Jagmeet Singh

Jagmeet Singh
MPP
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Bramalea—Gore—Malton
Assumed office
October 6, 2011
Preceded by Kuldip Kular
Personal details
Born (1979-01-02) January 2, 1979
Scarborough, Ontario
Political party New Democrat
Residence Brampton, Ontario
Profession Lawyer
Religion Sikhism

Jagmeet Singh Dhaliwal (Punjabi: ਜਗਮੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ) (born January 2, 1979) is a politician in Ontario, Canada and the Deputy Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. He has represented the riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton in Legislative Assembly of Ontario since his election in 2011. He is the first turban-wearing Sikh to sit as an Member of Provincial Parliament, as well as the first to hold a deputy leader position in Canada. Before entering politics, Singh was a criminal defence lawyer.

Early life and education

Singh was born in Scarborough, Toronto as the oldest of the four children of Punjabi immigrants: his father Jagtaran Singh Dhaliwal, a psychiatrist and his mother, Harmeet Kaur Dhaliwal, a teacher.[1][2][3] Singh briefly lived in Punjab, India before returning to Canada when his father enrolled in a medical school in Newfoundland, where the family stayed for five years.[1][2] Singh's family then settled in Windsor, Ontario where he grew up.[1] Singh attended a private high school in Detroit,[3] Detroit Country Day School, in Beverly Hills, Michigan, graduating in 1997.

Singh wanted to become a doctor like his father, but his father's illness drove him to try and enter the workforce earlier.[2][3] Singh studied at the University of Western Ontario and obtained a biology degree.[2][3] He then briefly studied computer science, but decided it was not his prefered career, and on the advice of a philosophy professor, decided to study law.[3]

Singh obtained his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in 2005 and articled in Windsor.[3] Singh was inspired to become a criminal defence lawyer based on his own experience of being aggressively questioned by police.[3] He worked as a criminal defence lawyer at Pinkofsky's law firm, from 2007 to 2008, which at that time was one of the largest criminal defence law firms in Toronto. After working for the prominent Toronto firm, Singh opened his own private practice in Brampton.[2][3]

During his time as a lawyer he offered free legal rights seminars across Ontario and provided pro bono legal counsel for people and community organizations.[4] In a Toronto Star article published January 9, 2012, Singh stated that his background in criminal defense contributed to his decision to enter politics, particularly his work advocating for the protection of Charter rights.[1]

Federal politics

Singh provided pro bono consulting to an activist group that protested the visit to Canada of Kamal Nath, the Indian trade minister who had persecuted Sikhs and had allegedly led armed mobs during the 1984 Delhi pogrom.[3][5] After failing to get their views heard, Singh was persuaded to run for office by the activist group so their concerns could be better represented.[3]

Singh began his political career with his decision to run for Member of Parliament in the 2011 federal election as the NDP candidate in the riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton.[3] During the election, Singh dropped "Dhaliwal" from his name because it was an upper-caste Sikh surname and began using the more common surname "Singh."[3] He was defeated by Conservative candidate Bal Gosal by 539 votes.[6][7]

Provincial politics

Singh ran in the 2011 Ontario provincial election as the NDP candidate in the same riding, and defeated Liberal incumbent Kuldip Kular by 2,277 votes.[7][8] Singh became the first Ontario NDP MPP to represent the Peel Region as well as the first turban-wearing MPP.[7][9] In the 40th Parliament of Ontario, Singh was appointed as the NDP critic for the Attorney General of Ontario and for the Consumer Services.[10]

In 2011 Singh called for greater police accountability, and for the provincial government to draft legislation to strengthen Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU). He criticized the Ministry of the Attorney General following the release of a report by Ombudsman André Marin that found the province had undermined the SIU. Singh said, "The comprehensive failure of the ministry to address concerns about the SIU and give it a proper mandate is simply unacceptable, and I expect immediate action from the new Attorney General."[11]

Singh was a critic of the province’s handling of the Ornge Air Ambulance service and called for greater oversight of the agency. Ornge was the subject of an investigation that found the air ambulance service paid a $1.4 million salary to its president while failing to provide timely emergency services. Singh said, "No more flying blind at Ornge.... The people of Ontario have been paying the bills at Ornge with scarce health dollars. They deserve the facts about what's happened. A key first step is making executive contracts immediately available to the public."[12]

In March 2012, Singh introduced a private member's bill called "An Act to Amend the Insurance Act" to address high auto insurance rates. Singh wanted to remove the industry practice of basing insurance rates on geographic location. The bill failed to pass second reading.[13]

In May 2012, Singh introduced a private member's bill called "An Act to amend the Consumer Protection Act, 2002" to address high fees on overseas money transfers. The bill died on the order paper when the legislature was prorogued in September 2012.[14]

On March 26, 2012, Singh issued a statement opposing the Government of India’s position on the death penalty for Balwant Singh Rajoana.[15] In the statement Singh called for Canada and Ontario to urge India to abolish the death penalty, stating that “With a $1.3 Billion annual trade between Ontario and India, this government should demand our trading partners uphold the same humanitarian values as us Canadians.”[15]

In June 2012, he gave a statement in remembrance of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Operation Blue Star in Amritsar by the Indian government. criticized what he claims are human rights violations committed by the Sri Lankan government. He has advocated for the rights of Tibetan people in China, and spoken against the actions taken against the Falun Dafa practicing community by the Chinese government.[16]

In March 2013, Singh introduced a Motion to the Ontario Legislature calling on the Liberal Government to reduce auto insurance premiums by 15%.[17] Singh's motion was accepted by the Legislature, and the 15% reduction would be included in the Liberal Government's 2013 Provincial budget.[18]

In December 2013, legislation introduced by Singh to have the month of April recognized as Sikh Heritage Month in the province of Ontario was passed by the Legislature. Singh said, "This will be an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Sikh Canadians and the important role that they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario."[19]

Also in December 2013, the Indian government turned down Singh's application for a visa to visit India to collect the 2013 Sikh of the Year awarded to him by SEWA, an non-profit organization based in India that promotes Sikhs around the world.[5][20]

41st Parliament and deputy leadership

Singh faced Kular again in the 2014 election, this time defeating him by 5,627 votes.[21] In the 41st Parliament of Ontario, Singh continued in his roles as NDP critic for the Attorney General of Ontario and for Government and Consumer Services.[10][22] Singh was also appointed as deputy house leader for the NDP.[10] Amidst the speculation that Andrea Horwath would step down after the NDP failed to gain seats or hold the balance of power after the election, Singh was considered as a potential successor.[5]

In December 2014, Singh raised concerns during Question Period about a common practice by payday loan companies, in which gift cards can be exchanged for cash, with high fees attached to the transaction for the consumer.[23] The next day, Ontario Government and Consumer Services Minister David Orazietti announced that Money Mart had suspended their "gift cards for cash" program and the practice would be investigated by the ministry.[23]

In early 2015, Singh was courted by Tom Mulcair to run for the federal NDP in the 2015 federal election, but refused in April 2015.[24] Shortly afterwards, Andrea Horwath, the provincial NDP leader, appointed Singh as deputy leader, making Singh the first person to hold the mostly symbolic post in over a decade.[25] HIs appointment made him the first turbaned Sikh to hold a deputy leader position in Canada.[26][27]

During the Alberta general election in May 2015, Singh campaigned on behalf of the Alberta New Democratic Party to reach out to South Asian voters on behalf of Irfan Sabir, who was elected in Calgary-McCall.and was appointed to Rachel Notley's cabinet as Minister of Social Services.[28]

In June 2015, Singh was chastised by Ontario's integrity commissioner for the improper use of his legislative resources meant for his constituency office for partisan purposes.[29] The integrity commissioner's report found that in March 2015, Singh had improperly allowed his constituency office in Brampton to organize bus trips to take supporters to a partisan federal NDP rally in Toronto and that Singh's inclusion of a donation link on his constituency website contravened parliamentary convention.[29] Because Singh did not intentionally break the ethics policy and had proactively acted to fix the breaches when alerted, he was not fined or otherwise punished, and the integrity commissioner only recommended that Singh's staff undergo additional training.[29]

In October 2015, Singh delivered a member's statement criticizing "carding" or arbitrary police street checks, which disproportionately affects racial minorities, before introducing a non-binding motion calling for their ban that passed unanimously.[30] One week after Singh's motion was passed by the legislature, the Ontario Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Yasir Naqvi would introduce comprehensive legislation aimed at banning arbitrary street checks by police except for very specific circumstances, regulation that Singh called "encouraging."[31]

In November 2015, Singh introduced a Private Member's Bill to the Ontario Legislature regarding the private corporation, Tarion Home Warranty. Tarion was created by the provincial government in 1976 to be the provincial regulators of the province's new home building industry. Singh's proposed legislation would allow the Ontario Ombudsman the jurisdiction to investigate the practices of the private corporation, as well as force Tarion to produce a detailed track record of their builds, while also including all of their employees who make over $100,000 on the Ontario Sunshine list. The proposed legislation would also subject Tarion bylaws to the approval of the provincial government.[32]

After Tom Mulcair lost a leadership review vote at the 2016 federal NDP convention, Singh was considered as potential leadership candidate, winning the support of 11% of NDP members in a Mainstreet Research poll conducted in April 2016.[33]

Personal life, awards and recognition

In January 2012, the Toronto Star named Singh one of Toronto's "top 12 personalities to watch in 2012", calling Singh "a trailblazer in Ontario politics".[1] Singh was recognized by the World Sikh Organization of Canada in their 2012 list of Honorees, for being the first turbaned Sikh MPP in Ontario.[34] In 2013 Singh was awarded the Sikh of the Year by SEWA.[5] In 2013, Singh was also recognized by Toronto Life as a "rising star." and as one of the top 20 best dressed residents of the city.[25][35]

Singh is a mixed martial arts specialist who has competed in the U.S. and Canada in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Benzie, Robert (January 9, 2012). "12 to watch in 2012: Jagmeet Singh". Toronto Star.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "MPP likes the finer things". Mississauga News. Metroland Media Group. 22 December 2011. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Tancock, Martha (2014). Number One. The York University Magazine. p. 20.
  4. ↑ "Meet Jagmeet". Archived from the original on March 17, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Mann, Arshy. "The most interesting man at Queen’s Park". canadianlawyermag.com. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  6. ↑ "Riding results from across Canada". Edmonton Journal. May 3, 2011. p. A6.
  7. 1 2 3 "Ontario NDP's Singh throws heck of a victory rally". CBC News. Oct 7, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 6, 2011. p. 2. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  9. ↑ Taber, Jane (June 5, 2015). "NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh’s quest to quash carding in Ontario". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 "Jagmeet Singh, MPP (Bramalea—Gore—Malton)". www.ontla.on.ca. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  11. ↑ "MPP wants new SIU laws". Brampton Guardian (MetroLand Media). December 17, 2011.
  12. ↑ "NDPer wants details on ORNGE". Mississauga News. January 13, 2012. p. 1.
  13. ↑ "Bill 45, Insurance Amendment Act (Risk Classification Systems for Automobile Insurance), 2012". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. June 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Bill 98, Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Money Transfers), 2012". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. May 31, 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Canadian Sikh MPP opoose death penalty to Balwant Singh Rajoana; UK body welcomes statement". Sihk Siyasat News. March 26, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Jagmeet Singh a defender of human rights". June 28, 2012. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Liberals will support NDP call for 15% auto insurance cut". Toronto Star. March 27, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Ontario budget 2013: opposition dubious of Liberals pledge to cut auto insurance premiums". Toronto Star. May 2, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Brampton MPP’s bill passes to create Sikh Heritage Month". Brampton Guardian (Metroland Media). December 11, 2013.
  20. ↑ Jain, Ajit (June 27, 2014). "Ontario MPP Jagmeet Singh denied visa to visit India". Globe and Mail.
  21. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. June 12, 2014. p. 1.
  22. ↑ Reevely, David (June 25, 2014). "Horwath sticks around, names NDP shadow cabinet". Ottawa Citizen.
  23. 1 2 Artuso, Antonella (December 5, 2014). "Money Mart suspends controversial gift card purchase service". The Observer.
  24. ↑ Benzie, Robert (April 20, 2015). "NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh spurs Thomas Mulcair’s overtures". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  25. 1 2 Kohut, Tania (April 20, 2015). "NDP appoints MPP Jagmeet Singh as deputy leader".
  26. ↑ Kohut, Tania. "NDP appoints MPP Jagmeet Singh as deputy leader". Global News. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  27. ↑ "Jagmeet Singh named deputy leader of Ontario New Democrats". CBC News. April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  28. ↑ Smith, Joanna (July 2, 2015). "Ontario NDP deputy leader Jagmeet Singh helped court South Asian vote — in Alberta". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  29. 1 2 3 Ferguson, Rob (June 26, 2015). "NDP deputy leader Jagmeet Singh chastised by integrity commissioner". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  30. ↑ Artuso, Antonella (October 22, 2015). "Legislature against arbitrary carding by police". Toronto Sun.
  31. ↑ Artuso, Antonella (October 28, 2015). "Ontario move to ban carding 'fair approach'". Toronto Sun.
  32. ↑ Wallace, Kenyon (December 10, 2014). "Ontario bill would force Tarion to publish detailed information about builders’ track records".
  33. ↑ Csanady, Ashley (April 20, 2016). "NDP leadership poll: Avi Lewis, Jagmeet Singh and Nathan Cullen are favourites to take party helm". The National Post. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  34. ↑ "WSO's 2012 List of Honorees". World Sikh Organization of Canada. June 20, 2012. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012.
  35. ↑ "Toronto’s Best Dressed 2013: our annual list of the city’s most stylish people | Toronto Life". Toronto Life. Retrieved 2016-04-22.

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