OTTAWA (Diya TV) — Jagmeet Singh is the new leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party following a landslide victory.
The 38-year-old becomes the first non-Caucasian leader of a Canadian political party.
Singh, an Ontario legislature member surged to a landslide victory, garnering 35,266 votes — 53.8 of the eligible votes – almost triple that of the next-highest candidate. Northern Ontario’s Charlie Angus was second with 12,705 votes, followed by Manitoba’s Niki Ashton with 11,374 votes and Quebec’s Guy Caron with 6,164 votes.
“Canadians must stand united to champion the politics of courage over the politics of fear, the politics of love to fight the growing politics of division,” Singh said in a victory speech in Toronto.
“Canadians deserve the kind of government that only New Democrats can deliver … that gets the job done, that keeps its promises. That’s why today I’m officially launching my campaign to be the next prime minister of Canada.”
The NDP website says, “Jagmeet Singh is building a better Canada. With love and courage, we can change the world. It’s time to come together to make history. The new leader of the NDP is fighting to build a more just, inclusive Canada. And that starts with a win in 2019.If we stand together, we can make it happen. Join Jagmeet today.”
Singh became deputy leader of the NDP’s provincial wing in 2015. He resigned that role when he decided to seek the federal job in May.
Singh worked as a criminal defense lawyer, saying he knows first-hand what it is like to be racially profiled.
We caught up with new NDP leader Jagmeet Singh right after his big leadership win. Here is what he had to say. #ndpldr #LoveAndCourage pic.twitter.com/JCuYip7uyO
— NDP (@NDP) October 2, 2017
“When I talk about the treatment I received as a result of my identity, being stopped by the police, I faced a little bit of what it is like to be treated unfairly, to face injustice based on the way you look,” said Singh after Sunday’s victory. “When I tackle inequality of any form, injustice of any form, I bring that personal experience with me.”
“There’s no question in my mind Jagmeet is a game changer,” said NDP national director Robert Fox. “He’s a new, fresh, dynamic voice and a new, fresh dynamic face on the Canadian political landscape … “I’ve been seeing folk here today in the room and I’ve been seeing folk across the country – young, brown men and young brown women, people of color – who for the first time are really pumped about the opportunity to be acknowledged, to be respected, to be supported, to see themselves at the podium and to imagine themselves at the podium.”
The turbaned Sikh is expected to make a strong run against current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Pierre James Trudeau.
Born in the east Toronto community of Scarborough to Punjabi parents, Singh’s upbringing included stints in St. John’s, N.L., and Windsor, Ont.
Known as a fashion aficionado, he has garnered numerous honors in the Toronto area. GQ dubbed Singh an “incredibly well-dressed rising star in Canadian politics” in Feb. 2017.
Claiming he was was bullied as a youngster, he started training in martial arts, eventually captaining his high school wrestling team and winning the Toronto Brazilian jiu-jitsu championships.
