541 |archive-date=2024-11-13 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=CBC News}} The Sunrise—at which Grewal's wife was employed as a bookkeeper—and Thriftlodge businesses were found to have received $731,000 from the Ministry of Social Services after Grewal's 2020 election.{{Cite news |last=Salloum |first=Alec |date=2024-10-22 |title=Former Sask. Party MLA Gary Grewal breached conflict of interest act: report |url=https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/former-sask-party-mla-gary-grewal-breached-conflict-of-interest-act-report |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113203729/https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/former-sask-party-mla-gary-grewal-breached-conflict-of-interest-act-report |archive-date=2024-11-13 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=Regina Leader-Post}} The commissioner ruled that Grewal had failed to disclose interests in the businesses when elected, and that he failed to call in a loan to the Thriftlodge by a specified deadline. Grewal released a statement disagreeing with the findings, stating that he did not see the arrangements as government contracts, and alleging that he was not informed of the need to call in the Thriftlodge loan.{{Cite news |last=Cairns |first=John |date=2024-10-23 |title=Grewal responds to conflict of interest ruling |url=https://www.sasktoday.ca/elections/saskvotes2024/grewal-responds-to-conflict-of-interest-ruling-9699774 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113205350/https://www.sasktoday.ca/elections/saskvotes2024/grewal-responds-to-conflict-of-interest-ruling-9699774 |archive-date=2024-11-13 |access-date=2024-11-13 |work=Sask Today}} The Saskatchewan Party released a statement saying it accepted the findings of the investigation.
Electoral results
{{Canadian election result/top|SK|2020|Regina Northeast|percent=yes|prelim=no}}
{{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|Gary Grewal|3,709|49.60}}
{{CANelec|SK|NDP|Yens Pedersen|3,259|43.58}}
{{CANelec|SK|PC|Corie Rempel|272|3.64}}
{{CANelec|SK|Green|Anthony Majore|135|1.80}}
{{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Jeff Walters|103|1.38}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total|7,478|100.00}}
{{CANelec/source|Source: Elections Saskatchewan{{cite web|url=https://cdn.elections.sk.ca/upload/2020-Statement-of-Votes-Volume-1-web-viewing.pdf |title=A Report on the Twenty-Ninth General Election, Volume I: Statement of Votes |publisher=Elections Saskatchewan|date=2021-06-30|access-date=2024-10-28}}}}
{{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|by|September 12, 2018|Regina Northeast|percent=yes|prelim=no}}
{{CANelec|SK|NDP|Yens Pedersen|2,689|54.01}}
{{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|Gary Grewal|1,948|39.12}}
{{CANelec|SK|PC|Ken Grey|142|2.85}}
{{CANelec|SK|Green|Jessica Schroeder|96|1.93}}
{{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Reid Hill|67|1.35}}
{{CANelec|SK|Western Independence|Mark W. Regel|37|0.74}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|4,979|100.00}}
{{CANelec/source|Source: [https://www.saskarchives.com/sites/default/files/pdf/2019_elections_results_by_electoral_division.pdf Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division]}}
{{end}}