People
Jagmeet Singh Elected National Leader Of Canada's New Democratic Party:
Will Run For Prime Minister In 2019 Election
ALEX BALLINGALL
Total delegates: 65,782
Jagmeet Singh - 35,266 - 53.8%
Charles Angus - 12,705 - 19.3%
Niki Ashton - 11,374 - 17.3%
Guy Caron - 6,164 - 9.4%
Canada's New Democratic Party has chosen Jagmeet Singh, a criminal defence lawyer and provincial legislator who rose to prominence as an upbeat opponent of police carding and precarious work, to lead their party into the next federal election.
Jagmeet Singh scored a solid victory in the first round of voting for a new NDP leader, with 53.6 per cent of voters placing him at the top of their ranked ballot in results that were unveiled at a waterfront hotel Sunday afternoon.
He will now take over from outgoing leader Thomas Mulcair, who headed a caucus of 44 members on Parliament Hill since and helmed the party since 2012.
The 38-year-old, whose parents are from Punjab, is the first visible minority to lead a major federal party in Canada.
“Today is testament to an incredible team and thousands of volunteers and supporters who believed in us across the country,” Singh said from the stage at the Westin Harbour Castle, where the results were revealed Sunday afternoon.
“This is not my victory, this is all of your victory.”
Jagmeet's opponents in the race were MPs Charlie Angus, Niki Ashton and Guy Caron. Out of more than 65,000 votes, Angus got 12,505, Ashton received 11,376 and Caron got 6,164.
Jagmeet, who signed up 47,000 members in the race, received more than 35,000 votes in the first round, giving him a solid victory.
Party officials said shortly before the vote that turnout was 52.8 per cent, representing more than 60,000 voters. That’s slightly higher than the 50.9 per cent turnout in 2012, when Mulcair won.
Before the results were unveiled, former MP Olivia Chow spoke of the importance of unity as the party moves on under a new leader.
[Courtesy: The Toronto Star. Edited for sikhchic.com]
October 1, 2017
Conversation about this article
1: Harmel Singh (London, England), October 01, 2017, 6:06 PM.
Congratulations, Canada! You have shown yourselves to be a true meritocracy, unlike any other society in the world. You have once again proven yourselves to be an outstanding role model to the world. Bravo!
2: Zoravar Singh (Liverpool, England), October 01, 2017, 6:10 PM.
Sikh communities around the world need to study the trajectory of Sikh-Canadians during the last few decades, and try and emulate what they have done, subject of course to their local needs, to arrive at this extraordinary juncture.
3: Harmeet Kaur (Indiana, USA), October 01, 2017, 6:17 PM.
I believe this day will prove to be a landmark development for Sikhs the world over, and become empowering and inspirational to young and old. I won't be surprised if the results will start showing within a short time in the phoenix-like energizing of the community. And, I believe, the same will be experienced by Canada as a whole, by giving a similar boost to its self-confidence and esteem.
4: Onkar Singh (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), October 02, 2017, 10:10 AM.
This is history-making at so many levels. Truly, there is no country in the world like Canada. This is what it means to be a civilized and democratic country in the best meanings of the terms.
5: Aman Singh (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), October 02, 2017, 10:52 AM.
Jagmeet Singh's victory is a challenge to the whole Sikh-Canadian community. We must be responsible Canadians. We must love Canada more than our former countries. We must strive to live morally. As a Canadian-born Sikh myself, I can't say enough of this accomplishment. Just a few years ago, I was being called "Paki" in the same streets of Brampton. The newcomers may not understand or appreciate the depth of this win.
6: Sunny Grewal (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada), October 02, 2017, 11:26 PM.
The Indian Embassy and consulates are going to gear up to try and bring this man down. Terry Milewski, who kowtows to Indian interests, has already interviewed Jagmeet and tried to link him to the 1985 Air India tragedy. Can the editors at sikhchic.com please make our readers aware of Mr. Milewski and his agenda against the Sikh community?
7: John Ingersoll (Haifax, Nova Scotia, Canada), October 03, 2017, 5:29 AM.
There's an easy answer to Milewski's mischief and incompetence: Jagmeet was 6 years old when the Air India plane was blown up ... and by Indian government operatives, not the Sikhs!
8: GC Singh (USA), October 03, 2017, 11:06 AM.
The Indian disinformation campaign and its Nazi /Talibanic Hindu trolls under western sounding pseudonyms are already active in comment columns of various news stories about Jagmeet Singh. They have again resuscitated Ujjal Dosanjh and his ilk who have shamelessly again raised the bogus issue of Air India and so-called terrorism and of course Khalistan. They deftly and shamelessly transfer the blame for the Air India bombing from the Indians to the Sikhs. Just yesterday, Times of India which played a leading role in supporting the genocide of tens of thousands of innocent Sikhs, had this headline: "Sikh hijacker among others congratulates Jagmeet Singh on being elected NDP leader." Reminiscent of Germany's pre-WWII years!
9: GC Singh (USA), October 03, 2017, 8:14 PM.
Besides Terry Milewski, Tarek Fateh who has been extensively wined and dined by the Indian establishment during his visit to India is another person who seems like a front for Indian angst against Jagmeet Singh. Acting as tag team with Milewsky, Tarek in his attack on Jagmeet in the Toronto Sun impugned that "he failed the first leadership test" just because Jagmeet avoided falling into trap laid by Milewsky and comment on the Air India bombing -- by the Indians themselves! -- at a time when Jagmeet was in nursery school!
10: Raj Singh (Canada), October 06, 2017, 11:06 PM.
There's lots of dirt on Milewski, he's no angel. Any one remember his email re: "dark forces"?
11: Arjan Singh (USA), October 15, 2017, 12:35 AM.
Excellent news for not just the minority community but those that believe in Democratic principles. Jagmeet must tread carefully, as he faces more mischief and opposition from the Indian state through state sponsored hate propaganda. All citizens that believe in basic humanitarian principles and dignity must support Jagmeet as he is one of the few candidates who has stood his ground and advocated for a universal message of peace and humanity, unlike many politicians who use their platforms to divide the citizenry based on religion and ethnicity.