​#Brampton, #Ottawa, #Ontario, #Canada, #Indianclothing, #costume, #RubySahota,  #CanadianHouseofCommons, #MemberofParliament

Ottawa, Mar 25 (Canadian-Media):  While participating on March 22nd 2018 in the debate and discussion on the Opposition Motion of the day, Ruby Sahota, Member of Parliament (MP) for Brampton North could not keep silent when one Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) after another referred to her cultural and traditional clothing as a "costume", media reports said.​​

During questions and comments, Sahota rose to express her outrage and stated as follows: 

 “Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly offended by the speech given by my colleague across the aisle just now. I implore them to stick to the facts and what they are trying to achieve. This reference I have been hearing from debate to debate about costumes is incredibly offensive.

I would like to share a little story about a girl growing up here in Canada, which was me, a child of immigrant parents, who struggled constantly to try to be proud of my culture and my heritage. I just could not help just wanting to fit in, and wonder why my parents could not just wear western clothing to my parent-teacher interview. Maybe I would fit in a little better, maybe the kids would not make fun of the clothing we traditionally wear. This reference continually made by the opposition to our clothing being costumes is outrageous.

I wonder if my colleague is offended I am wearing his costume right now. Would he call a business suit a costume? Should I ask people from around the world what they think about me wearing a white man's costume? Are you offended, because I am incredibly offended that again and again I hear reference to our clothing as costumes. It is not a costume; it is clothing we wear every day, day in and day out. Indians wear that clothing, and it is nothing compared to a uniform of a police officer. 

The Prime Minister respected our culture and our traditions, and took part and engaged in the clothing we value so dearly. I am so happy that my child, my son, can see a Prime Minister today who respects his culture, his tradition, and where he comes from.” 

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)​

​#Alberta, #Canada, #NewDemocraticParty, #TransMountain, #Keystone, #EnbridgeLine3, #UnitedConservativeParty, #JasonKenney 

Ottawa/Alberta, Mar 24 (Canadian-Media): Alberta’s NDP (New Democratic Party) government had seen a significant deficit on Mar 23 in its fourth provincial budget for the fourth time,  media reports said.

The government's reported plan -- that predicted deficit of $8.8-billion for the coming year will shrink until it pops into surplus by 2023 -- had not taken into consideration the pipelines that haven’t yet been built, including the Trans Mountain expansion into B.C., which have received opposition both legally and politically.

But the government reportedly assumes that Trans Mountain, Keystone and Enbridge’s Line 3 will all be in place by 2021 

The New Democrats are also hoping that in provincial election next year United Conservative Party led by Jason Kenney would reportedly utilize the government’s reliance on deficits and debt to shape its attacks.

​​According to official reports, too much reliance by Kenney’s United Conservative Party on the budget deficits and debt would reportedly have risks of its own: “He will certainly come out swinging against this budget, calling the level of debt an outrage and an embarrassment. What he won’t talk about is the fact that there’s no way of rectifying the problem unless the government introduces cuts to programs and services on a scale never seen before, or brings in a sales tax.”

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)​

Toronto, Mar 12 (Canadian-Media): Doug Ford, former Toronto city councilor had been elected Saturday as the new Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) party leader in the third ballot of preferential voting.  media reports said.


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                                                           ​Doug Ford. Image credit: Twitter handle

​Ford had reportedly defeated Christine Elliot, confirmed his party president Jag Badwal.

Reportedly thanking his supporters and his family, including his brother and former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, who died in 2016 Ford said,

"I will get our party back on track. To the people of Ontario, I say, 'Relief is on its way.' And to Kathleen Wynne I say, 'Your days as premier are numbered,'" Ford was reported to state and added,

"To the people of Ontario....I say relief is on its way....And to Kathleen Wynne I say....Your days as Premier are numbered."

Toronto Mayor John Tory congratulating Ford on his victory on Saturday said: "will be reaching out to Mr. Ford to arrange a meeting to discuss Toronto's needs."

Ford delivered his acceptance speech on Mar 10 reportedly as the new leader of the PC party of Ontario.

​The runner-up Elliott said that she won't concede and that there were "serious irregularities" in the race.

In her statement, Elliott said that thousands of PC members were assigned to incorrect riding and that she won the popular vote.

"I will stand up for these members and plan to investigate the extent of this discrepancy," Elliot was reported to state.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
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#ParminderSingh, #OntarioLiberalParty,  #BramptonEast, #Ontario, #Canada, #KathleenWynne, #SickKids Hospital, #AkhandPaath
                                       
 
Toronto, Mar 9 (Canadian-Media): Parminder Singh, the Founding host of CBC’s former Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi broadcast, was elected today as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate for Brampton East, Ontario, media reports said.

“I am thrilled to join Premier Kathleen Wynne’s team to fight for the fairness and opportunity Brampton residents deserve,” Singh, a medical doctor was reported to state. “Brampton residents need a government that invests in care. This Premier has invested in our hospitals, seniors’ homes and child-care spaces. I will add my voice to her strong team to continue delivering for Brampton.”

Being a health-care professional, Parminder Singh had reportedly worked as a sports and health commentator for Omni TV, the CBC, 680News and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.

He was the founding host and play-by-play commentator of the acclaimed Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi, and had founded the Toronto Raptors Punjabi Broadcast.

He had received his educattion at the University of Toronto, Windsor University School of Medicine and Harvard University.

At present he is the the Vice-President and Chief Medical Officer at Healthcare Plus Medical Group, and .

Dr Singh had supported local hospitals and charities by organizing various fundraising campaigns.

He had chaired Sikhs for SickKids, which helped raise close to $100,000 for SickKids Hospital, and also was able to raise $350,000 for the Brampton Civic Hospital through the Akhand Paath event, a religious ceremony of the Sikhs.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne had recently appointed Dr singh as the candidate at a rally in Brampton on Sunday.

Under the leadership of  Wynne, the Ontario Liberal Party reportedly plans to create opportunity and fairness for everyone in Ontario's growing economy and its balanced budget.


(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)​

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#JustinTrudeau, #Ipsospoll,  #Liberals, #Conservatives,  #NewDemocraticParty, #NDP,  #OmarKhadr, #AndrewScheer, #JagmeetSingh,  #federalcarbontax, #NorthAmericanFreeTradeAgreement, #NAFTA, #HenryJacek,  #BillMorneau

Ottawa, Mar 7 (Canadian-Media): Politicians and political watchers had been worrying over last week's Ipsos poll -- reportedly Canada's largest market research and public opinion polling firm --  survey revealing that Canada PM Justin Trudeau is not unbeatable, media  reports said.

​There had reportedly been sudden drop of 33 percent in Liberal support and the rise of of 38 percent in Conservatives support which had resulted in Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) earning the support of one voter in five.

Liberals and the Conservatives, until last week, reported Ipos polls, had been maintaining the same position as on 2015 night of Trudeau's election as prime minister of Canada.

Events such as Omar Khadr affair, Andrew Scheer becoming Conservative leader, Jagmeet Singh becoming leader of the NDP did not have any affect on Trudeau's reputation.

Khadr, a Canadian was detained by the United States at Guantanamo Bay for ten years had sued the Canadian government for infringing his rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and lawsuit was settled in 2017 with a $10.5 million (USD 8 million) payment and an apology by the federal government.

Andrew James Scheer, a Canadian politician who was elected Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada in 2017 strongly opposed the federal carbon tax stating that he would balance the federal budget within two years of forming a government.

Liberal's downfall had many more causes including Trudeau's India trip which had been strongly disappred by the public because of his performance; support for the grits had tanked in the Prairie provinces; and Trudeau's dragging of NAFTA talks with US President no result till date.

Conservatives In Ontario also reportedly had seven points ahead of the Liberals.

"If I were the Liberals I would be worried about their support in Ontario," says Henry Jacek, a political scientist at McMaster University in Hamilton. "I do think that the shift in public opinion is substantial and started even before the India trip."

Alberta voters, especially, blamed the federal Liberals for the lack of progress in getting Trans Mountain pipeline  built.

And President Donald Trump's threat to slap tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum exports with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks could reportedly mar the economical image of the country.

Besides, recent federal budget delivered by Finance Minister Bill Morneau had disappointed Canadians as there was no promise of balancing the budget.

Tuesday's Nanos poll reportedly showed that the Liberals had a narrow lead over the Conservatives.

But internal government surveys reportedly showed voters' concerns about the deficits run up by the Trudeau government and Liberals reportedly going after the wrong priorities such as Trudeau's NAFTA talks with the United States.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)