Name Gila Martow Children 4 Role Politician | Occupation Optometrist Spouse Jeff Martow Religion Judaism | |
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Portfolio Opposition Critic for Francophone Affairs and GTA Issues (2014-) Profiles | ||
How She Does It - Gila Martow
Gila Martow, Ontario PC Candidate for Thornhill
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.
Contents
- How She Does It Gila Martow
- Gila Martow Ontario PC Candidate for Thornhill
- Background
- Politics
- References
Background
Originally from Chomedey, Quebec, Martow was a practising optometrist prior to her election to the legislature. She and her husband, an ophthalmologist, jointly ran an eye clinic at the Markham Stouffville Hospital.
Martow's maternal grandparents lived on a kibbutz organized by the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement in the early 1930s in Israel.
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."
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. 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. A recount was done and Martow was declared the winner on June 23, 2014 by a margin of 106 votes.
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.
In past, Martow has served as the PC Critic for Intergovernmental Affairs (2014) and as the Anti-Racism Secretariat (2016). She currently serves as the critic for: Children, Youth, and Families; GTA Issues; and Francophone Affairs.