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Canadian NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh became the first 'non-white' leader in the House of Commons on Monday, after winning the federal by-election in the riding of Burnaby South.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh won the federal by-election in the riding of Burnaby South late Monday, clearing the path for a potential political duel with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the federal race this fall, Daily Hive Vancouver reports.
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Singh will replace former NDP MP – and now Vancouver Mayor, Kennedy Stewart.
Singh – a Scarborough, Ontario native, is of Indian descent, and becomes the first-ever “non-white” leader in the House of Commons. Singh’s parents are from the Indian state of Punjab.
He amassed 38.8 percent of the vote over Liberal candidate Richard T. Lee who scored only 26.2 percent.
Singh is a former Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario, and became NDP leader in the same Province in 2017. He has previously classed himself as a “progressive and social democrat,” according to the Canadian national publication The Globe and Mail.
In his victory speech, Mr. Singh denounced the Liberals and the Conservatives’ hidden objectives to take over government with the goal of enriching corporations while neglecting ordinary Canadians. He urged his supporters to maintain the energy they possessed during his campaign, stating that they’re in the final hurdle for their own progressive change.
“I know it’s been a long slog, but I hope you have more left in the tank. We have just eight more months to let the people know they can choose a government that stands up for people and not corporations,” Mr. Singh said after his victory.
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