Jagmeet Singh

Wednesday February 27, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday February 27, 2019

Has Jagmeet Singh As NDP Leader Been A Total Flop?

January 7, 2019

When Jagmeet Singh won the federal party’s leadership back in 2017, there was a wave of optimism when people thought of the possibility that Canada could elect its first non-white, Sikh-Canadian prime minister.

The then-Brampton MPP defeated more established, experienced NDP veterans to win the leadership decisively with 54 per cent of the vote. For awhile it seemed the hope and optimism espoused by the late Jack Layton was alive again. To be honest, when I went to cover Singh’s leadership launch, I felt that kind of feeling as well.

But it seems the reality of politics settles in and Singh, like others before him, is not looking as impressive as he once was.

Part of this has to do with his lack of real presence in Ottawa. Singh was an Ontario MPP and once he left that position, he had no seat in the House of Commons which made it harder for him to get noticed at all…by anyone.

All of Brampton’s ridings are currently held by Liberals, and even the embattled MP from Brampton East, Raj Grewal, decided to stay put after his scandalous situation, thus not allowing Singh a pathway to get elected in more familiar political terrain.

Animated!

This prompted Singh to move all the way to British Columbia to contest a by-election in the riding of Burnaby South, left vacant after the previous NDP MPwas elected Vancouver’s new mayor. Singh may yet win in a riding that only went NDP by about 500 votes in the 2015 election, as the Liberals had to suddenly switch candidates after the first one made what many called racially insensitive comments about the NDP leader.

Coupled with the Liberals own handling of pipelines (a hot button issue in BC) and the current scandal surrounding former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and SNC Lavalin, there may be enough disenchantment with the Liberal brand to allow Singh to win and get himself into the House of Commons so Canadians can actually see him face off against Justin Trudeau.

March 31, 2018

Singh’s leadership pretty much hinges on this by-election win. The leader’s absence from Ottawa on a regular basis has led to some questionable decisions on his part. One example was removing a veteran NDP MP from a committee for voting with the Conservatives on a motion protesting Liberal changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program regarding abortion protests.

Although the MP, David Christopherson from Hamilton, was pro-choice, he voted for the motion over concerns churches and other religious groups would have to disavow their beliefs to qualify for funding. Since the NDP is a pro-choice party and this MP effectively voted for a motion that reflected a pro-life position, Singh simply went and ‘disciplined’ the man amidst protest from his own MPs.

Christopherson was subsequently reinstated to the committee, although later he announced he would not be running for reelection in 2019. (Continued: In Brampton Editorial)  

 

Tuesday February 5, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday February 5, 2019

Jagmeet Singh questions Canada’s recognition of Venezuelan opposition leader

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is questioning Canada’s decision to recognize a Venezuelan opposition leader as the country’s interim president, after prominent members of his party lashed out at the Liberal government’s foreign policy move Thursday.

March 31, 2018 – retraction

In a statement to the Toronto Star, Singh said it should be up to Venezuelans to decide who leads their country, which was roiled by deadly protests this week as the socialist regime led by Nicolas Maduro tries to cling to power amidst economic collapse and a mass exodus of migrants from the South American nation.

Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Chrystia Freeland, announced Wednesday that Ottawa will recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president and support his “commitment to lead Venezuela to free and fair presidential elections.” Canada was among the “Lima Group” of countries that called on Maduro to step down earlier this month, declaring that he seized power through “fraudulent and anti-democratic elections” last year.

Freeland’s decision came after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Guaido as Venezuelan leader, prompting the Maduro regime to cut diplomatic ties with the United States.

Animated!

The NDP leader, however, is calling for a United Nations-led dialogue to “avert a disaster” in Venezuela, and said Thursday that all countries deserve to choose their leaders without “authoritative pressure or foreign interference.” He also condemned military action against protesters by the Maduro regime.

“Canada should not simply follow the U.S.’s foreign policy, particularly given its history of self-interested interference in the region,” Singh said.

“The question of who is to lead Venezuela should be in the hands of Venezuelans.” (Sourec: Toronto Star) 

 

Tuesday January 7, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday January 7, 2019

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Trudeau delaying Burnaby South by-election for political gain

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has delayed calling a by-election for the federal British Columbia riding of Burnaby South because Mr. Trudeau is “afraid” of how the governing Liberals might fare in the race.

Mr. Singh, who has been leading the NDP without a seat since October, 2017, has been anxious to run in the B.C. riding in hopes of winning a seat in the House of Commons before the next federal election, and he says Mr. Trudeau has been dragging his heels on the issue for political gain.

“I think that they’re afraid of facing the electorate, they’re afraid of facing the people of Burnaby South, facing their record. Their record is going to be on trial,” he said in a telephone interview from the riding on Monday.

Mr. Singh said delaying the by-election call is not in the interest of people in Burnaby South – so it’s likely in Mr. Trudeau’s own political interest.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said that Mr. Trudeau had months to take action on this “and failed to do so,” in a statement e-mailed to The Globe and Mail.

“Canadians deserve representation in the House of Commons now, not when it is convenient for the Prime Minister’s political agenda,” said Mr. Scheer, adding that Mr. Trudeau has chosen to “play politics” with Canadians, calling it unacceptable.

Meanwhile the Prime Minister’s Office is rebuffing criticism from both Mr. Singh and Mr. Scheer.

“As the PM has said previously, the by-elections in Burnaby South, Outremont and York-Simcoe will be called in January with a February voting day. The Nanaimo-Ladysmith by-election will be called in due course,” said Prime Minister’s Office spokesman Matt Pascuzzo.

When asked if Mr. Trudeau would call a by-election for Nanaimo-Ladysmith at the same time as the other by-elections, Mr. Pascuzzo said there are provisions in the Elections Act regarding the calling of by-elections and the Prime Minister will abide by those provisions.

According to Elections Canada, the Chief Electoral Officer received a notice of vacancy Monday for the riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith (with the resignation of NDP MP Sheila Malcolmson, who is running in a provincial by-election). The earliest the writ can be issued for the by-election is Jan. 18, 2019, which means a by-election could be held, at the earliest, on Monday, Feb. 25. The writ must be issued, at the latest, by July 6, 2019. (Source: Globe & Mail) 

 

Monday August 27, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Monday August 27, 2018

Jagmeet Singh, Missing in Action

Jagmeet Singh to announce run for Parliament (story from 3 weeks ago)

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will announce Wednesday he’s running for the Burnaby South seat in the House of Commons, CTV News has confirmed.

Singh won the federal NDP leadership last fall but isn’t a member of Parliament. Reports indicated he would run to replace New Democrat MP Kennedy Stewart, who has resigned his seat to run in Vancouver’s mayoral race.

Singh has an event in Burnaby, B.C. Tomorrow.

“I know he’s looking at it very closely,” Stewart said in an interview with CTVNews.ca

“I did approach Jagmeet suggesting that it might be good for him to run in Burnaby South. What’s been very positive is when I mention it to people in Burnaby, is how excited they got,” he said.

Stewart said Singh understands the city and knows the NDP supporters there.

Singh sat in the Ontario Legislature before his federal leadership run, representing the Toronto area riding of Bramalea-Gore-Malton. He held the seat from 2011 to 2017 and served as deputy leader of the Ontario NDP.

Stewart said he’s not concerned that Singh isn’t from the riding and noted former NDP leader Tommy Douglas, who had been premier of Saskatchewan, served in the riding after leaving Saskatchewan politics. (CTV News) 

 

Saturday March 31, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator (www.mackaycartoons.net) – Saturday March 31, 2018

Singh retracts punishment of veteran MP Christopherson after backlash from NDP caucus

Rumblings of discontent in the NDP caucus have been replaced by statements of support for Jagmeet Singh, after the party leader’s swift change of heart over punishing a veteran parliamentarian who broke ranks on a vote in the House of Commons last week.

October 24, 2017

In the face of public criticism from members of his caucus, Singh announced Tuesday night that he would reinstate Hamilton MP David Christopherson to his role as deputy chair of the powerful procedure and House affairs committee. The move quashed a decision Singh made just days earlier to dump Christopherson from the position as punishment for voting against his party on a Conservative motion — defeated by a majority of Liberals and New Democrats — regarding a controversial change to applications for summer jobs funding.

Applying groups must now “attest” that their mandate respects the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including abortion rights.

Following the about-face by Singh, MPs played down any suggestion of disunity in the NDP fold. Christopherson himself said in a statement that, after speaking with Singh in recent days, he has “complete trust in his leadership.”

Other MPs expressed similar sentiments when pressed by reporters outside the House of Commons. Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay), who ran second against Singh in last year’s leadership race and spoke out against the decision to punish Christopherson, said the speed with which Singh reversed the move “reassured people” in caucus. 

September 13, 2017

It is the second week in a row that conversation around the NDP has been dominated by questions about caucus’s faith in Singh’s decisions. MPs held an unscheduled meeting March 19 to discuss how Singh reacted to reports that he attended rallies where people expressed support for Sikh separatism in India, venerated a militant leader there, and in one case discussed the legitimacy of political violence as a means of resistance.

Two days later, in front of a collection of applauding MPs, Singh categorically denounced all forms of violence and said he won’t attend any more rallies if he knows someone will advocate violence as a political tool. The party leader had said in a previous interview with the Star that, while he opposed terrorism, questions of violence against oppression in the Sikh context were too complex to be answered in a “simplistic manner.”

Then this week, Angus told the Globe and Mail that Singh’s decision to punish Christopherson for breaking rank on the summer program vote showed “a lack of respect.” Quebec MP Romeo Saganash told the paper he agrees with Angus and called the decision “unfortunate.”

(Source: Toronto Star) 

 

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